The sophomore scored 6 of his game-high 19 points in the final 2 minutes.
OMAHA, Neb. – Sophomore David Castillo scored six of his game-high 19 points in the last two minutes to help Kansas State hold off a furious Creighton rally in an 83-76 win on Saturday afternoon before 16,657 fans at CHI Health Center Omaha.
K-State (7-4) earned its first win in a non-conference road game since a 75-60 victory at LSU on Dec. 9, 2023, snapping a 4-game skid. The Wildcats posted just their third all-time win in 10 visits to Omaha (1969, 1987 and 2025) while running their winning streak over the Bluejays to 4 games.
Buoyed by a near record-setting 51-point first-half, K-State led by as many as 20 points in the early moments of the second half before Creighton (5-5) slowly chipped away at the deficit, closing to within 73-70 with 2:41 to play. However, Castillo saved his best for clutch time, scoring six of the Wildcats’ last 10 points while adding an assist. It marked the fourth straight game in double figures for the sophomore, including the second in a row off the bench with 19 points.
After Bluejay senior Josh Dix missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 2:10 remaining, Castillo grabbed the defensive rebound and converted on a driving layup. Following another 3-point miss, Castillo once again drove the lane, feeding senior Khamari McGriff on a lob dunk to put the Wildcats ahead 77-70 with 1:21 left. Castillo then knocked down a pair of free throws for a 79-73 lead with 50 seconds remaining before finishing things off with a breakaway dunk with 18 seconds.
Castillo was one of four Wildcats to score in double figures, collecting his 19 points on 7-of-11 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, while making all 3 free throws. Omaha native junior Abdi Bashir Jr. put on a show for the hometown crowd with 18 points on 6 made 3-pointers, including 15 points in the first half when he eclipsed 1,000 career points.
Senior Khamari McGriff and junior P.J. Haggerty added 12 and 10 points, respectively, while senior Nate Johnson had game-highs in both assists (6) and steals (4) go with 8 points. Haggerty has now scored in double figures in all 11 games this season.
K-State led by as many as 18 points in the first half, including 51-33 at the break, as the Wildcats connected on 59.4 percent (19-of-32) from the field, including 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from 3-point range. The 11 made 3-pointers tied for the second-most in any half in school history.
The Wildcats, which shot just 27.8 percent (10-of-36) in the second half, finished at 42.6 percent (29-of-68) for the game, including 42.9 percent (12-of-28) from 3-point range. The team also made 13 of 15 attempts (86.7 percent) from the free throw line and turned the ball over just 7 times.
Three Creighton players scored in double figures, including 18 points each from Dix and junior Isaac Traudt. Sophomore Austin Swartz added 12 points.
KEY PLAYER(S)
It was a tale of two halves with junior Abdi Bashir Jr. scoring 15 of his 18 points to pace the Wildcats in the first half, while sophomore David Castillo scored 11 of his game-high 19 points in the second half, including 6 of the team’s last 10 points.
KEY MOMENT(S)
With K-State clinging to a 73-70 lead with 2:41 to play, sophomore David Castillo took over and scored 6 of the Wildcats’ last 10 points en route to an 83-76 victory.
KEY STATS
K-State jumped out to an 18-point field half lead behind 11 made 3-pointers, including 5 from junior Abdi Bashir Jr., while in the second half, the cold-shooting Wildcats made the most of their free throw attempts, converting on 11 of 13 attempts.
FIRST HALF
The teams were both hot from 3-point range in the opening moments, as junior Abdi Bashir Jr.’s third 3-pointer gave K-State a slight 12-11 lead right before the first media timeout. A fourth Bashir triple out of the timeout gave the Wildcats a 15-11 advantage before the teams went back and forth with the Bluejays pulling to within 25-23 at the 8:33 mark.
A 3-pointer by sophomore David Castillo started an 8-4 run that pushed the Wildcat lead to 33-25, forcing a timeout by Creighton head coach Greg McDermott with 6:36 before halftime. After a layup by the Bluejays, an old-fashioned 3-point play by junior Dorin Buca ignited a 13-2 run that pushed the advantage to 46-29, prompting a second McDermott timeout at the 3:32 mark. A fifth 3-pointer by Bashir and a layup by junior P.J. Haggerty finished off the scoring for K-State, as the Wildcats led 51-33 at the break.
K-State shot 59.4 percent (19-of-32) from the field, including 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from 3-point range, while Creighton was held to 32.3 percent (10-of-31) shooting, including 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from beyond the arc. Bashir led all scorers with 15 points.
SECOND HALF
A second-chance basket by junior Elias Rapieque gave K-State its largest lead at 20 (53-33) before Creighton converted on 3 consecutive 3-pointer to close the deficit to 53-42 and forced a timeout by Jerome Tang at the 17:03 mark. The run grew to 11-0 before senior Khamari McGriff knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Wildcats a 55-44 lead at the first media timeout.
A jumper by Rapieque and 2 free throws by Buca extended K-State’s lead to 61-47, but Creighton responded with 8 straight points, including back-to-back 3-pointer, to close the gap to 61-55. A second-chance layup by Haggerty made it 63-55 at the second media timeout with 11:39 to play. The teams exchanged 3-pointers before back-to-back layups from Castillo pushed the lead to 70-58 at the third media timeout with 7:54 remaining.
After Castillo hit a free throw to make it 71-58, Creighton started to make its move, scoring 10 of the next 11 points, to pull within 72-68 at the final media timeout with 3:38 to play. The Bluejays pulled to within 73-70 after a pair of free throws before Castillo’s late game heroics. His running layup gave the Wildcats a 75-70 lead before his assist on a lob dunk to McGriff made it 77-70. He added 2 more free throws before finishing off the scoring with a breakaway dunk with 18 seconds.
Castillo led all scorers with 11 points in the second half.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- K-State snapped a 4-game losing streak in non-conference road games with an 83-76 win over Creighton on Saturday afternoon.
- K-State now leads the all-time series, 9-8, in this, the first regular-season meeting since 1987… This was just the third all-time victory in Omaha (1969, 1987, 2025) and the first-ever meeting at CHI Health Center Omaha.
- K-State is now 195-66 in non-conference games since 2006.
- K-State used a starting lineup of junior P.J. Haggerty, senior Nate Johnson, junior Abdi Bashir Jr., junior Elias Rapieque and senior Khamari McGriff… This is the eighth time using this lineup.
- Haggerty now has 77 career starts (Tulsa/Memphis/K-State), N. Johnson now has 71 career starts (Akron/K-State), McGriff now has 53 career starts (UNC Wilmington/K-State) and Bashir now has 43 career starts (Monmouth/K-State)… This is the ninth start of the season for Rapieque.
TEAM NOTES
- K-State scored its 83 points on 42.6 percent (29-of-68) shooting, including 42.9 percent (12-of-28) from 3-point range, while hitting on 86.7 percent (13-of-15) from the free throw line.
- K-State’s 11 3-point field goals in the first half tied for the second-most in any half in school history, including the most in a first half since hitting 11 vs. West Virginia on Feb. 26, 2024.
- K-State controlled all the specialty stats, including an 8-2 advantage in points off turnovers, 34-24 in points in the paint and 26-17 in bench points.
- K-State out-rebounded Creighton, 42-35, with 15 offensive rebounds leading to a 16-11 edge in second-chance points.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Four Wildcats scored in double figures, including a game-high 19 points off the bench from sophomore David Castillo. He was joined in double digits by junior Abdi Bashir Jr (18 points), senior Khamari McGriff (12 points) and junior P.J. Haggerty (10 points).
- Castillo scored his 19 points on 7-of-11 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, and 3-of-3 free throws to go with 3 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal in 23 minutes… It was his eighth career double-digit scoring game, including his sixth this season.
- Bashir scored his 18 points on 6-of-17 field goals, including 6-of-12 from 3-point range, with 2 rebounds and an assist in 28 minutes… He now has 44 career double-digit scoring games, including 8 this season.
- Bashir eclipsed 1,000 career points with his second 3-pointer of the game.
- McGriff scored his 12 points on 3-of-7 field goals, including his first 3-pointer of the season, and 5-of-6 free throws to go with 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in 28 minutes… He now has 28 career double-digit scoring games, including 5 this season.
- Haggerty scored his 10 points on 4-of-12 field goals and 2-of-3 free throws to go with 5 rebounds in 34 minutes… He has now scored in double figures in all 11 games this season… He has now scored in double figures in 75 of 83 career games in college.
WHAT’S NEXT
K-State wraps up non-conference play with the first of two home games on Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats host South Dakota (6-6) at Bramlage Coliseum. Tip is set for 11:01 a.m., CT and will air on ESPN+. Tickets are available starting at $14 online at kstatesports.com/tickets as well as by calling (800) 221.CATS or by visiting the Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.
