Kentucky vs. Kansas State final score, results: Markquis Nowell, Keyontae Johnson lead K-State into Sweet 16

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Jacob Camenker
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Markquis Nowell, Keyontae Johnson
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Another blue-blood program has gone crashing out of the NCAA Tournament's East Region in the second round.

For the second consecutive season, John Calipari's Kentucky squad finds itself bowing out on the opening weekend of March Madness. Kansas State was able to defeat Kentucky 75-69 in an all-Wildcats battle to get to the Sweet 16.

Clutch shooting carried Jerome Tang's Wildcats down the stretch. In particular, shots by Ismael Massoud and Keyontae Johnson helped to seal the win.

Massoud's big bucket came first. The junior came off the bench and nailed a 3-point shot with 2:20 left in the game. That was just his second attempt — and first make — of the game, and it gave Kansas State a two-point lead.

On the ensuing Kansas State possession, Johnson extended the lead to five by nailing a step-back 3-pointer as the shot clock wound down. The forward had been just 5 of 13 from the field and 0 of 3 from beyond the arc before that shot fell.

Those two shots put the game out of reach for Kentucky.

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Point guard Markquis Nowell helped put Kansas State in position to be in the contest late. He made several clutch 3-point shots and put together a dazzling passing display while totaling 27 points and nine assists.

Nowell, a Harlem native, was particularly strong after halftime. He hit all three of his 3-point shots after the break and explained that there was a reason his performance improved.

"I was just in attack mode in the second half," he said, per Fox News Kansas City's PJ Green. "And I wanted to go to New York."

Nowell and Kansas State will head to Madison Square Garden to face the winner of the Marquette vs. Michigan State game. The Wildcats will look to keep their unexpected NCAA Tournament run going in the wide-open East, which has already seen No. 1 seed Purdue lose to Fairleigh Dickinson and Duke fall to Tennessee.

The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from Kentucky vs. Kansas State on Sunday. Below are the results and top highlights from the NCAA Tournament game.

Kentucky vs. Kansas State score

  1 2 F
Kentucky 26 43 69
Kansas State 29 46 75

Kentucky vs. Kansas State live updates, highlights from 2022 March Madness

(All times Eastern)

Final score: Kansas State 75, Kentucky 69

5:13 p.m. — Kentucky gets one last shot up, but it doesn't fall. Kansas State is heading to the Sweet 16.

5:12 p.m. — Markquis Nowell will go to the line with 3.9 seconds left. That will do it.

5:10 p.m. — Antonio Reeves finally makes his first shot from the field with 6.3 seconds left in regulation. The 3-pointer cuts Kansas State's lead to 73-69 but Kentucky will likely need a steal in the last seconds of this game to have a chance to win.

5:09 p.m. — Desi Sills goes to the line with 13.4 seconds left. He makes both free throws and keeps the lead at seven.

5:08 p.m. — David N'Guessan has fouled out. Antonio Reeves is at the line for the Wildcats. He makes the free throws but Kentucky is still down 71-66 with 15 seconds left.

5:07 p.m. — Nowell makes both free throws. Kentucky needs a miracle now, down seven.

5:06 p.m. — Kansas State has no problem inbounding the ball and Cason Wallace is forced to foul Markquis Nowell. Wallace has fouled out and there are 23.7 seconds left on the clock.

5:05 p.m. — An Oscar Tshiebwe dunk cuts the Kansas State lead to 69-64. However, there are just 26.7 seconds left. The Wildcats will either need to make a steal or see Jerome Tang's squad miss some free throws to win this one.

5:04 p.m. — Jacob Toppin has fouled out. Markquis Nowell made a nice move to the basket around Cason Wallace and nearly got an and-one opportunity. He makes both to give Kansas State a 69-62 lead.

5:02 p.m. — Kentucky is going to have to get a trap or play the foul game. Kansas State used its final two timeouts but has the ball up 67-62 with 39 seconds left to play.

5 p.m. — Kentucky had a chance to cut the deficit to one possession, but Chris Livingston couldn't convert the put-back opportunity after Antonio Reeves missed another shot. Advantage, Kansas State. 

4:59 p.m. — Keyontae Johnson makes a 3! The Kansas State star didn't have his best game, but he delivers in the clutch to give Kansas State a 67-62 lead.

4:58 p.m. — Ismael Massoud makes a massive 3-point shot from deep. It's his first basket of the day and it gives Kansas State a 64-62 lead.

4:58 p.m. — Cason Wallace grabs an offensive rebound and scores it. That gives Kentucky the lead back. Wallace is now at 21 points, and he did well to get the board over the 5-8 Nowell.

4:57 p.m. — Markquis Nowell draws a foul going toward the hoop. It looked like he may have been passing the ball, but the officials deem that he was shooting. He makes both free throws to give Kansas State a 61-60 lead.

4:53 p.m. — Nowell atones for his mistake. He launches a deep 3-point shot and makes it to cut his team's deficit to one, 60-59.

4:52 p.m. — A big swing: Markquis Nowell tries for a steal, but misses. That gave Kentucky an advantage inside and Lance Ware dunks it. That makes it a 60-56 game in Kentucky's favor.

4:50 p.m. — Cason Wallace continues to have a huge game. He is up to 19 points now and continues to make great decisions. So too does Nowell, but it's the Kentucky Wildcats that have a 58-56 lead.

4:49 p.m. — Tshiebwe is back at the line again. Nae'Qwan Tomlin fouled him, and Kentucky will be in the double bonus the rest of the way. Tomlin has three fouls with 5:45 left.

4:48 p.m. — Markquis Nowell answers. He hits a deep 3-point shot to tie the game once again.

4:48 p.m. — Oscar Tshiebwe rebounds Antonio Reeves' 13th miss of the day and throws it down. That gives Kentucky a three-point lead.

4:47 p.m. — Jacob Toppin picks up his fourth foul for Kentucky. He checks out of the game because of that with seven minutes left in regulation.

4:46 p.m. — Oscar Tshiebwe makes both free throws after N'Guessan's foul. Kentucky now seesaws to the lead, 52-51.

4:41 p.m. — David N'Guessan picks up his fourth foul while trying to box out Oscar Tshiebwe on offense. It looked like he may have taken a shot to the head as part of it though it may have just been part of the play. We'll see if the officials take a look as we hit the penultimate TV timeout of the game. Kansas State leads 51-50 with 7:20 left.

4:39 p.m. — Another no-look assist from Nowell. He's up to seven assists for the day.

4:37 p.m. — Markquis Nowell continues to shine. He had a perfect assist to Keyontae Johnson for a lay-in after driving to the hoop and then hit a floater to give Kansas State a 47-43 lead. Kentucky calls a timeout to stem the run.

4:36 p.m. — Antonio Reeves' cold spell continues. He has now missed all 12 of his shots on Sunday against Kansas State. He'll need to hit a few to help keep Kentucky in this game.

4:34 p.m. — And there's the seventh foul for Kansas State. Kentucky is in the bonus with Oscar Tshiebwe getting a one-and-one. He misses the front end and K-State gets the rebound.

4:33 p.m. — For those keeping track, Kansas State is now on a 12-4 run against Kentucky. That's the second time today that they've had a run of that nature; this one in response to Kentucky's 13-0 run was critical.

4:31 p.m. — Second TV timeout comes after Markquis Nowell misses another 3-point attempt over Oscar Tshiebwe. Kansas State fouls Chris Livingston, the team's sixth foul of the half. Their next will put them over the limit with just under 12 minutes to play. The game is tied 43-all.

4:28 p.m. — The pace of this game has ramped up significantly, as the two teams are trading quick buckets in the paint on both ends. Markquis Nowell is going to the line for three free throws after Jacob Toppin fouled him. It's Toppin's third foul and Nowell can erase Kentucky's 43-41 lead at the line.

4:27 p.m. — Chris Livingston gives Kentucky the lead back on a massive dunk off an offensive rebound. No Kansas State player was able to box him out.

4:26 p.m. — And there's Kansas State's first 3-point make! It took more than 25 minutes of game time, but Markquis Nowell makes one over Oscar Tshiebwe to tie the game.

4:25 p.m. — Desi Sills converts on a much-needed 3-point play for Kansas State. He made the shot high off the glass and converted the free throw to cut Kentucky's lead in half.

4:23 p.m. — Kansas State is in foul trouble. The Wildcats have committed five fouls in the first five minutes of the half. Kentucky will look to take advantage of that, especially with Tshiebwe on the offensive glass.

4:21 p.m. — Kansas State needs Keyontae Johnson to up his game a bit in the second half. He still has just six points and is shooting just 2 of 9 from the field. His only made baskets have come on a goaltending call and a dunk set up by Markquis Nowell. 

4:20 p.m. — Kentucky maintains a 39-33 lead at the first TV timeout of the half. Tshiebwe is up to 15 points and 12 rebounds, and he is on pace for a potential 20-20 game.

4:18 p.m. — Kentucky is red-hot and Kansas State is ice-cold. Kentucky's run extended to 13-0 before Kansas State could finally get a bucket. John Calipari's squad now has a 39-33 lead after trailing by five early in the half.

4:14 p.m. — Kansas State calls a timeout with Kentucky on a 9-0 run. Kansas State is now the one turning the ball over, while Tshiebwe is continuing to wreak havoc in the paint.

4:11 p.m. — Looks like Cason Wallace is trying to best to help out Oscar Tshiebwe. He scores the first five points of the first half for Kentucky, who is now tied with Kansas State at 31.

4:09 p.m. — And we're back. The second half is getting ready to start. We'll soon see if Kansas State can make its first 3-pointer of the game and if Kentucky can get Antonio Reeves to make a basket.

4:03 p.m. — One more look at how Kansas State finished the half. This is just incredible vision from Nowell.

4 p.m. —  Some notable halftime stats for Kansas State:

  • Keyontae Johnson: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls
  • Markquis Nowell: 4 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists
  • Nae'Qwan Tomlin: 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 blocks
  • Desi Sills: 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

Kansas State got off to a rough start offensively but managed to close the half on a 12-4 run. Johnson took a while to get going, but some slick passing from Nowell — who had some dazzling assists — helped to get him on the board.

Meanwhile, Tomlin's performance has been immensely important, as he has limited the efficacy of Oscar Tshiebwe. He will need to continue to play well under the basket, especially on defense, for Kansas State to keep its halftime lead.

And on offense, the Wildcats just need to let Nowell do his thing and find the open man. When he has done that, the team has scored with ease.

3:50 p.m. — Some notable halftime stats for Kentucky:

  • Oscar Tshiebwe: 11 points, 11 rebounds, 1 foul
  • Cason Wallace: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
  • Jacob Toppin: 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
  • Antonio Reeves: 0 points, 0-9 shooting, 3 rebounds 

Tshiebwe is really carrying the Wildcats on both sides of the ball, as Toppin and Reeves have struggled from the field thus far. Wallace contributed six points in a quick span, but he has been quiet aside from that.

For Kentucky to win, Tshiebwe needs to get some help on offense from his teammates. As a team, they are shooting just 29.4 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats also need to cut down their turnovers, as they were responsible for 11 in the first half.

Halftime: Kansas State 29, Kentucky 26

3:45 p.m. — And that's how to finish a half. Markquis Nowell finds Nae'Qwan Tomlin driving to the hoop for a big-time alley-oop conversion. Kansas State finishes the half on a 12-4 run and will enter halftime with a three-point lead.

3:44 p.m. — Who else but Tshiebwe could break Kentucky out of its slump? He throws down a monster jam through contact and makes a free-throw to put Kentucky back on top by one.

3:42 p.m. — Kentucky has gone cold, as it has missed its last eight shots consecutively. Kansas State is playing strong defense and is denying the Wildcats opportunities inside, with Nae'Qwan Tomlin playing a big role in that success.

3:40 p.m. — Good news for K-State fans: Desi Sills is back in the game after suffering that side injury. We'll see how he looks to close the first half.

3:39 p.m. — Another great pass from Nowell gets Johnson to the line. He drains both shots and gives Kansas State a 23-22 lead, its first since the opening minutes of the game.

3:38 p.m. — Markquis Nowell with a beautiful behind-the-back pass to Keyontae Johnson on a fast-break to set his teammate up for a dunk. That's Johnson's first official basket and it cuts the Kentucky lead to 22-21.

3:36 p.m. — Evan Washburn reports that Desi Sills has gone to the locker room with a right side injury. He was walking with a "noticeable limp" and appears to have some right hip discomfort, per Washburn.

3:34 p.m. — Kentucky is leading 22-19 at the final media timeout of the first half.

3:33 p.m. — Keyontae Johnson just picked up his second foul while defending Oscar Tshiebwe in the low post. Thus far, Tshiebwe is outplaying his star counterpart, as Tshiebwe has seven points and eight rebounds while Johnson has just two points and one rebound. He will need to step up in the second half for Kansas State to stay in this game.

3:32 p.m. — Good news for Kentucky: Cason Wallace has checked back in. So, it would appear that he is doing OK.

3:31 p.m. — Kansas State forces another tie-up with Kentucky on offense. That is their fourth overall in the first half.

3:30 p.m. — Cason Wallace just took a knee to the head from his teammate, Oscar Tshiebwe. He will head to the bench, as starters from both teams are now dealing with injuries.

3:27 p.m. — Big swing: Kansas State misses an open 3 on one end and CJ Fredrick knocks one down on the other end. That gives Kentucky a 20-15 lead.

3:26 p.m. — Nae'Qwan Tomlin helps K-State fans momentarily forget Sills' injury by grabbing an offensive rebound and putting it back to further cut into Kentucky's lead.

3:26 p.m. — Desi Sills is coming off the floor and is walking with a limp. It isn't yet clear exactly what is bothering him, but the officials stopped play to let him off the court.

3:24 p.m. — Calipari is encouraging his team to play physically with how this game has started. He also told Evan Washburn that he wants to run the pick and roll more, especially with Oscar Tshiebwe performing well in the paint.

3:22 p.m. — One player that Kentucky should look to continue to exploit on defense is Markquis Nowell. While the point guard is a dynamic passer and scorer, he is only 5-8. Kentucky has the size needed to make plays against Nowell consistently, as Chris Livingston proved while scoring over him after driving him into the paint.

3:21 p.m. — Desi Sills just went up for a monster one-handed jam attempt. He couldn't quite convert it with his left hand, but he will get two free throws after the third media timeout. Kentucky still leads 17-11.

3:20 p.m. — Keyontae Johnson gets on the board with 8:20 left to go in the half. However, the ball was probably not going into the basket. He gets the benefit of a goaltending call which cuts Kentucky's lead to 17-11.

3:18 p.m. — Kansas State is fighting hard to tie up Kentucky and get to every loose ball. They have already forced three tie-ups, including two of Tshiebwe, who is getting a rest with seven points and seven rebounds.

3:17 p.m. — Tang's goal is coming to fruition, as Kansas State has taken three consecutive shots in the paint. Only one has fallen, but the shots are of a higher quality.

3:15 p.m. — Jerome Tang did a mid-half interview with CBS' Evan Washburn. His goal? He wants to see his players get to the paint more. He doesn't like that they are settling for so many 3-point shots, especially since they have missed all seven of them thus far.

3:14 p.m. — It has been a quiet start for Kansas State's Keyontae Johnson. He averages 17.7 points per game but hasn't found the basket yet with 11:28 left in the first half. He has taken just two shots, so perhaps Jerome Tang will look to get the ball in his hands more often to spark the Wildcats' dormant offense.

3:12 p.m. — Cason Wallace follows up his 3-point make by making a steal two possessions later as Kansas State looked to get out in transition. He lays it in for two and draws a foul. Kentucky leads 14-7 at the second media timeout and Wallace will have a chance to extend the lead after the commercial.

3:11 p.m. — We have our first 3-point make! Cason Wallace drills one in double coverage to beat the shot clock.

3:09 p.m. — Oscar Tshiebwe makes a low-post basket through contact and converts a 3-point play. He has seven points and is outscoring K-State on his own through seven minutes, as Kentucky leads 9-5.

3:08 p.m. — Markquis Nowell found his teammate Desi Sills to give Kansas State just its second bucket. He tried another pass under the bucket, but it went out of bounds for a turnover.

3:06 p.m. — Both teams are having trouble shooting in general, but they are having a lot of trouble making shots from deep. Five minutes into the game, neither team has made a 3-point shot. They have had their opportunities, though Kentucky tends not to take too many shots behind the arc.

3:03 p.m. — Kentucky's one non-Tshiebwe bucket so far came on a nice dunk from Jacob Toppin. Smooth stuff.

3:02 p.m. — Kentucky has a 6-3 lead at the first TV timeout. Tshiebwe has been excellent for the Wildcats so far but Kansas State is doing what it can to deny him too many offense boards. Kentucky players not named Tshiebwe are shooting just 1 of 7 from the field, matching the Kansas State team's performance from the field.

3 p.m. — Tshiebwe is such a bully on the low block, as he already has five rebounds, three of which have come on the offensive end. He has four points but just picked up his first foul fighting for another board.

2:58 p.m. — The pace is more than a bit out of control. We've played just 2:28 of the game and there have already been nine shots, seven rebounds and three steals. Kansas State has a 3-2 lead early.

2:56 p.m. — Oscar Tshiebwe won the tip, but Kansas State scores first. They lay-in after a frenetic first minute, which saw Kentucky and Tshiebwe get several offensive boards but Antonio Reeves miss several 3-point shots.

2:54 p.m. — Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Jim Spanarkel (analyst) are on the call today with Evan Washburn on the sidelines. Tip-off is now imminent.

2:53 p.m. — You're going to hear Jacob Toppin's name a lot for Kentucky and you may find yourself wondering if he is of any relation to Knicks forward Obi Toppin. Sporting News has more on their connection here.

2:50 p.m. — Markquis Nowell will be fun to watch today. The 5-8 guard has unlimited range and averages 7.8 assists per game this season. That's second in the NCAA to only Saint Louis' Yuri Collins. He should be a sparkplug for Kansas State, though he may face challenges against a longer Kentucky team.

2:40 p.m. — No big surprises in the starting five for either side. Oscar Tshiebwe will lead Kentucky while Keyontae Johnson will be the star for Kansas State. Tip-off is in about 15 minutes.

2:13 p.m. — In case you're wondering, many believe that Kentucky will win this game. That includes sportsbooks, as BetMGM has Calipari's squad listed as 3.5-point favorites for this game. So, if you think Kansas State will win, there may be some value in betting them to do so.

2:01 p.m. — Both teams also posted photos of each arriving at the arena on Sunday. Each squad looks locked in for this 3 vs. 6 seed matchup.

1:56 p.m. — Kansas State dropped a hype video ahead of their matchup with Kentucky. So, if you're looking to get excited about K-State, you can check it out below:

1:20 p.m. — In case you're wondering, Kentucky will be in blue for today's game while Kansas State will wear their white jerseys with purple trim. Below is a look at each uniform.

What channel is Kentucky vs. Kansas State on today?

  • TV channel: CBS
  • Live stream: NCAA March Madness live

Basketball fans hoping to watch the battle of Wildcats can find it on CBS. There will also be a live stream of the game available on NCAA March Madness live.

MORE: Watch NCAA Tournament games live with Sling TV

Kentucky vs. Kansas State start time

  • Date: Sunday, March 19
  • Time: 2:40 p.m. ET

The second-round game between Kentucky and Kansas State will tip off at 2:40 p.m. ET from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. on Sunday.

March Madness schedule 2023

Sunday, March 19

Game Time (ET) TV
(11) Pitt vs. (3) Xavier 12:10 p.m. CBS
(6) Kentucky vs. (3) Kansas State 2:40 p.m. CBS
(7) Michigan State vs. (2) Marquette 5:15 p.m. CBS
(5) Saint Mary's vs. (4) UConn 6:10 p.m. TNT, Sling TV
(6) Creighton vs (3) Baylor 7:10 p.m. TBS, Sling TV
(16) Fairleigh Dickinson vs. (9) Florida Atlantic 7:45 p.m. TruTV, Sling TV
(5) Miami (Fla.) vs. (4) Indiana  8:40 p.m. TNT, Sling TV
(6) TCU vs. (3) Gonzaga 9:40 p.m. TBS, Sling TV

Sweet 16

Thursday, March 23

Game Time (ET) TV
TBD vs. TBD 6:15 p.m. TBS, Sling TV
TBD vs. TBD 7 p.m. CBS
TBD vs. TBD 8:45 p.m. TBS, Sling TV
TBD vs. TBD 9:30 p.m. CBS

Friday, March 24

Game Time (ET) TV
TBD vs. TBD 6:15 p.m. TBS, Sling TV
TBD vs. TBD 7 p.m. CBS
TBD vs. TBD 8:45 p.m. TBS, Sling TV
TBD vs. TBD 9:30 p.m. CBS

Elite Eight

Saturday, March 25

Game Time (ET) TV
TBD vs. TBD 6 p.m. TBS, Sling TV
TBD vs. TBD 8:30 p.m. TBS, Sling TV

Sunday, March 26

Game Time (ET) TV
TBD vs. TBD 2 p.m. CBS
TBD vs. TBD 4:55 p.m. CBS

Final Four

Saturday, April 1

Game Time (ET) TV
TBD vs. TBD 6 p.m. CBS
TBD vs. TBD 8:30 p.m. CBS

National championship

Monday, April 3

Game Time (ET) TV
TBD vs. TBD 9 p.m. CBS
Author(s)
Jacob Camenker Photo
Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker is a senior content producer at The Sporting News.