Check out these videos from K-State's last game before the start of Big 12 Conference play.
Stokes Reaches 1,000 Points, Wildcats Fight Off George Mason, 59-58 (provided by KSU Sports Information Department)
Senior Kamau Stokes scored a game-high 20 points en route to becoming the 30th Wildcat in school history to score 1,000 career points, as K-State fought off a furious George Mason comeback attempt to win 59-58 at Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday.
With the win, K-State (10-2) extended its non-conference winning streak at Bramlage Coliseum to 29 games. The Wildcats are now 7-0 in home venues this season and have won nine consecutive games at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State survived a strong second-half comeback attempt from George Mason (6-7), with the Patriots outscoring the Wildcats 42-23 after halftime, including a 15-4 comeback in the final five minutes of play.
With only 1.2 seconds remaining, GMU was unable to secure the inbound, as K-State was able to deflect the ball and escape with a one-point victory to the delight of 9,973 in attendance.
The comeback attempt came after the Wildcats held the Patriots to the fewest first half points of the season (18).
Stokes joins teammates Barry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wade in achieving the milestone, becoming the first senior class to each top 1,000 points in a career. Stokes’ 20 points marked his eight career 20-point game, as he scored in double figures for the 58th career game, including his ninth this season.
Stokes was joined in double figures by junior Xavier Sneed (13) and Brown (12). Sneed nearly totaled a double-double finishing with a game-high 9 rebounds, as he has at least 9 boards in 4 of the last 5 games.
GMU was led by junior Justin Kier’s 15 points on 6-of-14 field goals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Wildcats jumped out to the lead behind a standout first half and pushed the advantage to 20 by the break.
Sneed started things off for the Wildcats, scoring five of the first eight points, including a 3-pointer that was assisted by sophomore guard Cartier Diarra, as K-State jumped out to a 10-7 lead just five minutes into the game.
After an early basket from junior forward Makol Mawien, the Wildcats called upon sophomore forward Levi Stockard III to provide a boost for K-State, as Stockard added a basket in the paint and an assist to Stokes to push K-State to a 6-0 run over George Mason, and the Wildcats lead 16-7 at the 12:31 mark of the first half. Stockard would go on to score six points on 2-of-2 from the field and grabbed 3 rebounds in the first half.
George Mason then put together a 7-0 run of its own to bring the score to 16-14 with 9:01 left in the half. During the run, the Patriots scored on three consecutive shots, while the Wildcats were held scoreless for 5:43 of play.
Despite the slump, K-State didn’t back down as they went on a 20-2 run to close out the first half, on the strength of 3-point shooting and physical defense. The run spanned the last 6:48 of the first half, with the Wildcats connecting on 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, while holding the Patriots to just 1-of-12 shooting during the span.
K-State’s 36-16 halftime lead marked the largest of the season, as the Wildcats connected on 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from beyond the arc, while holding George Mason to just 25.9 percent (7-of-27) from the field. Sneed’s 13 points led all scorers at the break.
In the second half, George Mason chipped away at the lead with its own hot shooting, as the Patriots connected on 55.1 percent (16-of-29) in the half. With just 6:51 remaining, GMU brought the score to single digits for the first time of the half at 49-43 after connecting on 7-of-9 shots from the field.
With GMU threatening, Stokes jabbed back with his 3-point shooting, scoring 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to give the Wildcats some distance with a 55-43 lead with 5:27 left in the game, but the Patriots wouldn’t give in.
Over the final three minutes, the Patriots drew to within single digits again. With 2:18 remaining in the game, GMU’sJavon Green converted an and-one to bring the score to 56-51. On the subsequent possession, the Patriots drew closer on a Justin Kier jumper to trail by three at 56-53 with 1:50 left.
On the next K-State possession, Stokes drilled another 3-pointer to give the Wildcats a 59-53 advantage with just under a minute and a half left, but George Mason would rattle off five straight points to bring the score to 59-58 with 44 seconds remaining.
Leading by one with the ball in George Mason’s possession, the Patriots missed on a jump shot from Kier with four seconds left. After securing the ball and moving in transition, Brown was called for a double dribble giving the Patriots one more look and a mid-court inbounds with 1.2 to play.
The Patriots mishandled the inbound pass and the Wildcats escaped with a 59-58 victory
K-State shot 42.3 percent (22-of-52) from the field in the game, as well as 40.9 percent (9-of-22) from 3-point range. With their second-half run, George Mason shot 41 percent (23-of-56) from the field, including 31.5 percent (6-of-19) from beyond the arc.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Kamau Stokes –Stokes scored a game-high 20 points on 7-of-13 from the field and 5-of-7 from beyond the 3-point line, as he reached his 58th career double-digit scoring effort. His 20 points mark his first 20-point scoring effort of the season and the eighth of his career.
STAT OF THE GAME
30 – With his 20 points on Saturday, Kamau Stokes became the 30th Wildcat in school history to score 1,000 career points, joining teammates Barry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wade, becoming the first senior class with three players topping 1,000 points in a career.
IN THEIR WORDS
Bruce Weber, K-State Head Coach
On the second-half George Mason comeback…
“Well, when they get 42 (points) in the second half and a lot of those were off of turnovers. They had 15 points off of turnovers, we only had one or two turnovers by halftime. So most of those points probably, that got their head in it that they could make a couple of layups then make a couple of threes. They had one three at the half and then they make five in the second half. We got a little casual. We talked about it, putting that foot on the gas and keep it going and finishing games. Obviously we didn’t do a very good job of that. We let Vanderbilt get back into it, then tonight we let them get back into it. So very, very casual turnovers.
“When we took care of the ball in the first half we were really good. I thought the first 20-27 minutes, we were a good basketball team. We moved the ball. You know, you always want to make a little more shots but second half they had that last stretch, credit to them, they just kept running the same play and getting to the basket, making shots, making plays and then I think they picked up the pressure a little bit. They get the and-one and they get a three then boom they are back in the game. You know, we have to stay locked in and now, we won the game, move forward get ready for Texas on Wednesday.”
On Kamau Stokes improving his shooting…
“Yeah there’s no doubt. We have done it with everyone and we ended up with nine (3-pointers), Xavier (Sneed) gets 3-for-6, he just didn’t make his free throws again, 13 (points) and 9 (rebounds), some really good things. Had a very big offensive rebound down the stretch and you know, we got it out and got an extra possession. But Kam (Stokes), he made some big shots down the stretch. Now, I wish he would have taken care of the ball a little better down the stretch and be a little bit more mature because he has been through it, but you move forward. We have to be locked in on defense and take pride in it. Still, holding them under 60 (points), it’s good but obviously it would have been nice to keep them around 48-50 points, especially, that margin without Dean (Wade) to get you a basket, to make a play, it makes it a little tougher and that’s why our defense has to be really, really good.”
On what he was expecting from George Mason with 1.2 seconds remaining…
“Well we saw them run a play, they got the same setup that they ran at the end of the half that they screened down and the big guys jumped out and they went to the bucket and got a couple of layups, so, that’s what we kind of anticipated. I thought we did a good job, we told Mak (Mawien) to stay stout and we put Xavier (Sneed) on the ball and I hoped that it made a difference. I really hesitate, especially full court, putting guys on the ball so many times, people just throw it over them and if it’s another defender there they might have been able to deflect it, but in this case we did a good job. Barry (Brown) stayed on his tail and maybe the hands up by Xavier caused an errant pass and then the ball bounces. I think Barry did, they called a double-dribble on him, I think Barry did hit it with both hands when he got the steal down the stretch but that’s a tough call in that time, but it’s great we made a great defensive play down the stretch and stayed locked in and stayed together.
On what he would like to change against Texas…
“Well it’s a 20-game grind with the 18-game league, then you throw in the SEC and Texas A&M on the road and then you have the Big 12 tournament and you will have at least one there, so all you can do, it seems overwhelming when you look at it, but all you can do is worry about one game at a time and getting ready for Texas. I hate the new rules but we have to give the guys off tomorrow and then come back on Monday and really focus on how we can defend them, how we can score against them, hopefully protect our court. We had a great crowd today, it makes a difference and Texas has looked like one of the best teams in the country this year around Thanksgiving but then they have really struggled at times, so all we can do is not worry and get ready to come back and play. We need everybody to do some things. Levi (Stockard), I thought our bench might, but Levi did some nice things. Shaun (Neal-Williams) you have to rotate him in and Austin (Trice) had three rebounds in eight minutes, are going to be important. We talked about Mike (McGuirl) before. Levi had struggled a little bit but he had six points, four rebounds, he had six on the play-hard chart. He did a great job on post-defense, so you know you’re happy with him and his production because we are going to need all of those guys if we are going to be successful.”
Barry Brown, Jr., Senior Guard
On Kamau Stokes’ performance...
“It was good, he stepped up and hit big shots. We needed it, we put ourselves in a bind and it came down to a nailbiter and he was able to make some good shots for us to extend the lead.”
On 3-point shooting…
“We’re always looking to get better. We all want to shoot the ball well. Tonight we got open shots and we just didn’t knock them down. We have to get back in the lab and get some form shooting done and just keep moving the ball. Shots are going to fall we just have to stay confident in ourselves and in each other.”
On if the team let up after the big lead…
“Not at all. The coaches and myself tried to get our guys to stay focused. We were just down 19 to Southern Miss two games ago and we came back to win so anything is possible. They’re a good team with good players so we have to stay focused on the floor, we lacked that as we went down the stretch.”
Kamau Stokes, Senior Guard
On the game...
“It’s always good to get the win, but we made it tough on ourselves, especially me with two careless turnovers at the end of the game. I have to take care of the ball at the end of the game, it doesn’t matter how many points I score, if I don’t do that it puts us in a tough situation.”
On his big shots…
“I am definitely comfortable and my teammates believe in me to make those shots, so when I’m open it’s up to me to hit them.”
On winning this game before Big 12 play starts…
“A win is a win but there are definitely some things we need to learn from this game going into the Big 12. We can’t have second halves like that going into the Big 12 against tough teams. We definitely need to learn from this game. Of course you don’t want to go in to the Big 12 with a loss so winning feels good, but like I said, there’s definitely things we have to learn from going into it.”
On coasting after the big lead…
“I don’t think we were ready to coast we just came out too lackadaisical, we were stagnant at times, and they made plays and we didn’t make stops like we did in the first half. I felt like that was a big factor during the game.”
Dave Paulen, George Mason Head Coach
Opening statement…
“I told the guys in the locker room, we’re really disappointed because we had a chance to win that game - they’re all disappointed - but I’m really proud of this group of guys. We were down 20, really struggled in the first half and our guys really showed a collective will, a level of toughness defensively. We got good shots early in the game, the first half and just missed them, then we got a little ratty and took some bad ones. We turned the ball over five times, that was it, we didn’t foul - we did a pretty good job, we just needed to come up with a couple of stops here and there. I think this is a tremendously different team I just looked at in the locker room than the one I looked at in the locker room down in Florida. We’ve made tremendous strides in the last month and I’m looking forward to the start of conference play.”
On what changed in the second half...
“I thought there in the last bit of the first half, when we missed shots - we ran good offense early on then we stopped moving. The ball stopped moving and everything was kind of off a one-on-one play. Then we started moving the ball a little bit better and I think we also defended better, so we got out in transition a little bit. Sometimes you’ve got to make a shot go down. When Jamal (Hartwell II) hit that three that kind of took the lid off the basket a little bit for our guys, then we started collectively hitting our shot. I told our guys in the locker room, 36 points at the half, what K-State had, we’ve got to hold them to 20 points and I know we can go get 40 in the second half. We got 42, we just didn’t hold them to 20, we held them to 23 - pretty darn close to how we wanted to comeback, kind of chip away at them. Again, a lot of credit to our guys for fighting.”
On the opposing crowd and game atmosphere prepping the team for Atlantic 10 play…
“I think it is. We’ve played a really, really challenging non-conference schedule and obviously we’d like to be going into conference play with a better record, we left some wins on the table. But by the same token, I think we’re really prepared for conference play, not only in terms of hostile environments but in terms of style of play. We’ve played against, with Cincinnati and Kansas State, these are two of the best defensive teams in the country in different ways. I think we’ve really prepared ourselves well and now we have to go out an execute starting with St. Joe’s next Thursday.”
On his feelings during the stretch run…
“The last 1.2 seconds not feeling so great. We were playing well in transition, so when we got the stop we just wanted to go attack and unfortunately we just kind of mishandled the ball. Justin (Kier) had been going in there and driving and making plays, we didn’t necessarily want let K-State set their defense. Then we got the ball back and I thought Ian Boyd was open, it was just kind of a mishandled exchange in the pressure of the moment. I thought we really defended and we attacked the paint, got in there and got settled. Early on when we were attacking the paint we were throwing up prayers a little bit - we weren’t used to the size and athleticism in the paint - and then we adapted and adjusted and did a better job.”
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
K-State is now 7-0 at home this season and has won 9 in a row at Bramlage Coliseum.K-State is now 105-6 in non-conference play at home dating back to 2006-07 with wins in 92 of its last 96 non-conference home games… The Wildcats have won 29 consecutive non-conference home games.K-State has now held 78 opponents to 60 points or less in the Weber era with the Wildcats boasting a 70-8 mark in those contests, including 9 of 12 opponents this year… George Mason scored 58 points on 41.1 percent (23-of-56) shooting, including 31.6 percent (6-of-19) from 3-point range.K-State is now 114-29 underBruce Weberwhen holding an opponent to 69 points or less.K-State connected on 9 made 3-point field goals, which marks the third-most this season.K-State held a 39-31 advantage on the glass, marking the ninth time out-rebounding its opponent.K-State tied a season-low with 11 personal fouls.K-State led 36-16 at the half, which was the largest halftime advantage this season.The 16 first-half points were the second fewest allowed in any half (14 by Kennesaw State) this season, including the fewest allowed in a first half.Senior Kamau Stokes became the 30th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points, eclipsing the mark with his free throw with 30 seconds left before halftime… He joins teammatesBarry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wadeto become the first senior class in school history to each top 1,000 career points.Stokes finished the night with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-13 field goals, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range… He has now scored in double figures in 58 career games, including 9 this season… He also posted his eighth career 20-point game, including his first this season.Stokes has now made 13 of his last 19 3-point attempts at Bramlage Coliseum.Senior Barry Brown, Jr., scored 12 points on 5-of-13 field goals to go with a season-high 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 1 block in 37 minutes… He has now scored in double figures in 72 career games, including 9 this season… It marked the 22ndcareer game leading the team in assists.Junior Xavier Sneedscored 13 points on 5-of-12 field goals, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, to go with a game-high 9 rebounds… He has now scored in double figures in 43 career games, including 8 this season… He has now grabbed 9 or more rebounds in 4 of the last 5 games.
WHAT’S NEXT
K-State opens up Big 12 play on Wednesday, January 2, as the Wildcats host Texas (8-4) at 8 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. The contest marks the second time in 3 seasons that K-State has played host to Texas in the Big 12 opener. The game will air nationally on ESPNU.
