Box Score MANHATTAN, Kan.- Kansas State broke open a close game with a 21-5 run and went on to defeat Savannah State 73-53, before a crowd of 12,266 in Bramlage Coliseum.
 
The Wildcats led 47-41 with 10:20 left in the second half before going on a 10-0 run to increase their advantage to 57-41.
 
After SSU trimmed their deficit to 13 with 5:35 on the clock, Kansas State answered with a 9-0 spurt to take a 68-46 lead with 2:43 remaining.
 
A free throw by Thomas Gibson with 1:58 left gave KSU a 71-48 lead, their largest of the contest.
 
Terel Hall led Savannah State (3-8) with 17 points and four steals. Alante Fenner came off the bench to add 10 points.
 
The Tigers shot 43.8 percent from the field but continue to struggle from the free throw line, making 52.9 percent of their shots.
 
KSU scored the first points of the game but the Tigers went ahead 3-2 after a free throw by Saadiq Muhammad and a layup from Hall.
 
The Wildcats led 14-6 and increased their lead to as many as nine with just under five minutes left in the first period.
 
Down 23-14, Savannah State put together a mini run to cut the Wildcats lead to 24-19 with 3:26 on the clock.
 
Late in the half, KSU went up by nine again but Hall ended the half with a layup at the buzzer to send the Tigers into intermission down 30-23.
 
The Wildcats opened up a 13 point lead early in the second period and led 47-33 with 13:22 left.
 
Savannah State answered with eight unanswered points to get within 47-41 with 10:20 left.
 
SSU head coach Horace Broadnax was pleased with the defensive effort of his Tigers.
 
"We got in a little bit of foul trouble and our man to man was decent. I think we went back into our two-three zone, and they picked us apart. They high-lowed us, and they had some big guys. As I looked at it, we probably should have stayed in man. We might have had a better chance. Midway through the second half, we started playing man to man and got a couple of steals and kind of got back into the game. Then we cut it to six or seven, if I am not mistaken, and I think we might have dropped back into that two-three zone again and it hurt us," stated Broadnax
 
KSU (6-4) had three players in double figures and were led by Nino Williams' 20 points and seven rebounds.
 
Kansas State shot 58.5 percent from the floor and out-rebounded SSU 34 to 20.
 
Tigers dressed less than a dozen guys but Broadnax thought the Tigers gave a good overall effort but still must improve.

"It was decent. We tried to get a spaced-out offense. We swung, and we have a couple of guys who are sick, under the weather. We have 10 guys, nine guys suiting up. Considering that and playing against the Big 12, the guys did well. We still made some mistakes. We are still young. We are starting three freshmen, a sophomore and a senior. You still do not like to lose, but we try and look at the end game and what we are trying to get accomplished and that is being competitive in our conference. We still have to get better," said Broadnax.