7:53 a.m.: Welcome to another Running Diary! This one is taking place from beautiful San Jose, where No. 4 seed K-State starts a hopeful NCAA Tournament run against No. 13 UC Irvine in the South Region.

First thing's first (or, second, since I already typed a paragraph above), I'm going to use the local time I'm writing from for this diary. I know roughly 99.9% of readers probably are back in the central time zone, but I think it gives a better sense of what the feel is here out west to use the local time this K-State team has adjusted to and will be playing in.

And, it's less confusing for me.

Check out Powercat Gameday two hours before tip-off on 101.5 KROCK and 1350 KMAN to hear John Kurtz and I break down today's match-up. You can also listen to us preview the contest on yesterday's edition of The Game by CLICKING HERE.

The KSO GameCenter previewing today's game can be found HERE, and yesterday's practice notebook is HERE.

Lastly, here all all the videos and media from yesterday's session from San Jose:

8:06 a.m.: We'll be getting over to the SAP Center here by 9:30 a.m. this morning, which should give us time to see K-State's full warm-up.

Our apartment we're staying in is kind of right across the street from the arena, and we were proud to discover a different route home after yesterday's practice session knocking our walking time down to roughly six minutes.

I think the arena is beautiful, one of the favorites I've been in. The outside, to be honest, is not overly impressive. And knowing there is no NBA team in using that building (just the NHL's San Jose Sharks), I wasn't expecting to to feel as modern as it does inside. It does, however, and it's got a unique feel with it's grey/black/white color scheme throughout the arena, one which makes it feel bright, clean and fresh. It's just different.

Enough of that, though. We'll be back in a little over an hour once we get into the arena to update you on the Wildcats' pregame work.

9:52 a.m.: We are located WAY UP HIGH in the SAP Center for today's game, but I honestly don't mind. It will be a different view of the court, and they're taking care of us media types far better than we deserve.

UCI is out stretching already, haven't seen any Wildcats take the court just yet. Flando will have plenty of pre-game photos for you up here shortly.

10:00 a.m.: Kansas State has taken the floor, white uniforms today for the higher seeded Wildcats.

Keep an eye on the gallery link below for constantly uploaded photos from Flando through pregame and the contest itself.

10:33 a.m.: Just over 25 minutes until tip-off here in the SAP Center.

Crowd is filing in slowly, bu there's not going to be a big group here today. There are gatherings of K-State and UC Irvine fans (UCI group is larger) behind their respective benches, but not much else in here thus far.

We'll see how things fill in, but I'd be very surprised if the crowd plays a noticeable factor in this game either way.

10:45 a.m.: Today's starting lineups:

11:06 a.m.: First media timeout with Kansas State leading 9-5 with 15:54 left in the first half.

The good news is the group of four kids sitting in front of us yelling, "Kansas sucks!" is moving during this timeout.

Wildcats have scored all of their points off the three-pointer, where the Wildcats are 3-of-4 with makes from Xavier Sneed, Kam Stokes and Cartier Diarra (on a kind roll).

UCI has answered with a DEEP three from Max Hazzard, who also will be heading to the line after this timeout. His quickness is going to be a challenge for Barry Brown.

11:17 a.m.: K-State appeared to have a chance to take advantage after creating a 17-9 lead, but Irvine drilled a three at the end of the shot clock - and a good defensive possession - to end K-State's spurt.

Matters were made worse when the Anteaters got to the hoop on back-to-back trips down the floor to make it 17-16, the score right now, during a K-State timeout with 11:27 left in the first half.

Brown picked up a costly, and needless, second foul with 14:15 left in the half, forcing him to the bench and leaving Stokes the only senior on the floor.

11:30 a.m.: K-State's defense was elite after Weber's timeout until this media timeout, as the Wildcats held UCI scoreless and extended a lead to 21-16 with 7:56 left in the first half.

Nothing was easy for the Anteaters, and Mike McGuirl - in particular - was especially active on the defensive end. Interestingly enough, too, some of the damage was done by a group consisting of Shaun Neal-Williams, Cartier Diarra, Mike McGuirl, Xavier Sneed and Makol Mawien - next year's likely starting lineup.

Without Dean Wade (injury), Brown (foul trouble) and Stokes (needs rest), that group has held its own.

11:34 a.m.: Stokes comes back on the floor for SNW, and K-State goes on an immediate 5-0 spurt to force a UCI timeout with K-State leading 26-16.

11:44 a.m.: UCI has chipped away at K-State, as the Wildcats now work through a number of unique lineups featuring the likes of Neal-Williams, Austin Trice and Levi Stockard, even on the floor at the same time. Both Brown and Diarra have two fouls.

What started as a slow evaporation of the lead has turned into an all-out UCI run, as the Anteaters have scored nine straight to make it just a 28-27 lead for Wildcats with 3:07 left to play in the first half.

Weber is going to have to make a choice on how to handle these last few minutes of the first half. Do you put Brown and/or Diarra back in to try and re-gain your edge before the half at the risk of a third foul?

HALFTIME THOUGHTS: Like anything, there's good and bad.

The bad is it felt like K-State had multiple chances to make things very difficult on the Anteaters to stay within striking distance. Leads of 17-9 and 26-16 quick evaporated, however, leaving the underdogs feeling good about themselves going into halftime.

Foul trouble sent Brown and Diarra to the bench at times when it looked like K-State was about break it open, and the likes of Neal-Williams, Trice and Stockard couldn't do enough to maintain the lead heading into halftime.

If you want to see it more glass-half-full, you could note the Wildcats are tied despite getting just six first-half minutes from Brown. K-State should have its full compliment of talent in the second half - barring excessive, fast foul trouble - and be able to play at full strength the final 20 minutes.

To win K-State is going to have to shoot better from deep (1-of-9 after starting 3-of-4), keep battling on the boards (down just 18-17), keep out of foul trouble and continue to play high level defense. Shot making is going to be important, however, as those looks from deep are the ones typically most available against this defense.

12:23 p.m.: It's been back and forth the first five minutes of the second half, with UCI inching ahead for a one-point lead at 40-39 with 14:45 left in this contest.

I've noticed a trend that worries me about the rest of this game. Brown is having a really hard time staying with Hazzard, but he's not able to take advantage of Hazzard's lack of size on the offensive end. Hazzard is getting open looks from most anywhere he wants on the floor, while Brown is ending up with 18-foot jumpers. Those aren't bad shots for Brown, but they aren't the quality of Hazzard's, and they don't take advantage of his size.

If Brown doesn't develop the ability to get to the basket a bit down the stretch, I think K-State could be in trouble.

12:34 p.m.: Big stretch for Kam Stokes at a moment where K-State looked to be in a lot of trouble.

UCI grabbed its biggest lead of the game (three points) with roughly 13 minutes left in the first half, but Stokes has answered with six consecutive points. One came on a three-pointer, the other on three straight free throws after Stokes was fouled from range for the first time in this game.

Stokes currently leads K-State in points (13), assists (3) and minutes (27) to go along with 3 boards and just a single turnover.

12:45 p.m.: K-State finds itself in danger, again, at the 7:51 mark.

The Wildcats had built a five-point lead, briefly, before three-pointers on three straight Anteater offensive possessions helped give UCI a 53-51 edge. That run was followed up by a banked in three-pointer and a five point lead with just seven minutes left to play.

K-State is going to need to get something out of Brown (2 points on 1-of-5 shooting) or Diarra (four fouls) down the stretch to have a shot.

The crowd is certainly sensing the upset, too.

12:52 p.m.: The Wildcats just dodged a huge bullet.

Already trailing by eight, UCI had Stokes posted deep in the paint but wasn't able to convert the easy opportunity. Stokes then followed up with another triple to slice the lead to 61-56 and force a quick timeout. It was a five-point swing that took the game from feeling potentially over to close down the stretch.

Stokes (16 points) feels like the only Wildcat really capable of scoring consistently. Mawien has 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, but his five turnovers make it hard for K-State to throw it down into him.

It's going to take high level defense and an efficient four minutes of offense for the Wildcats to earn a spot in the second round.

12:57 p.m.: A big shot from Brown keeps K-State alive.

The Wildcats' senior leader was just 1-of-5 for two points heading into that final four-minute stretch, but after a pair of free throws took the UCI lead back to seven points Brown knocked in a wide-open three to make it 63-59 Anteaters with 3:35 still left to play in the game.

A turnover gives K-State possession back at the last media timeout.

1:03 p.m.: Brown takes a DEEP three with K-State down two and about a minute-and-a-half left, which misses and comes out long for a long rebound and UCI break. It turns into a wide open Hazzard three in the corner, which he makes for a five-point lead.

Really poor shot selection by K-State on two trips after cutting it to two.

1:10 p.m: K-State answers with a Diarra three of a FANTASTIC offense rebound and kick-out by Sneed.

The Wildcats then get a stop and have a chance to go two-for-one down just one, but Brown throws it away. Just a critical, critical mistake.

Sneed then fouls (which fouls him out), putting UCI at the line up two with 17.4 seconds left. Both shots are made, extending the lead to four.

K-State is going to lose this one. It's heartbreaking for Brown and this group of seniors, but it's the tournament.