The Kansas State Wildcats are still searching for answers-and wins-as their season continues to spiral in the wrong direction.
Tuesday night in Morgantown, they had every reason to believe they were about to snap a frustrating streak. They’d clamped down defensively, taken a late lead, and held West Virginia scoreless for nearly six minutes in the second half.
But when it came time to close, the Wildcats came up short-again-falling 59-54 in a game that felt like it was theirs to lose. And unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened.
This one stings because K-State didn’t just show up-they showed out defensively. This wasn’t the usual Big 12 shootout.
It was a grind-it-out kind of game, and the Wildcats were right in their element. They forced West Virginia into long scoring droughts, including one stretch in the second half where the Mountaineers went nearly seven minutes without a bucket.
That kind of defensive effort should win you games. But for K-State, it only set the stage for another painful collapse.
With 4:30 left, PJ Haggerty finished a layup to give the Wildcats a 49-45 lead. At that point, West Virginia hadn’t scored since the 10:19 mark.
Everything was lining up. But that’s when things unraveled.
West Virginia responded with a 14-5 run to finish the game, powered by clutch threes from Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff. Meanwhile, K-State couldn’t get stops, couldn’t secure rebounds, and couldn’t find the bottom of the net when it mattered most.
“We have to look ourselves in the mirror and say, ‘Man, what can I do better in that situation?’” head coach Jerome Tang said postgame. “They made all the big plays down the stretch.”
Tang put the loss on his shoulders, saying he needs to be better in late-game situations. But it was clear the team as a whole struggled in the clutch. The final 3:38 was a masterclass in missed opportunities.
Haggerty led the Wildcats with 16 points-all in the second half-but he struggled late, missing several key shots down the stretch. David Castillo added 15 points and Nate Johnson chipped in 13.
But beyond that trio, the offense dried up. No other Wildcat scored more than four points.
That’s been a recurring theme this season. K-State is now 0-7 when failing to score at least 81 points. They had a chance to flip that script Tuesday, but the offense didn’t hold up its end of the bargain.
Defense Shows Up, But Offense Doesn’t Follow
This was one of K-State’s better defensive performances of the season. The Wildcats came out aggressive, locking down West Virginia early. The Mountaineers missed their first six shots and didn’t score until more than five minutes into the game, when Chance Moore finally broke the ice with a dunk.
K-State capitalized, jumping out to a 13-5 lead. Their man-to-man defense had West Virginia scrambling, forcing bad passes and tough looks. It was the kind of defensive energy that’s been missing for much of the season.
The Wildcats even held WVU scoreless for nearly seven minutes in the second half. That should’ve been the turning point. Instead, it was just another missed opportunity.
Despite the defensive effort, West Virginia still managed to build a 10-point lead before halftime and surged ahead late. Why?
Because K-State’s offense couldn’t keep up. Missed layups, rushed shots, and mental errors-like losing track of the shot clock-undid all the good work on the other end.
Haggerty, Castillo and Johnson did their part, but the rest of the roster couldn’t pick up the slack. And in a game where every possession mattered, that lack of balance proved costly.
Bench Production Still a Concern
With multiple starters sidelined, K-State needed a spark from its reserve guards. They didn’t get it.
CJ Jones and Andrej Kostic combined for just six points in 34 minutes. Each hit one three-pointer, but both finished 1-for-5 from the field. That’s not going to cut it when the team is short-handed and in desperate need of secondary scoring.
At full strength, Jones and Kostic aren’t expected to carry the offense. But in a game like this, where every bucket counts, even a couple of extra baskets from the bench could’ve swung the outcome.
Johnson and Castillo Answer the Call
After a rough outing against Kansas, Tang publicly challenged Nate Johnson and David Castillo to step up. Both responded in a big way.
Castillo was efficient and poised, scoring 15 points without committing a single turnover. Johnson stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in 39 minutes. It wasn’t just a bounce-back performance-it was the kind of leadership K-State has been craving.
“They responded,” Tang said. “They were better. Now we all have to get a little bit better.”
That’s the story of this team right now. The pieces are there.
The effort is there. But the execution, especially in crunch time, continues to fall short.
K-State will try to regroup before hosting Iowa State on Sunday. The Wildcats are still searching for their first road win in conference play, and if they’re going to turn this season around, they’ll need more than moral victories.
They’ll need to finish.