MANHATTAN, Kan. — In the finale of the inaugural Little Apple Classic, Colorado would claim victory over its former Big 12 conference rival Kansas State.
A youthful Wildcat group would once again show flashes of potential on both sides of the floor before fizzling out late in the second half.
The Wildcats lead by as many as 13 in the first half before Colorado would rally and retake the lead before halftime.
"I was pleased with the energy, the effort, especially the start of the game," said Kansas State Head Coach Bruce Weber. "I thought in the second half, Wright was just special. I've got to give him credit. We got into them, we pushed them, we made them make plays, and he stepped up and really made plays."
McKinley Wright lead the charge for Colorado, scoring a game-high 24 points, but K-State would push back after the Buffaloes took the lead late in the opening half.
With a 31-30 halftime advantage, Kansas State fans had plenty of reason to be optimistic, but that would quickly fade in the second half as the turnovers mounted and the scoreless streak grew.
"We're definitely disappointed because a loss is a loss, but at the end of the day I feel like we definitely made improvements," said Sophomore Forward Antonio Gordon. "We're a really young team, so I feel like throughout the season we'll just keep improving."
In K-State’s season-opening loss against Drake on Wednesday, defense was a glaring issue, and Friday night inside an empty Bramlage Coliseum that would hold true again, as Colorado shot 49 percent from the field and tallied 46 second half points to take a firm hold of the game and get the win.
Offensively, Kansas State continued to struggle at times both with putting the ball in the basket and turning the ball over, but one consistent cog within the offensive game plan was freshman Nijel Pack.
The Indianapolis native would lead K-State in scoring with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three in only 26 minutes. Pack's time was limited due to being shaken up in the first half.
"It was just kind of a screen play, just jamming the ball up high, and I kind of didn't hear my big guy talk to me," said Pack on the play that sidelined him briefly. "It happens in the game. He apologized for it. We're going to get it straight, and we're going to talk louder next time."
Early in his freshman season, Pack has become a key contributor for the offense.
"He's a good player, there's no doubt," said Weber on his freshman guard. "He gives us another look."
However, as strong as Pack played, he was hampered due to an injury for part of the game, and the Wildcat offense clearly missed his presence on the floor.
Kansas State’s struggles would eventually give Colorado a comfortable lead and the Buffaloes would cruise to a win and a 2-0 showing in the Little Apple Classic, whereas the Wildcats would fall to 0-2 in their home tournament.
Up next, K-State will square off with a local opponent in Kansas City on Monday night inside Bramlage Coliseum at 7 p.m..
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