Manhattan — After Kansas State's poor three-point shooting against Denver on Wednesday, coach Jim Wooldridge wanted his team to prove it could hit the outside shot.
On Saturday, the Wildcats did just that against Washington State.
Fred Peete scored a career-high 18 points, and Kansas State hit five of its first six three-pointers to beat the Cougars, 62-53, Saturday.
"I thought at times we really played well offensively," said Wooldridge, whose team was just 1-for-7 from beyond the arc in a 60-56 victory over Denver. "Whether the shot went in our not, there was a rhyme or reason to it."
Peete, who had shot just 32 percent from the field in his first two games, added five rebounds and two assists.
"We were moving the ball and making plays on the perimeter," said Peete, who graduated from Pullman (Wash.) High in the Cougars' hometown. "I had fun playing against them -- more fun than they had."
Washington State (2-1) had allowed just 42 points in each of its first two games, but Kansas State was able to free up several open jump shots and build an early 17-11 lead.
"It was our best effort as a team to crack a good defense," Wooldridge said. "We had a better team performance."
The Cougars led 32-29 early in the second half, but Jeremiah Massey, who had 10 of his 15 points in the second half, scored six points in a 14-4 run that put Kansas State ahead, 43-36.
Kansas State's Schyler Thomas, left, weaves through a Washington State double-team of Robbie Cowgill, center, and Kyle Weaver. K-State won, 62-53, Saturday in Manhattan.
"It was the best half we've played," Massey said. "We were making shots and we haven't been able to make shots all year."
Washington State came within 49-47 on a jump shot and three-pointer by Josh Akognon with 6:44 to go, but Stewart hit a three-pointer with 1:47 left to cap a 9-0 run and give Kansas State an insurmountable 58-47 lead.
"I thought it was a really good game until the last five minutes," Washington State coach Dick Bennett said. "We lost our poise and they retained theirs. That was basically the story of the game."
No. 6 Oklahoma State 73, Sam Houston State 57
Stillwater, Okla. -- Joey Graham scored 25 points, John Lucas III added 17, and No. 6 Oklahoma State recovered from another subpar first half to beat Sam Houston State.
Graham scored 18 points in the second half, and Lucas had 14 of his 17 after the break to help the Cowboys (3-0) overcame a six-point halftime deficit. Graham had two crucial baskets off offensive rebounds, and Lucas was strong from three-point range.
Oklahoma 67, Minnesota 54
Anchorage, Alaska -- Kevin Bookout and Terrell Everett scored 13 points each as Oklahoma defeated Minnesota in the Great Alaska Shootout. The Sooners (3-1) relied on Everett's three-point shooting and Bookout's inside game to claim third place in the tournament. Everett was 2-for-2 from beyond the three-point line, and Bookout shot 6-for-9. Drew Lavender added 12 points for Oklahoma. OU came out in the second half with a 15-3 run.
Texas Tech 93, Centenary 41
Lubbock, Texas -- Jarrius Jackson scored 22 points, and Ronald Ross added 17 as Texas Tech beat Centenary. Devonne Giles added 16 for Tech (2-1), which pulled most starters midway through the second half. Freshman Damir Suljagic played scored 12 for Tech on 5-of-6 shooting. Chad Maclies scored nine points, and Jamorrow Moragne had eight for Centenary (0-2).
Tech led 52-20 at halftime, thanks to an early 29-4 run and 54 percent shooting in the half.
Nebraska 78, Texas Southern 58
Lincoln, Neb. -- Jason Dourisseau scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half as Nebraska opened a double-digit lead early and held off Texas Southern.
Nebraska (2-0) led by 13 at the half and took a 17 point lead on Alex Maric's three-point play with 13:07 left, making the score 56-39.
Texas Southern's Justin Wilson then scored nine points in a 12-2 spurt that cut the lead to 58-51 on his free-throw lane jumper with 8:23 remaining.
But Texas Southern (1-2) could get no closer. Nebraska went on a 12-3 run to put the game away, going up 70-54 on Joe McCray's three-pointer with 3:44 left.
Texas A&M 98, Texas-Permian Basin 36
College Station, Texas -- Acie Law had 18 points, and four other Texas A&M players scored in double figures as the Aggies recorded the most lopsided win in school history. Law was 7-of-14 from the field and had 11 assists, six rebounds and three steals for the Aggies (3-0), whose 62-point margin of victory broke the school record 57-point gap set against Centenary in 1958.
Iowa State 62, Bucknell 55
Ames, Iowa -- Curtis Stinson scored 22 points, and Iowa State struggled through another sluggish game offensively in beating Bucknell to win the Cyclone Challenge. Iowa State (3-0) won its tournament for the ninth time in 10 years, but the Cyclones were far from stylish. They misfired on close-in shots, committed 24 turnovers and missed four straight free throws in the final minute when they were trying to secure the victory.
On Friday night, Iowa State shot just 34 percent in a 57-39 victory over winless Northern Colorado.
Bucknell (3-3), the favorite in the Patriot League, kept threatening even after Iowa State took a 61-50 lead on Will Blalock's two free throws with 1:04 remaining.
Late Friday
No. 22 Washington 96, Oklahoma 91
Anchorage, Alaska -- Nate Robinson scored 19 points and had eight assists, leading No. 22 Washington past Oklahoma in the semifinals of the Great Alaska Shootout. Reserve Jamaal Williams had 18 points and six rebounds for the Huskies (3-0).
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