Three takeaways from Kansas State basketball's 73-68 road victory at Oklahoma State

STILLWATER, Okla. — Kansas State finally found a path to success on the road.

The No. 16-ranked Wildcats got back-to-back 3-pointers from Keyontae Johnson and Ismael Massoud to take the lead with just under six minutes left and made all six of their free throws in the final three minutes to hold off Oklahoma State, 73-68, on Saturday.

It was the third straight victory for K-State, which improved to 22-7 overall, 10-6 in the Big 12, and also broke a five-game road losing streak. Oklahoma State dropped its fourth straight to fall to 16-13 with a 7-9 league record.

Markquis Nowell led K-State with 22 points, with Keyontae Johnson adding 17 and Desi Sills 10. Kalib Boone had 18 points and Cale Asberry added 13 for Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State led 35-33 at halftime and was up 53-45 with 12:05 left before K-State rallied.

Here are three takeaways from the victory, which allowed K-State to remain tied for third in the Big 12 with Baylor, two games behind first-place Kansas and one back of Texas.

More:Kansas State ends road losing streak with 73-68 victory at Oklahoma State

Road win means ice cream

It was a long time coming, so Kansas State coach Jerome Tang wasn't going to let the Wildcats' first road victory in a month and a half go unrewarded. After the game, it was ice cream for everyone.

"Any time you win it's satisfying," Tang said. "I know they are fired up because we're going to Marble Slab.

"Road-dubs (mean) you get dessert, so here we go."

After winning their first two conference road games at Texas on Jan. 3 and at Baylor four days later, the Wildcats dropped five straight away from Bramlage Coliseum. But against Oklahoma State, they made the right plays down the stretch when they needed to, limiting the Cowboys to three free throws and a meaningless basket in the last 2 1/2 minutes.

"We just stayed poised and stayed together," Nowell said.

More feast than famine for Markquis Nowell

Nowell's turnover issues resurfaced early on, but fortunately for the Wildcats and their senior point guard, he more than made up for it.

While he followed his error-free, 10-assist performance in Tuesday's victory over Baylor with seven against Oklahoma State, he was money when the Wildcats needed him down the stretch.

More:No. 16-ranked Kansas State basketball rested and rejuvenated for trip to Oklahoma State

Nowell hit four free throws in the final 2:44 and led the Wildcats with 22 points, eight assists five rebounds and four steals in 38 1/2 minutes. He was 9-of-10 from the line for the game.

"I'm fortunate for 40 minutes a game to have Markquis Nowell out there," Tang said. "He missed a minute and a half of game time, and we're trying to figure out a way to get him rest."

Tang's technical issues spark Wildcats

Tang may have picked an odd time to pick up a technical foul, but in the end, it lit a fire under his team.

It came with 10:49 left in the game, shortly after K-State fell behind by 8 points, but they had just cut the lead to four on David N'Guessan's fast-break layup. Oklahoma State's Caleb Asberry made both free throws to push the lead to 55-49, but the Cowboys failed to score on the ensuing possession and the Wildcats took it from there.

"I was too demonstrative," Tang said. "I didn't say anything. I made sure (on) the radio my mom heard that I didn't say nothing that would have gotten me the tech."

"I was demonstrative on purpose. It felt like there was some tic-tac calls that went their way that resulted in and-ones, and there were some physical plays that didn't go our way, that didn't result in what I wanted."

More:Jerome Tang, Kansas State complete sweep of No. 10 Baylor with second-half comeback

Tang was rewarded when K-State responded with a 9-2 run to grab the lead, then outplayed Oklahoma State the rest of the way.

"From that point on, it was 24-13, the score, and so I believe that it inspired our guys to play a little bit harder, to fight a little harder, and I felt like it impacted the way the refs called the rest of the game."

That's how Johnson saw it.

"Coach Tang just wanted to get a little fire into us and make us go out there and play a little harder, which it did down the stretch for us," Johnson said.

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Takeaways from Kansas State men's basketball game at Oklahoma State