BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (KSNT) - Amidst chaotic times for K-State men's basketball, the Wildcats found a way to break through the noise and get a win.
A career first half performance from Cam Carter led K-State to a 75-60 road victory over LSU on Saturday.
K-State had to deal with a lot more than basketball leading up to the game, with now-former forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin's dismissal from the team earlier in the week. The departure came with an uproar from fans that led to coach Jerome Tang releasing a video calling for peace.
Carter's day started on the opening possession; a three-pointer 21 seconds into the game. Both teams hit shots early, with LSU leading 11-7 at the first media timeout.
The Wildcats slowly started to gather a lead from that point. With 4:43 remaining in the first half, a Carter jumper on a fast break gave K-State its first double-digit lead of the game at 36-25.
Two Will McNair Jr. free throws kept the Tigers at bay as the Wildcats led 42-34 at halftime. Carter finished the first 20 minutes with 19 points on 7-11 shooting.
Out of the break, K-State added onto its lead, up by 17 points with 14 minutes to play. However, a 16-2 run by LSU got the Tigers within three points with ten minutes to go.
K-State responded with a 7-0 run of its own, extending its lead back to double-digits, where it would hold the rest of the game. A Tylor Perry jumper in the final seconds added a cherry on top as the Wildcats held on to a 75-60 victory.
Carter led the team in scoring with 21 points. Arthur Kaluma added a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double as the Wildcats racked up 13 offensive rebounds.
With the win, K-State improves its record to 8-2 on the season. Next up is a home matchup with Nebraska on Sunday, Dec. 17.
