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No. 25 Kansas State ends long drought in Stillwater

Jan 21, 2012 - 11:04 PM Stillwater, OK (Sports Network) - Angel Rodriguez scored 14 points and hit just enough free throws down the stretch, helping 25th-ranked Kansas State earn a 66-58 victory over Oklahoma State to end an 11-game losing streak at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

"I knew coach Frank (Martin) had never won here before, since he was the head coach," said Rodriguez, "so to me that was enough. Five years is enough for me."

Rodney McGruder also had 14 points and Jamar Samuels contributed 12 with 12 rebounds for Kansas State (14-4, 3-3 Big 12), which won a conference road game for the first time in three tries this season and also won in Stillwater for the first time since January 9, 1993.

Oklahoma State leading scorer Keiton Page finished with 17 points, but made just 4-of-17 shots and only 1-of-9 from three-point range. Markel Brown added 14 points for the Cowboys (9-10, 2-4), who trailed by as many as 13 and made it close down the stretch before falling for a third straight game.

A bucket by Samuels gave Kansas State a seemingly-comfortable 57-44 lead with just under 4 1/2 minutes to play, but the Cowboys responded with the next nine points.

Page was fouled on a three-point attempt and hit all three from the stripe before Brown added 1-of-2 on OSU's next trip to make it 57-53 with 2:37 remaining.

After a pair of Martavious Irving free throws for Kansas State, Page finally connected on a three-pointer to pull Oklahoma State within three. Rodriguez then made one at the line for the Wildcats and Page again misfired from beyond the arc, leading to a pair of free throws from Rodriguez to extend the K-State edge to 62-56 with 1:16 left.

The Cowboys turned it over on the ensuing possession and Rodriguez canned the second of two free throws for a seven-point cushion with 35 seconds left, sealing the outcome.

Kansas State finished just 23-of-40 from the line, but offset its inefficient free throw shooting with a stifling defensive effort that limited Oklahoma State to 34.8 percent from the field and 1-of-16 from three-point range. The Wildcats also held a 50-29 rebounding advantage.

"They deserved to win the game," said Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford. "That's a tough game for us to play."

Oklahoma State held an 11-8 lead before Rodriguez drilled a three-pointer to ignite a 13-0 Kansas State run. Thomas Gipson scored six during the burst, capping it with a layup for a 21-11 lead with 10 1/2 minutes remaining in the first half.

The lead reached 11 a few minutes later on a three-pointer by McGruder, but the Cowboys responded with 10 straight points and pulled within 24-23 on a three-point play by Michael Cobbins with four minutes remaining. Kansas State, though, countered with seven of the last eight to take a 31-24 advantage to the locker room.

Game Notes

Kansas State shot just 36.4 percent overall and made only 3-of-14 three-point tries...Oklahoma State still owns a 13-4 mark against Kansas State as Big 12 members (since 1997), but the Wildcats are 71-47 all-time against the Cowboys in a series that dates back to 1927...The Cowboys will host another ranked team on Wednesday when Missouri visits Gallagher-Iba Arena.