K-State Fanbase A Factor Once Again In Victory Over Cincinnati
Kansas State's first Big 12 matchup ended in victory Monday night over 16th-ranked Cincinnati.
Coleman Hawkins, who posted a 20-point double-double, thanked Bramlage Coliseum and the Wildcats fanbase for their part in the victory.
“I think when I’m hitting shots and showing emotions and the crowd’s getting involved, I feel like not only for myself but for the team it’s very contagious," Hawkins said. "The energy’s very contagious. I love when the crowd gets involved. I love to be able to intimidate our opponent and instill fear in them with how loud it gets. It’s always a big help when you have a supporting crowd that gets extra loud and supports you the crowd we had tonight.”
The fan support illustrates Kansas State's dominant home-court record. The Wildcats are 10-2 in their last 12 home games against ranked opponents.
"We can't not give the credit to our fans who showed up tonight," coach Jerome Tang said. "They were incredible and that home court advantage, man is it an easy plus 10, and so without them, we don't win tonight. So, God gets the glory, our fans get the praise."
While these performances are admirable, they need to do better on the road. The Wildcats are 2-3 away from Manhattan and winless on the road outside neutral locations. They have the opportunity for their first road victory against the TCU Horned Frogs on Jan. 4.
Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
Jayden is a journalism school graduate of Howard University. He was the 2024 recipient of the Terez Paylor scholarship award. He previously worked at the Orlando Sentinel.