MANHATTAN, Kan. — Anything can happen when Kansas State and Iowa State face off in their Farmageddon basketball rivalry.

Case in point: The road team won both games this season ... by double digits.

The Cyclones crushed the Wildcats 73-57 on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum and exacted some revenge for the 80-61 beatdown they suffered against K-State two months ago at Hilton Coliseum.

Neither home team had much to cheer about in either contest. K-State fans could feel this one slip away early.

Iowa State (23-8, 13-7 Big 12) led by as many as 17 while K-State (15-16, 9-11 Big 12) struggled to get much of anything done on offense. The Wildcats made 38% of their shots from the field and 10% from beyond the arc. That kind of effort won’t get it done against a top 25 opponent like the Cyclones.

Outside shooting has become a major problem for K-State in recent games. It only made 3 of 18 shots from beyond the arc last time out against Cincinnati. Then it followed that up by making 2 of 21 shots from distance against Iowa State.

The Wildcats averaged an ugly 0.851 points per possession on Saturday.

David N’Guessan was their lone bright spot. The senior forward scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in his final home game with the Wildcats.

Curtis Jones led Iowa State with 24 points.

Next up for K-State is the Big 12 Tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The conference will release a full bracket with matchups and game times on Saturday night.

Until then, here are some takeaways from Saturday’s action:

David N’Guessan goes out on a high note

No one can blame David N’Guessan for this result. Or this mediocre season, if we’re being honest.

The senior forward played like a warrior during his final home game as a K-State basketball player. He deserved the special sendoff the Wildcats planned for him before tip.

N’Guessan led the Wildcats with 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to go along with two assists.

He has been on a roll for the Wildcats lately. His recent game log is as impressive as any you will find in the Big 12. Since the start of February, he has scored at least 18 points in seven of 10 games. All the while, he has constantly flirted with a double-double.

Coach Jerome Tang preaches consistency more than anything with his roster. N’Guessan has given him that and then some at the bitter end of his college basketball career.

No one can question Coleman Hawkins when it comes to toughness

At one point in the second half, Coleman Hawkins hyperextended his right leg and crumpled to the ground in pain.

A moment like that might leave some wondering why he is choosing to play with a fractured tibia for a team that has no shot at earning an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.

But he has his reasons.

Hawkins has earned the respect of K-State fans over the past week. He has proven his toughness by returning from a serious injury after a three-game absence to lead the Wildcats to a gritty road win over Cincinnati. Then he gave K-State four points, nine rebounds and five assists in a losing effort against Iowa State.

It doesn’t reflect well on the team’s frontcourt depth that he has had to play more than 30 minutes in back-to-back games on one healthy leg. But he is clearly giving his all for his team.

Ugonna Onyenso continues to struggle

K-State forward Ugonna Onyenso only played two minutes against Iowa State, but they were a memorable two minutes for the Cyclones because they went a perfect 4-for-4 shooting when he was on the floor.

The Cyclones scored at ease when Onyenso replaced N’Guessan in the paint.

They got a layup and then a jumper from Dishon Jackson. Then Tamin Lipsey cut to the basket for an uncontested layup. Finally, Joshua Jefferson drained a wide open shot from 3-point range. Points came so easily during that stretch that it felt like they were playing against a scout team made up of student managers.

Onyenso was in the wrong place on several of those buckets.

K-State coaches must have noticed his poor play, because he did not log another minute. Instead, Tang preferred to play the smaller Mobi Ikegwuruka. His energy made a big impact on the game. When he was on the floor, good things happened for the Wildcats. His mistakes didn’t lead to easy buckets.

Expectations were high for Onsenyo when K-State landed the 7-footer out of the transfer portal from Kentucky. But he has been a disappointment in purple.

He is only averaging three points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

In two games when he was thrust into the starting lineup without Hawkins, he produced a total of six points and 10 rebounds over the span of 52 minutes. He may be on the verge of losing his spot in the rotation.

____

©2025 The Wichita Eagle. Visit at kansas.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.