No. 12 K State rolls past South Dakota 91-69
APNews
Jan 03, 2010
Jacob Pullen had 23 points, Dominique Sutton had a double-double and No. 12 Kansas State beat South Dakota 91-69 on Sunday to close out its nonconference schedule on a 10-game winning streak.
Kansas State (13-1) overwhelmed South Dakota from the opening tip and didn't let up, dishing and dunking its way to the program's best start since 1958-59, second-best ever.
Pullen hit six 3-pointers, Sutton had 14 points and 10 rebounds and Curtis Kelly chipped in 15 points for the Wildcats, who take their longest winning streak in 16 years into Saturday's Big 12 opener at Missouri.
South Dakota (6-7) had its first shot blocked into the stands and its second was an airball on an open 3-pointer. It didn't get a whole lot better after that.
Overmatched at nearly every position, the Coyotes never stood much chance in their second game ever against a ranked opponent, unable to keep Kansas State off the offensive glass, throwing passes to no one, watching helplessly as the Wildcats raced to the other end for one dunk after another.
It wasn't much of a surprise the way Kansas State has been playing.
While most of the attention in the Big 12 has gone to Kansas and Texas, the top two teams in the country, the Wildcats have put together the best nonconference season in school history.
Deep and athletic, Kansas State tied the 1993-94 team for the most nonconference wins and set a school record for best winning percentage. The Wildcats also tied a team record with their 12th straight win at Bramlage Coliseum _ first time in a single season _ and have won 23 straight nonconference home games.
This one was over almost before it started.
Kansas State opened the game with a 13-4 run and kept pouring it on. The Wildcats turned 15 South Dakota turnovers into 28 first-half points _ two more than the Coyotes had total _ and had 17 offensive rebounds, leading to 17 more points.
Kansas State had four players in double figures by halftime to lead 51-26, closing it out with an off-the-backboard alley-oop from Pullen to Kelly that prompted forward Jamar Samuels to ask everyone on press row: "Did you see that?"
It was hard to miss.
Pullen and Sutton were the catalysts; Pullen with the jumpers and drives, Sutton on steals and dunks. They combined to score 26 points to match South Dakota's total for the half.
The second half was more of the same.
Pullen hit two quick 3s, Denis Clemente threw an over-the-shoulder alley-oop to Sutton on the break and ... well, you get the idea.
Clemente finished with 14 points and eight assists.
Tyler Cain led South Dakota with 18 points and 10 rebounds.