Senior David N'Guessan collected his team-leading sixth double-double of the season with a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds in helping Kansas State to a 54-49 win over Cincinnati on Wednesday night before 10,814 fans at Fifth Third Arena.

K-State (15-15, 9-10 Big 12) used a stifling defensive effort to snap a 3-game road losing streak while sweeping the regular season series from Cincinnati, including its first-ever road win in four tries. The 49 points were the fewest allowed by a Jerome Tang team and the fewest allowed by the Wildcats in a conference game since Oklahoma State scored 46 points on Feb. 23, 2019.

N'Guessan continued his impressive senior season, as he led or was tied for the team lead in points, rebounds, assists (4), steals (2) and blocks (1) in the win over the Bearcats (17-13, 7-12 Big 12). The Big 12's field goal percentage leader (63.1) not only leads the Wildcats in double-doubles and 20-point games (5) but has also scored in double figures in a team-leading 24 of 30 games.

N'Guessan scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half on 6-of-6 shooting.

In addition to N'Guessan's stellar performance, the game marked the return of senior Coleman Hawkins, who missed the last 2 games due to injury. Hawkins was his usual all-around self despite some rust, posting 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block in nearly 34 minutes.

The two seniors, along with junior Dug McDaniel and fellow senior Max Jones, helped spark a big second-half run by K-State, which rallied from a halftime deficit for the first time in 11 tries while connecting on 50 percent (13-of-26) from the field, including 61.9 percent (13-of-21) on 2-point attempts. The turnaround in the second half came after the Wildcats scored a season-tying low 22 points in the opening half on just 32.1 percent (9-of-28).

K-State went nearly 5 minutes without scoring in the first half, as the Wildcats made just 4 of their first 17 field goals, including 1 of their first 10 from 3-point range, as Cincinnati built as much as an 8-point lead (19-11). A 3-pointer from Jones helped start a 10-2 run that knotted the game at 21-all with 1:38 to play in the opening half. However, two free throws from graduate Aziz Bandaogo and layup from junior Dan Skillings Jr. lifted the Bearcats to a 25-22 lead at halftime.

Cincinnati carried its momentum into the second half, scoring 10 of the first 16 points to extend the lead to 35-28 just after the first media timeout with 14:47 to play. However, Jones ignited another K-State run, as his jumper sparked a string of 8 straight points that gave K-State a 36-35 lead with just under 12 minutes remaining.

After the Bearcats went back ahead on a jumper at 37-36 following a timeout, junior C.J. Jones gave the Wildcats the lead for good with a jumper at the front of the rim that sparked a 6-3 run that extended the lead to 44-40 at the third media timeout. The home team pulled to within 46-45 with 6:21 to play but 6 straight points, including back-to-back baskets from N'Guessan, gave the Wildcats a 52-45 edge with just over 4 minutes remaining.

Four straight points got Cincinnati to within 52-49 with 1:48 to play, but the Bearcats could get no closer as the Wildcats locked down defensively before junior Brendan Hausen knocked down a pair of free throws for a 54-49 lead with 22 seconds.

McDaniel joined N'Guessan in double figures with 13 points on 5-of-14 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws to go with 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds in more than 38 minutes. Jones matched Hawkins' 9 points on 4-of-10 shooting to go with 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.

Cincinnati was led by 12 points from senior Day Day Thomas and 10 points from sophomore Jizzle James, who also added 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

On the strength of its second-half shooting, K-State finished the game at 40.7 percent (22-of-54) shooting from the field with a 30-26 advantage in points in the paint and a 17-12 edge in points off turnovers. Cincinnati shot just 36.8 percent (21-of-57) from the field, including 32.3 percent (10-of-31) in the second half.

Neither team shot the ball from 3-point range, as the Wildcats went 3-of-18 from long range compared to 2-of-18 for the Bearcats.

K-State had lost 8 consecutive games to Cincinnati in the series heading into the 2024-25 before earning the regular-season sweep, which including a 70-67 win at home in the Big 12 opener on Dec. 30. It was also the first-ever win in four chances in a road game at Cincinnati after losing games in 1963, 1968 and 2024. The Bearcats still lead the all-time series, 8-3.

K-State plays its final regular-season game on Saturday when the Wildcats host No. 10/10 Iowa State (22-8, 12-7 Big 12) at 12:30 p.m., CT on Senior Day at Bramlage Coliseum.