Kansas State 61, Mississippi 58

[December 06, 2013]  MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State 61, Mississippi 58: Marcus Foster and Thomas Gipson both scored 15 points and the Wildcats handed the visiting Rebels their first loss of the season in the Big 12-SEC Challenge.

Wesley Iwundu had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Kansas State (5-3) which won despite making just 19-of-34 free throws in the taut affair. Shane Southwell added eight points and seven rebounds for the Wildcats who won their third straight despite shooting just 36.5 percent from the field.

Mississippi (6-1) got a game-high 18 points from Jarvis Summers. Marshall Henderson suffered through a miserable shooting night finishing with 13 points while going 2-for-13 from 3-point range including an airball from nearly 30 feet which would have given the Rebels the lead with three seconds to play.

Summers had 12 points at the half as Kansas State took a 31-29 lead into the break but neither team could get any separation in the second half. Gipson had six rebounds and notched both of his blocks on one trip down the court, pinning two of Aaron Jones' shots against the backboard in a highlight-reel defensive series.

Foster gave the Wildcats a 54-53 lead with a free throw with 2:11 to play and extended the margin to four knocking down a 3-pointer on the next possession. The Rebels had the ball trailing 60-58 with 15 seconds to go and fed Henderson coming around a screen, but the flamboyant guard's long 3-pointer was well short.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Big 12 leads the challenge 4-2. ... Mississippi's Jones had heated words with coach Andy Kennedy after being removed from the game early in the second half, but returned to action soon after. ... Gipson has scored in double figures in his last four games.