Cougars put on a defensive masterclass in win over Kansas State

Kansas State shot a shockingly low 1 of 19 from 3-point range in its win over No. 13 Arizona on Tuesday.

When the Wildcats travelled to Provo on Saturday, BYU had a game plan catered towards Kansas State's poor shooting: Make them drive. Let them shoot.

The defensive game plan worked to perfection as the Cougars clogged the paint in a 80-65 victory.

Things looked shaky early for the Cougars when Kansas State started the game 3 of 3 from beyond the arc, but the Wildcats' hot hand wasn't sustainable.

Kansas State only hit three more 3-pointers for the rest of the game, leaving the Wildcats to go inside, where BYU's length — and more specifically, Keba Keita — were waiting for them.

At one point early in the game, BYU had 14 points in the paint and the Wildcats had none. The Cougars also dominated the rebound battle 25-18 in the first half.

Keita, BYU's defensive minded starting center, thrived in this style of play, and had three blocks in the first half. He finished the game with a career high of five blocks.

"[Keita] told someone that was his flu game, because he hasn't been feeling well," BYU head coach Kevin Young said. "He did a great job of just imposing his will."

Young doubled down on this defensive stance by putting one of the longest possible lineups that BYU could form on the floor.

With a lineup of Egor Demin, Kanon Catchings, Trevin Knell, Keba Keita and Mihailo Boskovic, the Cougars' average height was 6-foot-8.

Trey Stewart, BYU's defensive specialist guard even logged seven valuable minutes. Defense was everything for the Cougars.

At one point, the Cougars held a 22-point lead in the second half, and while Kansas State made it interesting late, the game was too far out of reach.

"They kicked our butts tonight," Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang said. "They were the better team, they were the more physical team, they were the most assertive team, they were just all around better than we were tonight."

Photo by BYU Photo

BYU's leading scorer, Richie Saunders, kept up BYU's level of intensity throughout the game, getting his first career double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds.

"His will is so uncommon," Young said about Saunders' career night.

This was a key win for a BYU team that was listed in the "last four in" category of ESPN's latest bracketology.

If the Cougars can keep up this level of play on the defensive end, playing in March seems like more and more of a possibility.