'They were tougher than us.' Kansas State basketball can't close out against Texas Tech
It was bound to happen end sometime.
Kansas State's basketball team, seemingly invincible down the stretch of close games, finally met its match on the road Saturday against Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders, determined to protect their home court, stole a page from the K-State playbook by outscoring the Wildcats 11-2 over the final 3:05 to claim a 60-59 Big 12 victory at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
"They were tougher than us," K-State coach Jerome Tang said of Tech, one of just two teams without a Big 12 loss through three rounds of conference play. "They got to the paint, they got to the free-throw line, they got second-chance shots, and that's the recipe for winning a close game (in) the last five minutes.
"That's something we try to pride ourselves on, and they did it better than us tonight."
Related: Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang not surprised by Texas Tech's fast start
With its first conference loss, K-State falls to 12-4 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12. Tech improves to 14-2 and 3-0.
K-State has made a habit of pulling out close games in the last five minutes, following Tang's "five to grind," mantra. It is a scenario the Wildcats address in every practice, one reason they are unbeaten in four overtime games this season and 9-0 all-time under their second-year head coach.
After closing a turnover-plagued first half with an incredible 20-0 run to lead 33-22 at the break, K-State held off several Tech charges and was still up 57-49 when Dorian Finister converted a transition basket off a lob pass from Cam Carter with 3:21 left.
Tech did not lead in the second half until Joe Toussaint converted a three-point play with 30.8 seconds on the clock for what proved to be the game winner. After K-State struggled to find a shot, Tang called timeout with 7.7 seconds remaining and turned things over to point guard Tylor Perry, who drove to the lane but missed a pull-up jumper.
The clock remained stuck at 7.7 seconds, but the officials determined upon review that by the the ball went out of bounds following the miss, time had expired.
Related: More late-game heroics from Tylor Perry lift Kansas State basketball over Villanova in OT
"They said it took eight seconds. Sometimes stuff malfunctions," Tang said.
The final play was designed to go to Perry, who has made a career of knocking down game winners. He hit a 3-pointer to force overtime in a victory over North Alabama on Dec. 2, and three days later beat Villanova with an overtime three.
"We were trying to create some confusion on a slip and get TP going downhill," Tang said. "It was a one-point game. We figured we'd have a chance of him making the shot — he has made big shots all year long and through his career — or get fouled and get to the free-throw line.
"That probably wasn't smart on my part, seeing where we shot seven free throws for the whole game, so I'll do a better job next time."
Perry's take?
Related: Kansas State basketball guard Tylor Perry makes up for slow starts with late-game heroics
"I just missed the shot," he said. "I definitely could have gotten a better look, but we live and die with it, and I trusted my work. Sometimes you just miss and come up short, and you move on to the next one."
Had the Wildcats gotten defensive stops down the stretch after leading by eight, they would not have needed Perry to try to bail them out.
Toussaint, who led Tech with 12 points, started the comeback with a basket at the 3:05 mark.
A disastrous sequence followed for K-State with just over 2 1/2 minutes to go when Warren Washington made the first of two free throws and then missed the second, only to have Darrion Williams grab the rebound, score and draw a foul for a three-point play that trimmed it to 57-55.
Two Williams free throws tied it, and with 41.7 seconds remaining Perry hit two free throws to briefly put the Wildcats back in front. Perry, who was the catalyst with four 3-pointers in the run to end the first half, led K-State with 16 points, followed by Cam Carter with 15, Arthur Kaluma with 10, and center Will McNair with nine points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots.
Related: Kansas State basketball looks for defense to carry over to road test at West Virginia
In addition to Toussaint, Texas Tech got 11 points from Washington and 10 each from Williams and Pop Isaacs.
"They played a very good defensive game," Perry said of the Red Raiders, who forced 18 K-State turnovers. "It was a battle, and sometimes you just miss shots and you've got to figure out different ways to win."
K-State's defense was solid as well, limiting Tech to 36.4% shooting.
"I liked our fight," Tang said. "I felt like we were right there fighting, just sometimes it doesn't go your way."
Things don't get easier for the Wildcats, who now must face Baylor, the other team without a Big 12 loss, at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The good news is that their next two games are at home in Bramlage Coliseum.
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: Kansas State basketball unable to hold off late charge by Texas Tech
