West Virginia Mountaineers vs Kansas State Wildcats Match Player Stats On Feb 14, 2022

Markquis Nowell scored 14 of his team-high 21 points in the second half Monday night as Kansas State rallied from a 10-point, second-half deficit to top West Virginia 78-73 in Manhattan, Kan.

Mark Smith added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Wildcats (14-11, 6-7 Big 12 Conference) while going 10 of 11 at the foul line. Nijel Pack and reserve Ismael Massoud each tallied 13 points as Kansas State won for the fourth time in five games.

Taz Sherman scored a game-high 23 points for the Mountaineers (14-11, 3-9), which joined Iowa State in the Big 12 basement. Kedrian Johnson added 15 before fouling out late in the game and Isaiah Cottrell hit for 13 points.

The Wildcats shot only 37 percent from the field in the second half and 37.3 percent for the game, but they made up for it by burying 31 of 39 foul shots. They marched to the line 26 times after halftime, making 19.

The Mountaineers ended up 20 of 24 on free throws, including 10 of 13 in the second half.

West Virginia led 54-44 early in the second half, but Nowell converted a second-chance opportunity to give Kansas State the lead for good with 10:35 remaining, and he followed with a 3-pointer to increase the margin to 60-56.

The teams combined for 44 fouls, 63 free throws and four technicals in a physical, occasionally chippy game.

West Virginia controlled most of the first half, jumping out to a 12-6 lead about 4 1/2 minutes into the game when Sherman made two free throws.

Jalen Bridges drained a 3-pointer with 10:08 left in the half to up the Mountaineers' margin to 23-16. For the half's remainder, West Virginia effectively kept Kansas State at arm's length, even though it sent the Wildcats to the line 13 times and saw them hit 12.

Johnson's jumper with 49 seconds left before the break gave the Mountaineers their biggest lead at 42-33, but Mark Smith sank a pair of free throws at the 27-second mark to cut the halftime margin to seven points.

--Field Level Media