KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In a thrilling matchup at the Big 12 Tournament, Coleman Hawkins delivered a stellar performance, scoring a season-high 26 points to lead No. 10 seed Kansas State to a narrow 71-66 victory over No. 15 seed Arizona State on Tuesday night. David N’Guessan played a crucial role in the final minute, converting a pivotal three-point play that helped seal the win for the Wildcats.
Kansas State, which entered the tournament having won two of its last three games, saw strong contributions from Dug McDaniel with 14 points, while Max Jones and Brendan Hausen each added 10. The win propels the Wildcats, now holding a 16-16 record, to a second-round clash against No. 7 seed Baylor on Wednesday evening.
The Sun Devils, finishing their season with a 13-19 record, were led by Alston Mason’s 17 points. Both Joson Sanon and Basheer Jihad chipped in with 13 points each, while Shawn Phillips Jr. secured a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Despite a valiant effort, Arizona State found themselves outpaced by Kansas State’s impressive scoring bursts.
The game began with Kansas State launching a commanding 17-4 lead, only for Arizona State to respond with a 20-4 run of their own. The Wildcats, however, regained control with an 11-0 spurt in the first half. Victory was uncertain until N’Guessan, battling foul trouble, made a decisive play, driving through the lane to complete a three-point play that put Kansas State ahead 71-64 with just 37.2 seconds left on the clock.
Arizona State was without their freshman forward Jayden Quaintance for the fifth straight game due to a lingering right knee issue. Quaintance last faced Kansas State on February 23, scoring 18 points and collecting seven rebounds in that encounter. Adam Miller returned for the Sun Devils after overcoming a strained oblique, yet the team was limited to playing just seven players throughout the game.
In an anticipated move, it is expected that Arizona State’s coach Bobby Hurley will return for an 11th season, despite the team finishing with a losing record for the fourth time in five years. This information comes from a source familiar with the matter, although no formal announcement has been made.
Key takeaways include Kansas State’s significant 20-10 edge in points off turnovers, even though they committed more total turnovers than Arizona State. A critical moment of the game was N’Guessan’s layup that drew a foul, and despite his modest 58.5% free-throw percentage, he successfully made the shot from the line.
Looking ahead, Kansas State is set to take on the Baylor Bears in their next tournament game, continuing their journey in the Big 12 Tournament.
