Kansas State 55 - 72 Wisconsin
Final
  for this game

Beasley aims for encore as Kansas State faces Wisconsin

Mar 22, 2008 - 1:27 PM No. 11 Kansas St (21-11) vs. No. 3 Wisconsin (29-4) 4:20 pm EDT

OMAHA, Nebraska (Ticker) -- Michael Beasley did not disappoint in his NCAA Tournament debut.

Beasley and 11th-seeded Kansas State aim for another upset Saturday when they take on No. 3 Wisconsin in the second round of the Midwest Regional.

One of the top freshman in the country, Beasley faced off against fellow first-year phenom O.J. Mayo and No. 6 seed Southern California in first-round action Thursday.

The 6-10, 235-pound Beasley got the better of the matchup, recording 23 points and 11 rebounds in an 80-67 victory - the school's first tournament win since 1988.

Beasley, who will likely be the No. 1 pick in June's NBA draft, wants to keep the run going and lead the Wildcats to their first "Sweet 16" appearance since 1983-84.

"It's nice to have one win, but it's better to have two or three," Beasley said. "We're happy about this one. We're excited that we brought the first win in 20 years."

While Beasley was dominant in picking up his 27th double-double of the season, it was fellow freshman Bill Walker that played an instrumental role in the win.

Beasley was saddled with two fouls early, and Walker picked up the slack by scoring 17 of his 22 points in the first half. It was a nice change for Kansas State (21-11), which has relied on Beasley alone far too often this season.

"We just had to keep the production up once Mike got in foul trouble," Walker said. "And that's probably been our problem all year. We haven't produced when Mike goes down. Keep it close and manage the game until he could come back and be a factor."

The Wildcats will need contributions from their supporting cast against Wisconsin, which has won 24 of its last 26 games and is the nation's top defensive team.

The Badgers, who are playing in their 10th straight NCAA Tournament, were pushed to the limit by No. 14 Cal-State Fullerton on Thursday before pulling away for a 71-56 victory.

The win had to be a relief for Wisconsin, which was upset as the No. 2 seed in the second round last season by UNLV.

The winner of Saturday's contest will move on to face second-seeded Georgetown or No. 10 Davidson in the regional semifinals next week.






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