Fans Provide Kansas State A Lift In Win Against West Virginia

Kansas State had all the reason to feel down after enduring a six-game losing streak that lasted nearly a month.

Things got better after Saturday’s 73-60 victory against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bramlage Coliseum. Wildcats coach Jerome Tang refused to get too high about the win, but the hope is it builds confidence.

“Enjoy but we’ve shown we can improve and build off losses,” Tang said. “Now, we have to show that we can build off wins.” 

The Wildcats last victory came Dec. 30 against Cincinnati. They were coming off tough losses against rival Kansas and Baylor. Guard Dug McDaniel led the way with 15 points while David N’Guessan finished with 14 points. The Wildcats had five players in double-figures, including C.J. Jones (10), Max Jones (12) and Coleman Hawkins (11).

Tang had been under fire during the losing streak, taking criticism from fans the past few weeks. The win should calm the fan base at the time being. The Wildcats (8-11 overall and 2-6) need a lot of work to improve their resume if they want an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Tang was thankful for the strong fan turnout.

“So thankful to the students, man,” Tang said. “I walked out and I saw them, my joy tank was full seeing them. They really provided great energy for us and allowed us to get off to a great start.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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