Kansas State blows lead, then tops Kansas in OT

MANHATTAN, Kan. — This may turn out to be a rivalry after all.

Guards Marcus Foster and Will Spradling each scored five points in overtime, and Kansas State upset No. 7 Kansas 85-82 Monday at Bramlage Coliseum. It was the Wildcats’ third win in the past seven games in Manhattan against Kansas after losing 25 straight home games to the Jayhawks from 1983-07.

“For a day it is (a rivalry),” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber gushed after the game. “We made it (a rivalry) for a day.”

The Wildcats spread their scoring in the overtime period with six different players getting points. The Wildcats posted their second consecutive victory over a top-15 team, as they defeated No. 15 Texas 74-57 on Saturday.

Weber was most pleased with his team’s effort after the Wildcats squandered a nine-point lead in the final 1:53 of regulation.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my guys,” he said. “We’ve talked about leaving a legacy.

“Will was big in overtime. (Losing the lead) was disappointing, but our character let us overcome the emotion. It was a great team effort. I told them they had worked too hard to not grab this game.”

Kansas coach Bill Self bemoaned his team’s lack of execution.

“We didn’t play very well in overtime,” he said. “We just played catch-up in overtime.

“Give them credit. That’s kind of deflating the way we came back, but they responded well. They had some guys step up and make some plays.”

Foster led Kansas State (17-7, 7-4 Big 12) with 20 points, while Spradling added 15.

Kansas (18-6, 9-2) was led by forward Perry Ellis with 19, guard Andrew Wiggins with 16 and guard Naadir Tharpe with 13.

“We just didn’t get any stops toward the end,” Tharpe said after the game. “Foster got the ‘and one,’ 25 (Wildcats forward Wesley Iwundu) drove on me and got the lay-in. We just didn’t get stops.”

Kansas State finds itself just two games behind the Jayhawks with seven conference games left.

“It was a great win,” Spradling said, “but it’s just another step for us. Winning the Big 12, there’s still a chance for us.”

Kansas State came out strong in the second half, leading by as much as nine points (46-37) after scoring 17 of the first 25 points of the half. Forward Shane Southwell scored his first five points of the game, and then Foster hit two 3-point shots.

The Jayhawks trimmed the lead to four when Foster rolled his ankle at the 8:41 mark and had to leave the game. However, Spradling kept the Wildcats on top with a 3-pointer and a driving layup. Foster was able to return to the game at the 5:01 mark, and Kansas State led 60-55.

Kansas State battled foul trouble, especially in the second half. Iwundu picked up his fourth foul and forward Thomas Gipson picked up his third midway through the half. The Wildcats picked up their 10th foul of the half with 7:32 remaining.

Reserve forward D.J. Johnson then scored five straight points for the Wildcats, interrupted only by Tharpe’s floater in the lane. Then Johnson blocked an Ellis baseline jumper, which led to a fast-break basket by Kansas State forward Nino Williams and a 64-55 lead with 4:16 remaining.

Tharpe and Johnson traded buckets, and Kansas State led 66-59 with 2:40 left. Iwundu hit both ends of a one-and-one, and the Wildcats led by nine.

Kansas finally found a run, answering with six straight points. The Jayhawks had a chance to tie, but Wiggins drew nothing on a 3-point attempt. Iwundu hit one of two free throws before Tharpe cut the lead to 69-67 with 21.9 seconds left. Iwundu missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Kansas tied it on a tip-in by Wiggins with 5.8 seconds left.

During Kansas’ streak of 29 wins in 31 games at Manhattan, Kansas State’s downfall typically was giving up a big first-half run. But the Wildcats stayed right with the Jayhawks on Monday, never allowing more than six points in a row. Kansas State had the biggest run of the half, a 7-0 stretch early in the game.

Foster, who had the best scoring effort by a Big 12 freshman when he