Kansas State Survives Early Scare From New Orleans, Wins Opener 89-65
Kansas State brushed off the proverbial cobwebs Tuesday night in its season opener against New Orleans in Manhattan, earning an 89-65 win.
The victory was Kansas State's 94th opening night win in program history, giving coach Jerome Tang a glimpse of what his team may become as the season progresses.
Despite trailing by 10 early in the first-half, the Wildcats found their groove in the latter portion. They railed to lead by 12 at halftime, which saw guard David N'Guessan, guard Max Jones and guard Brendan Hausen combine for 35 points.
The Wildcats used an up-tempo approach throughout to increase their lead to 26. N'Guessan finished the night with a double-double, racking up 21 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.
Tang said he was pleased with how his team has responded since an exhibition victory against Fort Hayes State Oct. 29.
"Well, that's what they [Kansas State] said they wanted to be known for," Tang said regarding resilience. "They want to be known as a resilient team, a relentless team, an unselfish team. So, I thought we saw some of that tonight."
Tang said there needs to be improvements on both sides of the ball if making the NCAA Tournament is the ultimate goal.
"Okay," Tang said when discussing the overall effort. "Just okay. For awhile there, we were just trading buckets cause we had a lead. We can't be that kind of team, right? We got a ways to move, but very proud of them for the win."
The Wildcats host Cleveland State Saturday, beginning at 4 p.m. ET.
Zain Bando is a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at zainbando99@gmail.com and on Instagram/'X' @zainbando99.
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