Kansas State drops eighth game in row in 68-61 loss to Texas A&M

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Jay Jay Chandler and Savion Flagg scored 14 points each and Texas A&M withstood a 3-point barrage from Kansas State’s Nijel Pack in the second half to win 68-61 on Saturday, the Aggies‘ first win at Manhattan.

Pack, a freshman point guard playing in his second game after missing four because of COVID-19 protocols, made eight 3-pointers, going 7 of 9 from the arc in the second half on his way to a career-high 26 points. His only two-point field goal, a floater with 2:12 left, put the Wildcats (5-13) up three. But Kansas State struggled thereafter with Texas A&M’s pressure and was outscored 13-3.

Chandler had four 3-pointers and Flagg a game-high eight rebounds for the Aggies (8-7), who snapped a three-game losing streak and bounced back from a 78-66 loss to LSU in which they didn’t score over the final 8:20. Emanuel Miller added 12 points and Andre Gordon 10. Texas A&M had been 0-10 at Bramlage Coliseum.

After a lackluster first half, Kansas State shot 50% in the final 20 minutes but the difference was at the foul line where the Aggies went 18 of 20, including 11 of 11 for their final points. The Aggies made 22 of 26 free throws overall to 5 of 9 for the Wildcats.

Pack had five assists and three steals. Mike McGuirl finished with 10 points and six assists for the Wildcats, who lost their eighth straight, all in January, their first winless January since going 0-7 in 1996-97. They were coming off a 107-59 loss to No. 2 Baylor, the worst loss in school history.

Texas A&M led by 10 in the first half before Pack hit a 3-pointer to start a 12-3 Kansas State run that ended with McGuirl’s 3-pointer and the Wildcats trailing 24-23 at the break.