More on K-State's 78-68 win over Missouri

Thomas Gipson

Jordan Henriquez and Thomas Gipson have rarely played well at the same time.

One is always in the starting lineup, but seldom both. One is always making big plays in a game, but the other is often watching from the bench. To put it simply, when one is up, the other is usually down.

That wasn’t the case during Kansas State’s 78-68 victory over No. 3 Missouri on Tuesday, and the Wildcats were a much better team because of it. Jordan Henriquez played great defense. Thomas Gipson delivered outstanding offense.

The result was K-State playing at a very high level.

Henriquez, a junior forward, is known for his shot-blocking skills (heck, he owns the program record with 125) and he used them well against the Tigers. He blocked four shots, grabbed four rebounds and scored six points.

“Whether I blocked a shot or altered it, I felt like it bothered them,” Henriquez said. “… I bothered them with my length.”

Gipson, a freshman forward, is known for his size and offensive skills. He loves to play with his back to the basket, and he scored almost every time he touched the ball. He took seven shots, made six of them and finished with 13 points.

“Just playing with aggression and posting up,” Gipson said. “Frank (Martin) was telling me to keep playing and keep playing hard. It turned out well tonight.”

Added Martin: “Gipson gave us an unbelievable presence at the rim, which we needed.”

Add all their contributions up and K-State’s twin posts combined for 19 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in 39 minutes. They played well at the same time. The difference was noticeable. They combined to give the Wildcats strong contributions from start to finish.

Player of the game
Rodney McGruder scored a game-high 24 points and nailed a pair of huge shots to stop Missouri’s comeback run in the second half. The junior swingman did his damage inside and out. He made two three-pointers and was a perfect eight for eight from the free-throw line.

Play of the game
As K-State stretched its lead to as many as 16 points in the second half, McGruder hit an open three-pointer that proved how well the Wildcats were playing offensively. Players moved the ball and set up a series of screens so perfectly that McGruder was able to casually jog under the basket from one side of the court to the other, catch a pass, set himself and make an uncontested three. It won’t go down as a memorable play to most, but I’ve got a feeling K-State’s coaching staff will enjoy it on film today.

Statistically speaking
K-State made 53.8 percent of its shots overall and scored 40 points in the first half. It is hard to beat the Wildcats when they score like that.

Do it again!
Martin gave his top four guards extended playing time (they all played 9 or more minutes) and all four played well. Martavious Irving scored seven points, Shane Southwell grabbed five rebounds to go with four points, Will Spradling scored eight points and Angel Rodriguez had six assists compared to two turnovers. Southwell and Irving have been on a short leash lately. They looked much more comfortable on the court Tuesday.

How about a do-over?
As Frank Haith walked off the court, a group of Missouri fans tried to cheer him up with some encouraging words. “Don’t worry about it coach,” they yelled. “Just beat Kansas. That’s all that matters.” It is now. Missouri must beat the Jayhawks on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse to have any realistic chance of winning a Big 12 regular season championship. Losing twice to K-State (by a combined 26 points) may be too much for the Tigers to overcome. The Wildcats have their number right now.

Bubble Watch
Well, the bubble watch feature was fun while it lasted. Back-to-back road wins over top 15 teams Baylor and Missouri have turned this into seed watch. K-State isn’t on the bubble anymore. It will be in the NCAA Tournament. Right now, I think the Wildcats are looking at a 7 seed. Maybe even a 6. Things will only get better with each win.

Quote to note
“This is a crazy business. A week ago I was trying to find a building that was more than six stories in height so I could jump. These guys, their approach in practice kept me sane. They gave me energy to come in and coach them during practice even though we lost two tough games at Texas and Kansas. They’ve been awesome. I couldn’t be happier that they’ve been rewarded with these last two games.” — Frank Martin.