By Jayson Henderson
Kansas State clinched a 78-74 victory over 7-seed Texas in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, mounting a comeback from a 10-point halftime deficit with a dominant second-half display. Senior Tylor Perry led with 21 points, supported by four teammates scoring in double figures. The Wildcats, led by Perry’s flawless 10-of-10 free throw shooting, now advance to face 2-seed Iowa State in the quarterfinals. K-State stifled Texas to just 29% shooting in the second half, while Max Abmas of Texas made history with 26 points, marking the first Division I player with 3,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists. Coach Jerome Tang praised his team’s resilience, highlighting freshman Dai Dai Ames’ improvement. K-State’s stellar performance included tying a season-low of 10 turnovers and outrebounding Texas 39-32.
