KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas State slowly, methodically broke down Washington State on Saturday night.It probably shouldnt have been a surprise.The Cougars were already playing without forward Jeff Pollard, who has mono, and Vionte Daniels, who is dealing with the effects of a concussion. But then the news hit earlier in the day that Derrien King intends to transfer at the semester, leaving coach Ernie Kents even more short-handed on the road.Any time a player leaves, it hurts your team, Kent said after the Wildcats rolled to a 70-56 victory at the Sprint Center, and yet youre in an era of transferring and he made the decision to do that.It left Washington State with eight guys to match up with a deep, balanced bunch of Wildcats, though, and the Cougars certainly looked tired by the time the final seconds ticked off the clock.Wesley Iwundu had 15 points and eight rebounds, Barry Brown had 14 points, Dean Wade contributed 11 and Xavier Sneed finished with 10, all those scoring options helping Kansas State (9-1) overcome a lousy first-half shooting performance to win its 16th consecutive non-conference home game.It was also the Wildcats third straight win over the Cougars.We were trying to do stuff all on our own, Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. Our defense was solid again, but we didnt do the things we needed to do offensively in the first half. Much better in the second.Indeed, Washington State (5-5) controlled almost the entire first half, never trailing until the final couple of minutes. But Kents team fell behind 28-26 headed into the locker room, and kept slipping farther behind during the second half, when the Wildcats heated up from the perimeter.They were 2 of 9 from 3-point range in the first half. They were 7 of 13 in the second.I think offensively we just came out slow, everybody was trying to probably put up the ball to see how it was going to go, Brown said. In the second half we just made the right play, made the simple passes and we were able to make some shots.Josh Hawkinson had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Cougars. Charles Callison also scored 10.In truth, there werent many bright moments in the first half for either team -- at one point, they combined for one field goal over a five-minute stretch. Turnovers were also a problem with the teams giving it up five times during that same abysmal period.But once the Wildcats assumed their first lead with 43 seconds left before halftime, they never trailed again. Their lead approached 20 points midway through the second half before coasting down the stretch.I thought the game was a tale of two halves, Kent said. We played I thought some really good basketball, probably our best basketball of the year in the first half and kept our composure. I thought Kansas State in the second half did a great job to keep their composure.STATS AND STREAKSThe Wildcats Kamau Stokes had just four points on 2-for-10 shooting. He was 0 for 5 from beyond the arc. ... Washington States starting guards, Malachi Flynn and Charles Callison, were a combined 4 for 15 from the field. ... Kansas State had a 30-16 scoring advantage in the paint.BIG PICTUREWashington State probably knew it would be a struggle when it had a tough time beating Carroll College in an exhibition game. But the Cougars only wins since mid-November have come against Utah Valley and Idaho, with losses to Loyola, San Jose State and New Orleans along the way.Kansas State has built a glossy record thanks to an atrocious nonconference schedule. The Wildcats only tough game came in Brooklyn, when they lost 69-68 to Maryland. And things dont get a whole lot tougher with games against Colorado State and Gardner-Webb before Big 12 play.UP NEXTWashington State heads home to play Santa Clara next Saturday.Kanas State plays the Rams next Saturday in Denver.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 Cheap NCAA Jerseys . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. Cheap USA College Jerseys . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. http://www.jerseyscollegecheap.com/ . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. Cheap College Jerseys Outlet . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. Cheap College Jerseys Authentic . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. PITTSBURGH -- Jordan Dangerfield never lost faith, even as the months passed and the dreaded visits to Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlins office informing the safety he was being released from the teams practice squad piled up.Three times between August 2014 and July 2015 Dangerfield found himself looking for work because the Steelers had needs in other areas. And three times they called back, asking Dangerfield if he wanted to put his hand in the pile one more time. Three times Dangerfield said yes.I know guys in the league that I played with that were in the same position, Dangerfield said. I just had to be patient and wait for my time.One that finally presented itself this summer, when Dangerfield made Pittsburghs 53-man roster as a special teamer then found himself making his first career start last week against Kansas City while Robert Golden nursed an aching hamstring.Save for a couple -- OK, more than a couple -- pregame butterflies, Dangerfield proved he belonged, collecting five tackles while hardly looking overwhelmed by the stage. Dangerfield called his performance a sigh of relief, but nothing more.Im not satisfied from that, Dangerfield said. I have to develop my game and improve all around.And thats kind of the point of having a practice squad in the first place, especially in Pittsburgh. A franchise that prides itself on continuity loves to take fliers on players looking for a foothold in the league and molding them into difference makers.I think when guys come here they have that belief, if something happens coach isnt necessarily going to the outside world and pull a guy from a different team, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. Hes going to give a guy here a shot first. That makes guys believe and understand in themselves and the system here.The proof is scattered throughout the roster. The list of practice squad graduates who will be in uniform for the Steelers (3-1) on Sunday when the New York Jets (1-3) visit include five-time Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison and starting left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a former Army Ranger who now protects the blind side of the man who controls one of the NFLs most dangerous offenses.At some point, Villanueva could be joined in the huddle by tight end Xavier Grimble and right tackle Chris Hubbard, both of former practice squadders who now find themselves thrust into more prominent roles due to injury. Grimble scored the first touchdown on his career in Week 2 against Cincinnati and like Dangerfield -- who was out of football completely in 2013 after failing to make the Buffalo Bills before eventually landing in Pittsburgh -- the former USC tight end took a winding path back to beeing in uniform on game days.ddddddddddddGrimble came out of USC after his junior season in 2013 and went undrafted then bounced between practice squads in New England and San Francisco before catching on in Pittsburgh. There was something about the vibe with the Steelers that was just different.From day one when I got here, there was pressure on me to learn the plays and produce and show what I could do on offense, Grimble said. They call it a developmental group. Youre here for a reason.And its not to just serve as a live tackling dummy. They line up with the starters occasionally and are expected to keep copious notes regardless of status.Were in all the meetings, basically all the team meetings, Dangerfield said. They keep you active. We dont just come run, lift, go to practice and use our bodies at practice. They develop us on and off the field.Such an existence, however, can be tenuous at best. Any little injury that can keep you from the practice field means your time is up. Living arrangements are on a month-to-month basis. Yet there is also a brotherhood among the 10-man practice squad that is hard to replicate. When one of them gets promoted, in a way they all do.Youre always rooting for everybody but practice squad is what it is, its an uphill battle, Grimble said. Youre happy to see guys fight through that adversity and make it on a 53-man roster.The opportunities are coming quickly for Pittsburghs current group with injuries piling up quickly. Grimble only survived cut day because free agent signee Ladarius Green is dealing with an ankle injury thats kept him on the physically unable to perform list. Whenever Green gets healthy, Grimble may become expendable.Dangerfield has become a special teams ace, likely making his spot a little more secure. Hes nowhere near ready to say that hes made it but he did make at least one small change to his lifestyle. He signed a six-month lease before the season. Its not a permanent address, but it sure beats those lonely workouts in the fall of 2013 waiting for the phone to ring.Before the game on Sunday night I was definitely thinking about the time I was sitting at home for a whole year of football, he said. Im thankful for the opportunity I got.Game notes G Ramon Foster (chest) was limited in practice but expects to play after missing last week. ... RT Marcus Gilbert (ankle) did not practice. Hubbard filled in. ... 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