Jerome Tang, Kansas State complete sweep of No. 10 Baylor with second-half comeback

Kansas State point guard Markquis Nowell (1) looks for an open teammate during the second half Tuesday night at Bramlage Coliseum. Nowell had 10 assists and no turnovers in the Wildcats’ 75-65 victory.

MANHATTAN — It is much too early in Jerome Tang’s head coaching career to suggest that he has Baylor’s number.

But with a limited sample size — two impressive Kansas State victories in as many tries — Tang certainly has earned bragging rights after the No. 16-ranked Wildcats put on a second-half clinic Tuesday night in a 75-65 romp at Bramlage Coliseum against the team he served as an assistant for the previous 19 years.

Just ask Scott Drew, his former boss, who was asked if Tang’s insider knowledge of the Bears made K-State a difficult matchup. He didn’t so much answer the question as offer an overall assessment of his protégé.

“First of all, coach Tang should be national coach of the year, period,” Drew said after the Wildcats completed a regular-season sweep of the Bears, improved to 21-7 overall and climbed into a third-place tie with Baylor in the Big 12 at 9-6. “I mean, two (returning) players; they filled the whole roster. They’re picked at the bottom (of the league).

“He’ll get my vote, and that’s not because he’s my brother. He’s earned it.”

Tang, who dreaded facing Drew and Baylor on Jan. 7 in Waco, spoke at that time about how hard it was to enjoy K-State’s 97-95 overtime victory, in large part because it dropped the Bears to 0-3 in the Big 12.

More:Three takeaways from Kansas State basketball’s 75-65 Big 12 comeback victory over Baylor

Kansas State guard Cam Carter (5) is fouled by Baylor forward Flo Thamba Tuesday in Manhattan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Thirteen games later, much as he hates to see his mentor and former team lose, he gladly sprinted toward the K-State student section for what has become a ritual celebration.

“It was more like a normal game, but the circumstances going into this game were different than the last game,” Tang said. “Last game, they had back-to-back losses, and so I knew at the end of that game, either we were going to lose and I wasn’t going to be happy, or they were going to lose and it was going to be a three-game losing streak.

“And I understand the pressure of the three-game losing streak, and what can happen going into it. And so you never want to see the people you love go through that, so it really wasn’t a lot of fun.”

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After starting conference play 0-3, Baylor bounced back to win its next five Big 12 games and 10 of 11 overall before blowing a 13-point halftime lead at Kansas on Saturday and a three-point advantage in the second period against K-State.

“This one, both teams are, I think now, in the NCAA Tournament,” Tang said. “I feel like we have enough wins that we’re in the NCAA Tournament.

“Not that we’re satisfied, but I feel like we are (in), and they were arguably the hottest team in the league, except for the second half of the last game and then this game. So the circumstances are so different now that I was able to enjoy this one.”

More:Big second half lifts Kansas State basketball past Baylor, 75-65

Tang certainly had to be pleased with the way his Wildcats were rejuvenated during their two-game home stand. After dropping four of their previous five, they rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to knock off then-No. 18 Iowa State, 61-55, on Saturday and followed it up with a stellar second period against No. 10 Baylor.

“It’s every coach’s dream to be able to compete in that kind of environment,” Tang said of the 11,000 fans who packed Bramlage for a second straight game and seventh sellout of the season. “And then watch your guys be energized by the crowd and, I thought our guys had energy tonight and we executed.

“We didn’t turn the ball over, and when (Baylor) made a run, we responded. I’m just so proud of them.”

Indeed, the Wildcats turned the ball over a season-low seven times — twice in the second half — plus scored 19 points off Baylor miscues, which led to a 15-9 advantage in fast-break points and a staggering 42 paint points to just 16 for the Bears.

“It’s hard to stop transition offense (off) misses and turnovers,” said sophomore guard Cam Carter, who had 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. “So we capitalized on that, pushing the ball when we got the opportunity, and we got some buckets.”

More:Kansas State basketball hopes to double down with second straight win against Baylor

Carter and Keyontae Johnson each had a thunderous breakaway dunk during the 12-1 second-half run that finally broke the game open for K-State.

It was a fun night all around for the Wildcats, who now head to Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Saturday for a 1 p.m. game at Oklahoma State.

“It’s always fun playing in front of your fan base,” said senior forward Keyontae Johnson, who broke out of a slump with 25 points on 11 of 17 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers. “So I feel like just knowing that our regular season is coming to an end, just trying to give it all we’ve got out there and just have fun.

“There’s no telling what can happen next. So I feel like we’re just trying to finish out strong, finish the conference off strong, and then have a good seed going into the Big 12 (tournament).”

Johnson and Carter weren’t the only Wildcats to have a big night. Markquis Nowell made only 2 of 11 shots from the floor and missed all six of his 3-point attempts, and yet he finished with 14 points by going 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.

More importantly, Nowell dished out 10 assists without a turnover, only the second time in his two years at K-State that he has not given the ball up once, and ending a streak of eight games where he had at least four.

“There’s just no substitute for being able to play at home in front of your own fans,” Tang said.

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang beats Baylor again