BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Kansas State men’s basketball suffered an 86-69 defeat at the hands of No. 25/24 Indiana Wednesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.The Wildcats struggled from the outset,falling behind early and unable to close the gap against the Hoosiers.
K-State’s loss drops the team to 3-4 on the season, marking the first time this year the Wildcats have lost consecutive games. Indiana improved to 6-1 with the victory. The game highlighted K-State’s challenges with turnovers and second-chance points, areas Indiana exploited to build and maintain its lead. The Wildcats will now return home for a three-game homestand, beginning Monday against Bowling Green.
Indiana established control early, leading by as many as 22 points in the first half. K-State was unable to recover from a slow start, shooting 38.2 percent from the field and committing 16 turnovers that Indiana converted into 27 points. The Hoosiers also dominated the paint, outscoring K-State 32-24, and secured a 35-28 rebounding advantage, including 11 offensive rebounds.
Three Wildcats reached double figures, lead by junior P.J. Haggerty with 16 points. Haggerty’s streak of six consecutive 20+ point games to begin the season was halted, despite leading the team in scoring in all seven games played this year.Senior C.J. Jones added 15 points,his first double-figure performance of the season,shooting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Senior Nate Johnson contributed 13 points, along with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
Indiana was led by Kel’el Ware with 20 points and 15 rebounds.The Hoosiers shot 52.6 percent from the field and were 10-of-19 from three-point range. They also finished with 14 fast-break points to K-State’s 11 and 11 second-chance points compared to the Wildcats’ 4.
K-State will host bowling Green (4-2) on Monday at Bramlage Coliseum, with tip-off scheduled for 7:01 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3. tickets are available online at kstatesports.com/tickets or by calling (800) 221.CATS.
