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'Cats get groove back in win over Aggies
Published 2/6/2012 in Sports
By ARNE GREEN
Special to The Telegram
MANHATTAN — Will Spradling found his stroke, Angel Rodriguez attacked and the Kansas State Wildcats got their groove back.
Not a bad day at the office.
The Wildcats, with Spradling busting out of his slump and Rodriguez keying a pivotal second-half run, eventually wore Texas A&M down Saturday and rolled to a 64-53 victory over the Aggies at Bramlage Coliseum.
In so doing, the Wildcats ended a two-game skid to push their record to 16-6 and get back even in the Big 12 at 5-5. A&M fell to 12-10 and 3-7.
"As a team we want to make the NCAA Tournament," said Rodriguez, who scored all 13 of his points in the second half. "We lost two games (in a row), so I guess you could say there was a little bit of pressure for us.
"We responded in a good way and got the win."
The key stretch for the Wildcats, besides rallying from a 10-point first-half deficit to pull within one at the break, came following a timeout after Elston Turner's 3-pointer put A&M up 34-30 with 15 minutes, 47 second left.
Thomas Gipson scored down low and Rodney McGruder buried a second-chance 3-pointer to spark an 11-point spurt that eventually grew to 27-6 by the time Rodriguez drove for a layup to make it 57-40 at the 6:55 mark.
Rodriguez, the Wildcats' freshman point guard, had 11 points during the stretch after going scoreless in the first half. After fouling out the two previous games — a three-point home loss to Oklahoma and two-point road loss at Iowa State — he also was around at the finish.
"Today I was very careful about the fouling," said Rodriguez, who was 5-for-7 from the field in the second half, all close to the basket, and perfect on three free throws. "Two back-to-back games I fouled out, and obviously I want to stay in the game and help the team win."
The Wildcats shot 54.5 percent from the field, outrebounded A&M 16-9 and forced nine Aggie turnovers in the second half to take control.
The Aggies were without starters Khris Middleton and Dash Harris. Middleton, who averages 12.4 points, missed his fourth straight game while point guard Harris (4.8 assists) sat out his third.
The Aggies also got 14 points from guard Naji Hibbert, who helped them to a 25-24 halftime advantage with 12.
K-State dug an early hole, trailing 16-6 after Hibbert buried a 3-pointer then got a steal and layup to cap a 12-2 run. But the Wildcats got back in it with a six-point possession.
Thomas Gipson scored and was fouled, missed the free throw and K-State got the rebound. Spradling then hit a 3-pointer from the left corner, was fouled and converted from the line. A Jamar Samuels rebound basket cut it back to two with 9:35 left in the period.
For the game, K-State outrebounded A&M, 31-23, with Samuels grabbing six, Gipson four and Rodriguez five. Hibbert had six to lead A&M.
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