ATS Consultants posted on February 22, 2012 11:06
One bubble team is now off the bubble.
Kansas State probably needed one more quality win to make the NCAA Tournament and on Tuesday night, they got their best win of the year.
Rodney McGruder scored 24 points as Kansas State upset No. 3 Missouri 78-68 on the road. This was the Wildcats' second win this season over the Tigers and their first at Mizzou Arena since 2007. It's also the second straight win over a Big 12 and national power, following a one-point weekend win over Baylor in Waco, Texas.
Kansas State (19-8, 8-7 Big 12) led 40-30 at halftime and by 16 points with 12:32 left in the second half after a twisting McGruder layup before a late run by Missouri (25-3, 12-3) got the Tigers within 63-60 with six minutes remaining.
Thomas Gipson added 13 points for Kansas State, which connected on 53.8 percent of its field goals.
Michael Dixon scored 21, and Marcus Denmon added 19 for Missouri. The Tigers made just 38.3 percent of their field goal attempts after entering the game hitting more than 50 percent, tops in the Big 12 and third best nationally. Missouri was 8-of-26 from 3-point range, while Kansas State made six treys but took 17 fewer attempts than its opponents.
The K-State loss was Missouri's first home defeat of the season and just the fourth career loss at Mizzou Arena for the Tigers' five-man senior class. It also kept Missouri from standing alone with the best start in school history. Missouri started 25-2 in 1990 and 1994.