MANHATTAN — Playing against its first high-major opponent of the season, Kansas State basketball continued to put up big numbers offensively en route to a victory.
Kansas State exploded in a 99-96 win over California on Thursday, Nov. 13, at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan.
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The Wildcat (3-0) offense put on a show, on the back of David Castillo, PJ Haggerty and Nate Johnson, showcasing the same scoring depth that it had against its two low-major opponents to start the season.
Additionally, K-State’s defense delivered a solid performance in the first half, helping the team to establish a comfortable lead. But it left much to be desired in the second half after the Golden Bears fought back within three in the final seconds.
Here are our takeaways from Kansas State’s win over Cal.
Kansas State explosive offense continues to impress
Haggerty, one of the nation’s leading scorers, didn’t get on the board until just over 12 minutes into the game. By that time, the Wildcats already had 37 points and were averaging 1.65 points per possession, showcasing the numerous weapons the Wildcats possess and the explosive nature of their offense.
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The Wildcats’ stars each had their moments when they scored in spurts. Haggerty scored 10 before halftime, while Johnson made his first five shots in the second half, including both of his 3’s. Castillo’s improvement continues to be a headline, while Khamari McGriff dominated the scoring in the paint.
Haggerty led the Wildcats with 23 points and six assists. Johnson added 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting with two 3’s. McGriff scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the line.
The biggest knock on the Wildcats? They turned the ball a few more times than you would have liked to see, especially early, when that has been a little bit of a problem through the first two weeks.
David Castillo continues to put on a show
Castillo’s breakout against Bellarmine wasn’t a flash in the pan. The sophomore’s development was on full display again, making four of his first five shots and his first three 3’s. One of his 3’s was a heat check from deep, deep 3-point range, leading to an explosion from the best Bramlage Coliseum crowd of the season.
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Castillo finished the night scoring 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting with four made 3’s.
Kansas State’s defense looked good initially, but allowed California back in the game late
K-State coach Jerome Tang said he wasn’t concerned about his defense after the team’s first two performances, and his assessment was correct —at least for the first half.
The Wildcats showed improvement in the first half, holding the Golden Bears to 42.9% shooting while building up a 21-point lead. That lead evaporated to six with 36 seconds left after California made 12 shots from deep in the second half. California shot 67.6% in the game’s final 20 minutes. Chris Bell scored 27 points and made seven 3’s.
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Tulsa visits Kansas State next week
A busy week for the Wildcats will begin with a home date against Tulsa, which has started the year 3-0 with wins over Oklahoma Christian, Rhode Island and a one-point win over Oral Roberts.
The two will meet at Bramlage Coliseum on Monday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m.
Kansas State will also play the first of its two games in Kansas City against Mississippi State on Thursday, Nov. 20. The game is a part of the Hall of Fame Classic and will be played at 8:30 p.m. They will play either Nebraska or New Mexico the following night.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State basketball vs California takeaways from Wildcats win
