MANHATTAN, Kan. — PJ Haggerty scored 34 points, Nate Johnson scored a career-high 33 points, and Kansas State beat Baylor 90-74 on Tuesday night in the debut of Wildcats interim coach Matthew Driscoll.
Kansas State (11-15, 2-11 Big 12) never trailed and maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half to snap a six-game skid. Driscoll replaces former coach Jerome Tang, who was fired Sunday night before completing his fourth season.
“Coach Driscoll and his staff did a great job,” Bears coach Scott Drew said of his opponent. “I hate playing with them now.”
Johnson’s layup gave the Wildcats a 21-point lead with 10:39 left. He surpassed his previous career best of 31 points on a dunk with 1:37 remaining.
Haggerty made 15 of 23 shots from the field. Johnson was 11 of 16 shooting and made five of the Wildcats’ eight shots. Johnson also had nine assists and tied a career-high with six steals.
“I didn’t come to Kansas State to be the head coach,” Driscoll said. “Coach Tang and I are thicker than thieves. He’s an amazing human being. He’s done amazing things at Kansas State.”
Isaac Williams IV scored 16 points to lead Baylor (13-13, 3-10), which has lost four in a row. Tunde Yesufu added 14 points for the Bears. Cameron Carr scored 12 points and Dan Skillings Jr. scored 11. The Bears made only three of their 24-point attempts.
Johnson made four 3s and scored 16 points, and Haggerty added 13 points to help K-State build a 41-34 halftime advantage. The Wildcats made 5 of 11 from long range, and Baylor missed 11 of 12 attempts from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes.
“I’m very proud of our staff and the way they handled this, and certainly the players. Their resilience and their ability to overcome a lot,” Driscoll said.
Williams’ layup pushed the Bears to 66-57 with 8:20 left, but they got no closer.
Driscoll will look to improve to 2-0 on Saturday, when Kansas State faces No. 13 Texas Tech.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
