Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Kansas State
Northwestern Knocks Off Kansas State, 59-55
11/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov 30, 2002
KSU Box Score in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Freshman forward Jimmy Maley scored 15 points in his first collegiate start -- all on 3-pointers -- and Aaron Jennings added 15 as Northwestern beat Kansas State 59-55 Saturday night in its first road game of the season.
Northwestern won its road opener for the first time since the 1996-97 season (a 58-56 win at DePaul). On the other side, it was the first time Kansas State had lost its home opener since 1993.
Kansas State (1-3) had the chance to take the lead with nine seconds left, but Gilson DeJesus missed a 3-pointer. Northwestern's freshman point guard T.J. Parker got the rebound and was fouled, then made both free throws with 7.9 seconds left to seal the win.
Northwestern (3-1) took its biggest lead of the second half at 53-47 on a Jennings 3-pointer with 4:05 left. But Kansas State hit two treys to cut the lead to 53-51 with 1:58 left.
Northwestern's first four baskets were 3-pointers as the Wildcats bolted to a 16-8 lead in the first half. Maley -- who was making the start in place of Winston Blake, who sat out the game with an ankle injury -- got the ball rolling by hitting his first shot of the night just 1:25 into the contest. Maley's 15 points in the game marked the best by a Northwestern player in his first college start since Tavaras Hardy scored 16 in the 1998-99 season opener.
Kansas State held Northwestern without a field goal for six minutes, however, and eventually went up 29-25 before Maley hit his third trifecta of the half at the buzzer to make it a one-point game at halftime.
The game was tight throughout the second half, and was tied 40-40 with 12 minutes to play. At that point, Jitim Young stole a Kansas State pass in the offensive backcourt and took it the length of the floor for the dunk, and after another NU defensive stop he drained a three-pointer to push Northwestern to a 45-40 lead.
The Wildcats never trailed again, holding off every KSU rally. Kansas State scored the next four points after Young's burst, but Jason Burke nailed his only three of the game to push NU's lead back up to four. The lead hovered between three and six for several minutes after that, before Gilson DeJesus hit a trey for Kansas State that made the score 57-55 with two minutes to play.
Northwestern turned the ball over on its next possession -- one of just six turnovers on the night for the 'Cats -- but Frank Richards could not knock down a 3-point attempt. Northwestern milked the clock and missed their shot, but Burke got the offensive rebound and forced K-State to foul Parker.
Parker missed the free throw, giving Kansas State one last chance. However, DeJesus missed another 3-pointer, and Parker snared the board. He was fouled again, and this time made good on both foul shots to make the score 59-55 with just seven seconds to play.
Young and Parker added 12 points to aid the Wildcat cause. For K-State, Richards had 16 points to lead all scorers.
Northwestern is back on the road Wednesday night, taking on North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C. as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and is slated to tip off at 6:30 p.m. Central.
