MANHATTAN, Kan. — Ugonna Onyenso made a significant impact off the bench, contributing 16 points in just 12 minutes as Kansas State overcame a challenging first half to defeat Mississippi Valley State with a final score of 74-56 on Tuesday evening.

Despite the Wildcats’ struggle with shooting, finishing the night at only 36%, Onyenso’s performance was stellar, hitting 6 of 7 field goals and sinking all four of his free throw attempts. C.J. Jones played a vital role as well, adding 12 points with 10 of those coming in the second half. David N’Guessan also had a solid game, scoring 10 points, while Coleman Hawkins, despite his shooting difficulties where he went 1-of-11 and scored just two points, was instrumental on the boards, collecting 13 rebounds.

For the Delta Devils, Arthur Tate led the scoring with 16 points, while Antonio Sisk added 15 to the team’s total of 56 points.

The first half was a struggle for the Wildcats, who ended up leading 25-23 at the break after holding a lead as large as 14 points earlier in the game. Kansas State shot poorly, making just 29% of their shots and only managing one 3-pointer out of 13 attempts. They finished the game making only 3 of 23 from beyond the arc but benefited significantly from the free throw line, converting 25 of 27 attempts.

Brenden Hausen, who has been averaging over 15 points per game, finally got going in the second half, scoring a 3-pointer that sparked a 10-0 run for Kansas State. Their lead would expand to 19 points with seven minutes remaining in the game.

Mississippi Valley State attempted a comeback, narrowing the gap to 10 points, but the Wildcats quickly responded with nine consecutive points, highlighted by N’Guessan’s four-point contribution, stretching the lead back to 19 points.

In the closing moments of the first half, the Delta Devils managed to score several points, including two 3-pointers from Tate and five points from Donovan Sanders, finishing the half strong with a 16-4 run. However, a timely jumper from David Castillo allowed the Wildcats to regain the lead just before halftime.