Rapid recap: Kansas State's big second half
Dai Dai comes up big for Kansas State
Dai Dai Ames got off to a very slow start for Kansas State against Texas in the T-Mobile Center. The freshman did not score in the first half during his 10 minutes on the floor. In the second half, though, the switch flipped for the Chicago guard and he came up huge for K-State when they needed it the most.
Ames scored 10 points in the second half and added three assists and two rebounds. He was playing so well that he could not come off the floor and played 18:26 of the second half. Arthur Kaluma pointed out how big Ames has been for Kansas State this season. The freshman’s performance against the Longhorns is just the tip of the iceberg and Kaluma believes he has a bright future.
Tylor Perry was quick to say the most impressive thing about Ames’ game was not turning the ball over in his first postseason game.
K-State’s second half
It was also a slow start in general for Kansas State against Texas in the first half. K-State was down 39-29 at halftime and the Longhorns were shooting 57 percent from the floor compared to the Wildcats 38 percent. At halftime, Jerome Tang told his team the team beating them was themselves.
Kansas State turned the ball over seven times in the first half compared to just two in the second. K-State knew they had to get back to who they are in the second half to win the game and they did. The Wildcats outscored Texas 49-35 in the second half. Kansas State was also great at getting to the foul line in the second half, shooting 20 free throws.
Looking ahead
After beating the Longhorns, K-State plays Iowa State in the T-Mobile Center tomorrow at 6 pm. Tang, Kaluma and Perry all agreed the biggest game is in front of them. The Wildcats are excited about the challenge.
The Cyclones and Kansas State are very similar in how the teams play. Tang noted he’s going to take a few minutes to enjoy the win over the Longhorns and then tackle the Iowa State game plan. K-State beat the Cyclones 65-58 Saturday.
