Cincinnati ? Disappointed by Xavier’s recent effort, coach Sean Miller ramped up the intensity of practice and started screaming when things went wrong during games.

Turns out that there’s a little bit of Bob Huggins in him.

With Miller screaming from the sideline, Stanley Burrell scored 23 points and led a first-half run Wednesday night that sent Xavier to a 76-66 victory over Kansas State, spoiling Huggins’ homecoming.

Xavier (10-4) has gone 4-3 since it briefly moved into the Top 25 last month, a stretch that coincided with Burrell’s shooting slump. The junior shooting guard has struggled to put together a stretch of solid games.

The Musketeers got a solid all-around effort a few hours after Miller screamed at his team for a lethargic morning workout.

“Coach has stepped it up to another level,” said Burrell, who made all of his 10 free throws. “We didn’t go hard at the shoot-around this morning, and he went crazy. He was like, ‘I’m not having this.”‘

Miller has decided that his team, which is led by a group of quiet personalities, needs to develop an edge. The Musketeers’ heart has been questioned during their early struggles.

“It’s not fun when you get called soft,” Miller said. “I don’t know if there’s a worse thing they can call you. Our team understands we’ve been labeled that, whether right or wrong. In the last two games, it would be tough to call our team soft.”

Told that he sounds a little more like Huggins lately, Miller said, “I don’t know if that’s good or not.”

For Huggins, there wasn’t much good after the pregame introductions.

Xavier guard Stanley Burrell celebrates a second-half basket. Burrell had 23 points in Xavier's 76-66 victory over Kansas State on Wednesday in Cincinnati.

The Wildcats couldn’t contain Burrell, who led a 15-2 spurt that put Xavier up by double-digits in the first half. Burrell’s perfect night at the free-throw line also prevented Kansas State (10-4) from catching up.

“The reality is, we’re very limited,” Huggins said. “We don’t shoot it very well, we don’t pass it very well.”

Huggins returned to the city where he built his career – and a nationally prominent program – during 16 seasons at Cincinnati. He was forced out by the school president before the start of last season, but stayed in town until he took the job at Kansas State last March.

During his stint at Cincinnati, some of his most vexing losses came against Xavier, the Bearcats’ crosstown rival. Xavier went 8-8 against Huggins’ teams and won six of the last nine in their series.

Huggins got the loudest cheers – and loudest boos – during pregame introductions at the off-campus arena, where Cincinnati and Xavier play occasionally. Thousands of purple-shirted Kansas State fans were sprinkled throughout the crowd of 12,298, along with signs welcoming him back.

“I can’t say enough about the people here in this town,” Huggins said. “People have stuck with me through a lot of stuff, and I didn’t expect that to change.”

It was a disappointing homecoming for Kansas State freshman Bill Walker. The 6-foot-6 forward teamed with O.J. Mayo to win Ohio prep titles at suburban North College Hill the last two years.

With Mayo watching from courtside, Walker repeatedly forced shots and went 3-of-12 from the field in the first half, missing all of his three free throws. He got his third foul in the opening minute of the second half, and fouled out with eight points on 4-of-14 shooting.

Nebraska 81, Savannah State 53

Lincoln, Neb. – Sek Henry scored 18 points to lead five Nebraska players in double figures. Nebraska (10-3), playing at home for only the second time since Nov. 29, won its third straight. Savannah State (6-13), which opened with five straight wins, lost for the 13th time in 14 games.

Colorado 96, UCF 87

Boulder, Colo. – A well rested Colorado squad had six players score in double figures – including 21 points from Kal Bay – as the Buffaloes beat Central Florida. It’s the first time the Buffaloes have played in 25 days due to a pair of snowstorms that blew through the state, canceling games against UC Davis and Texas Christian.