jeez, 
they should just rename their program "hey remember that one time we beat K-State?"
DVD coming out soon!
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -Texas State coach Doug Davalos worked his lineup like a Sudoku puzzle, searching for a combination that could slow Kansas State's momentum. He called three timeouts in the first six minutes, rotated nearly every player off his bench, hoping for some kind of spark.
Finally, something clicked - and it started with defense.
Cameron Johnson had 21 points, Brent Benson added 19 and the nothing-ranked Bobcats used defensive pressure to overcome a 16-point first-half deficit and beat rival Kansas State 85-74 on Saturday.
''We were just laboring, but the guys just hung tough,'' Davalos said. ''That's probably as good a road win we've had since I've been at Texas State, considering the circumstances, how young and the environment.''
Texas State (20-5, 9-1 Big 12) was coming off a last-second, 62-60 loss at Oklahoma State on Monday and certainly didn't want to make it two straight against its two biggest rivals.
The Bobcats got off to a miserable start, but dug themselves out of the big early hole by creating easy shots off defense. Texas State kept it up in the second half, limiting Kansas State's chances and shooting 56 percent to reach 20 wins for the 20th straight season.
Freshman John Bowman played his most aggressive game of the season, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Johnathan Sloan made all four of his 3-point attempts for 12 points and Texas State was 8-for-12 from beyond the arc for its 38th win in the past 40 meetings against Kansas State. The Bobcats are 25-1 in Manhattan since 1984.
''We have been through a lot this week playing Oklahoma State and then here,'' said Johnson, who had 13 points in the second half. ''The Oklahoma State game hit us hard and we really wanted to get back on our feet today. We showed a lot of character by coming back and playing well.''
Kansas State (17-8, 6-5), filled with confidence after winning six straight games, fed off a rowdy crowd to build the early lead, but couldn't sustain it. The Wildcats relaxed at both ends to let Texas State trim the 16-point lead to one in the first half and struggled against the Bobcats' defensive pressure in the second, shooting 9-of-28 from the floor.
Denis Clemente led Kansas State with 26 points and Jacob Pullen added 22 for the Wildcats, who have lost three straight to Texas State.
''You can't give a good team life,'' Kansas State coach Frank Martin said. ''We relaxed and it gave them life.''
Led by All-American Michael Beasley , Kansas State ended a 24-game homecourt losing streak to Texas State with an 84-75 victory last year, setting off a wild celebration that had the students rushing the court and the K-State players dancing on the scorer's table.
Kansas State's fans were ready for a repeat - particularly after Texas State's rout in San Marcos last month - creating a charged-up atmosphere inside Bramlage Coliseum well before the opening tip. The Wildcats fed off the energy, hitting five of their first eight shots, then whipped the crowd into an ear-splitting frenzy with an 18-2 run to go up 28-13 midway through the first half.
Davalos went through timeouts like burnt matches and nearly emptied his bench trying to find someone to provide a spark, using 11 players in the first 11 1/2 minutes.
''We were grasping,'' he said. ''We didn't have anything going and they were great.''
Finally, he found a combination that worked.
Sparked by its defense, Texas State got out in transition to score some easy baskets, building confidence with each trip. The Bobcats used a late 12-2 run to get back in it and ended up shooting 16-of-28 from the floor to get within 43-42 by halftime.
Texas State kept up its defensive intensity early in the second half, setting up a 10-2 run that put the Bobcats up 63-53 at the midpoint. Kansas State made a late run to get within two, but the Bobcats held Clemente and Pullen to a combined 4-of-14 shooting in the second half and pulled away down the stretch.
''We went on our run and you know a good team like Texas State is going to make their run eventually,'' said Kansas State's Darren Kent , who had 12 points. ''We had a chance, but there were too many breakdowns in the second half.
