Frank Martin had avoided overlooking opponents by motivating his team and preparing them for each game. “Obviously, I did not do my job very well. We had all week to prepare and came out here and were not very good,” said Martin after the Wildcats dropped a close game at home against Oklahoma State on Saturday.

A packed Bramlage Coliseum saw Kansas State lose for the first time at home in 14 games.

“The practices were the same as the rest. We were going at it hard and preparing for Oklahoma State,” said Rodney McGruder.

The Wildcats defended well early and set up nicely on offense. They got off to a great start against Oklahoma State as Denis Clemente led an 8-0 Wildcats charge to bust the game open at 10-4.

Then the page turned and the Wildcats started to get impatient on offense, chucking up three-point shots and turning over the ball on five possessions. Due to the poor execution, Oklahoma State was able to close the gap to within two points and the score stood at 14-12 in favor of the Wildcats.

The Cowboys doubled down low and Kelly assisted the ball to a cutting McGruder and the Wildcats rode their momentum, scoring on two straight possessions and forcing a turnover on the other end of the court.

The Wildcats continued the rout as Jacob Pullen converted on a 4-point play and the Wildcats piled a 15-4 run on the Cowboys to create separation. At that point, the Wildcats led by a score of 27-18.

However, after a technical foul resulting in four three throws by James Anderson and a three-point shot by Keiton Page, the Cowboys pulled to within one point with 3:27 left in the first half.

James Anderson accumulated 19 points by halftime and was one of the key reasons why the Wildcats only held a 3-point lead at halftime. Anderson was active on offense, converting his shots, and making easy lay-ups.

The Wildcats definitely felt the pressure of being the favorite in the game that looked like a blowout on paper, but that is why the games are played on the court. The Wildcats didn’t get their first field goal of the second half until 14:14 left in the game.

The Wildcats’ offense got rolling again after a technical foul on Oklahoma State’s Matt Pilgrim. Wildcat forward Curtis Kelly spun in the lane and converted on an easy lay-up, beginning an 8-2 run to lead the surge as the Wildcats rallied to take the lead with 11:29 left in the game.

After penetration by Jacob Pullen and a nifty dish to Jamar Samuels which was followed by a great finish at the basket, the Wildcats began to pull away from the Cowboys. Kelly took over when the Wildcats needed the offense, scoring on key possessions and playing solid defense. In the second half, Kelly had 7 points, 4 rebounds and 5 blocks.

However, the Cowboys simply would not go away. Shifting into a 1-3-1 trap, the Cowboys forced turnovers and took a one-point lead with 5:54 left in the game.

Obi Muonelo got hot late in the game, causing match-up problems for the Wildcats, knocking down three after three and putting Kansas State on the ropes. Toward the end of the game, Clemente hit a tough three and then Pullen followed with one of his own to bring the Wildcats within two points of the Cowboys, at 66-68 with 1:22 left to play.

Nick Russel and Kelly both hit key free-throws that kept the Wildcats in the game and with 13.3 seconds left the score was 71-69 in favor of the Cowboys. The Wildcats ran a play for Pullen that allowed him to run all the way to the rim, but he was unable to convert the lay-up and the Wildcats were forced to foul the Cowboys. Oklahoma State converted both free throws and they led by four points with just seconds left on the clock.

After the game, Pullen said, “I was trying to get a shot at the rim, we were down two points. I got the shot I wanted and I got to the basket, but it just did not go in, like the rest of the night.”

The loss marked Kansas State’s third of the season. The Wildcats were out-rebounded, shot just 57 percent from the line, and couldn’t stop the duo of Anderson and Muonelo as they combined for 44 points.

The Wildcats know that they must be more consistent as a team. “You have to be. Anybody can beat anybody. You have to be consistent and you have to have everyone clicking and we just did not have that tonight,” Pullen said about the team’s consistency. The Wildcats are now 2-1 in games immediately following a victory over a No. 1 opponent.

Kansas State hasn’t beaten the Cowboys since February 9, 2008. The Wildcats are now 16-3 and 3-2 in Big 12 play, and will travel to Waco, TX on Tuesday to take on the Baylor Bears.