The Kansas State men’s basketball team got its first real-game experience on Tuesday with an exhibition contest against an Israeli Select team and rose to the challenge.
The Wildcats, who are in the middle of a 12-day tour of Israel and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, answered a furious fourth-quarter rally by Israel Select with a strong closing run of their own to claim a 94-87 victory at Hadar Yosef Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel.
K-State led by nine points early in the fourth quarter, but a 16-4 run gave Israel Select an 84-81 advantage with just over three minutes left. That’s when the Wildcats went to work, scoring the next 10 points to regain control.
Cam Carter started the rally with a game-tying 3-pointer, and two Tylor Perry free throws put K-State in front for good. Arthur Kaluma followed with another three, and freshman Macaleab Rich’s put-back basket stretched the lead to seven.
Kaluma had 23 points, Perry and Carter 17 each, freshman guard R.J. Jones 13 and Nae’Qwan Tomlin 10 to lead a balanced K-State attack. Ryan Turell led all scorers with 32 points for Israel Select.
Here are three takeaways from the first of three exhibitions on the trip. The final two will take place in Abu Dhabi. The next outing is at 8 a.m. CT Thursday against Mexico.
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Creighton transfer forward Arthur Kaluma (24) was impressive in his Kansas State debut Tuesday, scoring a team-high 23 points in the Wildcats’ 94-87 victory over Israel Select.
Transfers Arthur Kaluma and Tylor Perry flex their muscles
The Wildcats appear to have a pair of keepers in Division I transfers Arthur Kaluma and Tylor Perry.
Kaluma, a junior forward from Creighton, led the Wildcats with 23 points on 8 of 11 shooting and grabbed five rebounds. He showed his versatility by taking the ball hard to the basket, scoring in transition and knocking down 3 of 5 three-point attempts.
Perry, whom the Wildcats are hoping can help fill the void left by third-team All-America point guard Markquis Nowell, made a case for doing just that in his K-State debut. Perry filled the stat sheet with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. He made just 4 of 12 shots, all from 3-point range, but only turned the ball over twice and got to the foul line, where he hit 5 of 6 free throws.
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Cam Carter looks ready to take the next step
Junior guard Cam Carter started every game last year for K-State, in large part because of his defense, but he was wildly inconsistent on the offensive end.
Carter was more proactive on offense, putting up 16 shots, and while he was just 2 of 8 on 3-pointers, he hit a big one that started the Wildcats’ decisive closing run. He also grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, which would give coach Jerome Tang the option of going with a smaller lineup.
Freshmen make their case early on
Tang’s highly-regarded freshman class showed that there is plenty of talent there.
Guard R.J. Jones was the most efficient, scoring 13 points in 17 1/2 minutes on 5 of 7 shooting with three 3-pointers. Rich, a forward, added four points and four rebounds in seven minutes, including a big basket down the stretch, while point guard Dai Dai Ames was limited to a pair of free throws and two assists in 14-plus minutes.
Also making their Wildcat debuts after redshirting last year were freshman forward Taj Manning and Jerrell Colbert.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State basketball defeats Israeli Select team in opening game
