Kansas State Falls to Oklahoma State in Heartbreaker, Still Searching for First Big 12 Win
STILLWATER, Okla. - Kansas State’s search for its first Big 12 win of the season continues, and Saturday night’s 84-83 loss to Oklahoma State might be the most painful one yet. It wasn’t just the final score that stung - it was how the game slipped away in the closing seconds, and how a few key moments tilted the balance.
With just under eight seconds to play and K-State clinging to a two-point lead, Oklahoma State missed a three-pointer. A scramble for the rebound followed, and from the Kansas State bench, it looked like the Wildcats had secured the ball.
Multiple players were signaling for a timeout. But the officials saw it differently, calling a held ball - and with the possession arrow pointing toward the Cowboys, it gave Oklahoma State one more shot.
That shot came in the form of a three-point attempt that drew a foul. The Cowboys sank all three free throws.
Ballgame.
“It’s just disappointing that it came down to a call,” head coach Jerome Tang said after the game. And to be clear, he wasn’t pointing fingers at the foul on the final shot - he was referencing the possession call right before it. That one sequence, in his eyes, could’ve sealed the win.
Instead, it marked another chapter in a tough Big 12 campaign for the Wildcats, who are now 0-5 in conference play - their worst start since the 1996-97 season.
But while the final seconds will dominate the headlines, the broader trends can’t be ignored. Kansas State’s foul trouble has been a recurring issue, and it showed up again in Stillwater.
The Wildcats were whistled for 22 fouls, more than double Oklahoma State’s 10. That disparity led to a massive free-throw gap: 24 attempts for the Cowboys, just five for K-State.
That’s not a one-off, either. On the season, Kansas State ranks near the bottom nationally in fouls committed per game - 343rd out of 361 Division I teams - averaging 20.4.
In Big 12 play, it’s been even more glaring. The Wildcats have committed 22 or more fouls in four of their five conference games, sending opponents to the line nearly 28 times per contest.
The foul trouble hasn’t just hurt the team - it’s impacted individual players too. Freshman guard Khamari McGriff, who had an efficient 14-point night on 7-of-7 shooting against Oklahoma State, fouled out for the second time in Big 12 play. He’s finished with four fouls in two other games as well.
“We just need to focus on what we can do better to not get those calls and for us not to foul,” McGriff said postgame. “We can’t control how the refs blow the whistle and what they’re calling, but we can control how we play defense, and we can be more aggressive in getting to the rim.”
That mindset - controlling what’s within reach - echoed throughout Tang’s remarks, even as his frustration was evident. He walked a fine line, clearly agitated by the officiating but careful not to let it become the story. He knows the Big 12 office is always listening, but more importantly, he knows the team has to look inward.
“We’ve gotta control the things we can control,” Tang said. “It’s not anybody on the outside.
Losers blame other things and other people. We’re not losers; we’re winners.”
It’s the kind of message you expect from a coach trying to keep his team grounded during a rough stretch. The Wildcats have shown flashes - they were right there on the road, in position to win - but the margin for error in the Big 12 is razor-thin. And right now, Kansas State is learning that the hard way.
The road doesn’t get easier from here, but if Tang’s message resonates, the Wildcats still have time to flip the script. The question is whether they can clean up the fouls, get to the line more themselves, and close out games when they have the chance.
Because in this league, it doesn’t take much for a close loss to turn into a gut-punch. And Kansas State has had more than enough of those already.