Kansas State ran off to a big lead in the first half and then held off Missouri-Kansas City, 62-58, for the Wildcats' first win of the season Monday night in Manhattan, Kan.
The Wildcats avoided their first 0-3 start since 1965-66.
K-State coach Bruce Weber had never been part of an 0-2 start in his 42-year coaching career, as an assistant or head coach, prior to this season.
Kansas State (1-2) was led by DaJuan Gordon and Nigel Pack with 14 points each.
UMKC (2-2) was led by Brandon McKissic with a game-high 24. He was joined in double-figures by Franck Kamgain with 11 points. Josiah Allick, who led UMKC in scoring (19.0 points per game) coming in, had just one point. He was 0-for-7 from the floor, including 0-for-3 from long range.
K-State kept UMKC at bay for most of the second half.
The Wildcats' largest lead was 15 points, but the Roos went on a 7-0 spurt to cut it back to just eight points. A McKissic 3-pointer cut the lead to 58-51, and a Kamgain free throw drew the Kangaroos within six points. A last-second 3-pointer by McKissic allowed UMKC to get within four.
K-State struggled from the field in the second half, hitting just six of their 17 shots (35.3 percent). They went more than seven minutes without a field goal before Pack's teardrop with 1:42 left.
K-State jumped out early, taking a double-digit lead before the Roos scored. Kansas City didn't score its first point until 11:50 remained in the first half with K-State leading 17-3.
Kansas City gradually chipped away at the lead, cutting it to as few as eight points before scoring the last bucket of the half to go to the locker room down 33-23. After missing their first seven shots, the Roos went 10-of-16 the rest of the half.
Gordon led the Wildcats with 10 points and five rebounds at halftime. McKissic (nine points) and Marvin Nesbitt (seven) combined for 16 of UMKC's 23 points in the first half. Allick did not score.
--Field Level Media
