Texas A&M used a big second-half run to defeat Kansas State 65-53 on Saturday in College Station, Texas, as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Wendell Mitchell scored all of his game-high 22 points in the second half.
The Aggies shot 51.0 percent from the field for the game. It was just the second time all year the defensive-minded Wildcats gave up 50 percent shooting (Marquette, 56.8 percent).
Besides Mitchell, Texas A&M (8-10) was led by TJ Starks with 12 points and Savion Flagg with 11.
Kansas State (15-5) was led by Dean Wade with 17 points, Cartier Diarra with 14 and Barry Brown with 11.
Both teams struggled early in the second half. After Wade hit a three-pointer to start the half, the Wildcats missed their next 11 shots. The Aggies missed five of six.
But the Aggies got hot. More accurately, Mitchell got hot. He hit a three-pointer, followed by a steal and layup, which capped a 7-0 run and tied the score at 33-33. They were his first five points of the game. He then extended the run to 12-0 with another three-pointer and layup.
The Wildcats had seven turnovers during an 18-3 A&M run that turned the momentum completely, giving the Aggies a 44-36 lead.
The teams traded control during the first half, and they went to the under-8 media timeout tied at 18-18. But a 9-0 K-State run opened a cushion, and the Wildcats went to the locker room with a 30-26 lead.
Kansas State received a scare at the 11:10 mark of the first half when Xavier Sneed went down after turning his right ankle after a tip-in. He came out with only those two points. But he returned during the under-8 media timeout.
The Aggies were led by Flagg with nine points and Starks with eight.
Kansas State was led by Wade with 12 points. The key for the Wildcats was 17 points off 11 A&M turnovers.
--Field Level Media
Kansas State | Texas A&M | |
Dean Wade 17 | Scoring | Wendell Mitchell 22 |
Kamau Stokes 6 | Assists | TJ Starks 6 |
Xavier Sneed 7 | Rebounds | Savion Flagg 12 |
Barry Brown Jr. 5 | Free Throws Made | Wendell Mitchell 4 |
Barry Brown Jr. 4 | Steals | Wendell Mitchell 4 |
Kamau Stokes 1 | Blocks | Christian Mekowulu 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Kansas State | 53 | 32.8 | 7-31 | 6-7 | 15 | 28 | 1 | 12 | 14 |
Texas A&M | 65 | 51.0 | 8-20 | 7-11 | 14 | 34 | 4 | 5 | 20 |