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No. 12 Kansas State Pulls Away Late from EKU at 2018 Paradise Jam

Posted at 12:15 AM, Nov 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-17 00:15:28-05
EKU Athletics

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, ST. THOMAS, VI. – No. 12 Kansas State pulled away in the second half for a 95-68 win over the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team on Friday night at the 2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.

EKU (2-2) trailed by only one, 23-22, when junior Lachlan Anderson converted a layup with just under six minutes to play in the first half.

K-State (3-0) responded with a 12-2 run to go up by 11, 35-24, on a jumper by Xavier Sneed with 1:43 on the clock.

Four consecutive free throws by senior Nick Mayo, all with under a minute to play in the first half, trimmed EKU’s deficit to nine, 37-28, at the break.

Junior Dujuanta Weaver connected on a three-pointer right out of halftime to get it down to six, 37-31. A three-point play by Mayo kept it a six-point game, 47-41, with 14:51 remaining.

That is when K-State began to pull away. The nationally-ranked Wildcats exploded on a 24-5 run, capped by a Sneed layup that made it 71-46 with 9:45 on the clock.

K-State kept the Colonels at bay the rest of the way, taking its largest lead of the night, 93-62, on a jumper by James Love with 1:46 left.

Weaver paced EKU with 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting from deep. Mayo contributed 11 points, five boards and four assists.

Sneed led five Wildcats in double figures with 16 points.

EKU will now play Northern Iowa on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.