Kansas State Basketball: Wildcats upset by UC-Irvine in Round of 64
The season came to an end for Kansas State Basketball after being upset by UC-Irvine in the first round of the NCAA Tournament 70-64 on Friday.
Max Hazzard and Evan Leonard netted 19 points apiece, going 7-15 from three-point land and a perfect 13-13 from the free throw line to lead the No. 13 UC-Irvine Anteaters to a 70-64 win over No. 4 Kansas State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
Hazzard and Leonard led four Anteaters in double figures, Elston Jones added 11 and Robert Cartwright notched 10 for the Big West champs who have now won 17 in a row. Kansas State’s leading scorer, Barry Brown, Jr. was saddled with two early fouls in the first half and finished with just five points. After being tied at the half, the Wildcats jumped out to a 49-44 lead with 10:42 left to play thanks to Makol Mawien who had his best game of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Leonard hit back-to-back threes with 8:24 remaining to give the Anteaters a 53-51 lead. Kansas State tried to climb back in it but UC-Irvine would never relinquish the lead. Xavier Sneed tipped an offensive rebound to Cartier Diarra for a three with 1:25 left to get to within two, but Leonard would make four free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
Hazzard nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer and ran straight to the locker room as the 13th-seeded Anteaters entered the break tied with Kansas State at 30. The Wildcats suffered through some adversity seemingly the entire first half. Brown was whistled for two quick fouls and sat the last 14:15 of the half.
Even without Brown, the Wildcats jumped out to a 17-9 lead, but UC-Irvine ran off seven straight to pull within one, but the Anteaters would go the next five minutes or so without a point. In that time, Kansas State extended its lead to 10 at 28-18. UC-Irvine would then get back to their identity and go on a 9-0 run, thanks to getting the ball inside to Jones, who scored seven of the nine to get back within one.
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After seeing their lead balloon to 10, the Wildcats would only net two free throws the rest of the way, missing their final 12 field goals of the half. UC-Irvine was just 3-12 from beyond the arc in the first half, but shot just under 50% from inside, while the Wildcats shot under 36% from the field in the first 20 minutes.
UC-Irvine now awaits the winner of the game between No. 5 Wisconsin and No. 12 Oregon on Sunday in San Jose.