Massey steps up late as ‘Cats upend Aggies

Kansas City, Mo. ? Jeremiah Massey did not just want the ball. He insisted upon it.

Fueling a key surge in the second half, Kansas State’s senior leader wound up with 18 points Thursday and led the Wildcats to a 68-62 victory over Texas A&M in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament.

It sets up a 6 p.m. quarterfinal meeting against archrival Kansas University tonight.

“I felt me, being a senior, that I wanted to do something to win the game,” Massey said. “I demanded the ball and it went in. Everyone was tired, but we had to pull it out.

“Now, we’re going to come out tomorrow and play our hearts out. They are not going to be easy to beat. Hopefully, we can come up with a victory.”

It was the first tournament victory since 2002 for the Wildcats (17-11), who suffered a frustrating regular season, losing twice on last-second shots and twice in overtime.

The victory also may take pressure off embattled coach Jim Wooldridge and put Kansas State in line for its first postseason appearance in Wooldridge’s five years.

“We’re not the best team in the league,” Wooldridge said. “I never said we would be. I said we’d be a good team and a team that could seize on opportunities, and we did that tonight.”

Now, the Cats will play a KU team that has won an amazing 30 straight in the series.

Kansas State's Jeremiah Massey, left, and Lance Harris react after Massey hit a go-ahead free throw against Texas A&M. Massey scored 18 points, leading the Wildcats to a 68-62 victory on Thursday at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo.

“I’m sure (Kansas) will be confident,” Wooldridge said. “Our challenge is to get these guys to another gear, get them charged up again.”

KSU, which lost to KU, 74-65, in Manhattan, and 72-65 on Senior Day in Lawrence, figures to play an emotional game tonight.

KU, it’s been said, may be vulnerable without the injured Keith Langford.

“They’ve got an awfully good basketball team,” Wooldridge said. “Wayne Simien is player of the year — a great, great player. They’ve got other good players. It’ll be a big challenge for us. You never know … our guys are excited about playing, I guarantee you that.”

K-State’s Fred Peete agreed.

“It will be a tough hard game, a close game,” Peete said. “We’re going to come out and give it all we’ve got.”

On Thursday, Acie Law sank a three-pointer — his only bucket in 13 shots — that gave the Aggies a 46-41 advantage. But then Massey led the Wildcats on an 14-4 run for a 55-50 lead Texas A&M could not overcome.

Texas A&M, still winless in the tournament since the inception of the Big 12 nine years ago, never crept closer than five points.

Lance Harris and Peete each had 13 points for Kansas State, and Peete’s 14 rebounds were a school record for a Big 12 tournament game. Justin Williams had 12 for the Wildcats and provided solid defense inside against Joseph Jones, the Aggies’ standout freshman center who totaled nine points and 12 rebounds.

Antoine Wright had 19 of his 28 points in the first half and led a 16-2 run with a pair of three-pointers and a big dunk that gave the Aggies a 31-27 halftime lead.

The Aggies and Wildcats each figure to receive an NIT bid.

“I would think we’re still going to be playing,” A&M coach Billy Gillispie said. “I think we’ll be a fun team to watch play. We’ve never really talked about that stuff. I would assume we’re still going to be playing.”