MANHATTAN, Kansas — In an impressive performance, Brenden Hausen contributed significantly to Kansas State’s 77-64 victory over Cleveland State on Saturday, sinking six three-pointers and finishing with 22 points, despite not registering any points in the final two minutes of play.

Max Jones made his one and only three-pointer with just over two minutes remaining, extending the Wildcats’ lead to 20 points at 77-57. In the closing moments, David Castillo and Taj Manning both attempted three-pointers, but neither was successful.

The game kicked off with Jones showing his prowess by tipping in his own missed layup. However, Chase Robinson quickly leveled the score for the Vikings within the first minute. Following that, Kansas State surged ahead, scoring eight consecutive points to secure a lead they would not relinquish. Midway through the first half, Coleman Hawkins converted two free throws, pushing the Wildcats’ lead into double digits. By halftime, Kansas State held a comfortable 36-24 advantage.

In addition to Hausen’s standout performance, both David N’Guessan and Coleman Hawkins contributed 12 points each, while Jones added 11 for the Wildcats, improving their record to 2-0 for the season. Kansas State showcased strong shooting, hitting 26 of 45 attempts from the floor for an impressive shooting percentage of 57.8%. They also demonstrated their accuracy from beyond the arc, hitting 10 of 19 attempts, and played cohesively with a total of 16 assists on their 26 buckets.

On the Cleveland State side, Dylan Arnett and Je’Shawn Stevenson each scored 10 points coming off the bench, but the team struggled overall, dropping their record to 1-2 following this second consecutive road loss. The Vikings faced challenges shooting, managing to connect on only 23 of 60 shots from the field for a mere 38.2% success rate, including only 6 of 18 from three-point territory.