BYU halts cold-shooting Kansas State's 6-game win streak

Richie Saunders had his first career double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds as BYU defeated Kansas State 80-65 in a battle of Big 12 middle-of-the-pack teams Saturday night in Provo, Utah.

BYU won for the seventh time in 10 games. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Kansas State.

The Cougars (17-8, 8-6 Big 12) got a season-high 16 points from Dallin Hall and 11 from fellow reserve Foussey Traore. Keba Keita had nine points, 11 rebounds and a career-high five blocks.

Kansas State (13-12, 7-7), which went 1 of 19 from 3-point range in Tuesday's victory over Arizona, made its first three 3-point attempts before missing their final nine attempts in the first half. They finished 6 of 21 from long range.

The Wildcats were led by Dug McDaniel with 22 points. Brendan Hausen added 12.

After Kansas State scored the first five points of the second half, BYU ran off nine straight to grab its largest lead at 49-27.

The Wildcats went on an 18-4 run to trim the deficit to 53-45 with 10:48 left. But Saunders responded with a reverse layup to start a 10-2 run that stretched it back to double figures.

The Wildcats never got back within single digits the rest of the way.

BYU jumped out quickly. The Cougars used a 15-2 run to turn a one-point deficit into a 26-12 lead with 11:16 left in the first half. The Cougars kept the lead in double figures for most of the rest of the half.

Both teams went cold for a combined 4:47 of scoreless action before Hall made a driving layup to extend the BYU lead to 34-20. The lead grew to 38-20 before David N'Guessan got the Wildcats back on the scoreboard. The Cougars took a 40-22 lead into the locker room as Kansas State missed 11 of its final 12 shots.

Saunders and Traore led the Cougars with 10 points in the first half. The Wildcats were led by McDaniel with seven.

--Field Level Media