ABU DHABI, U.A.E. -- Kansas State connected on better than 53 percent from the field, including nearly 50 percent from 3-point range, as the Wildcats earned a 112-72 exhibition win over Al-Sharjah Club on Friday afternoon (August 18) at the Al Jazira Club Gym. The Wildcats finished their historic 10-day trip to Israel and Abu Dhabi with a 2-1 record with wins over the Israeli Select Team (94-87) and Al-Sharjah in between a last-second loss to Mexico (83-81).
Led by graduate transfer Tylor Perry's game-tying 33 points, the Wildcats exploded for 35 points in the second quarter and 39 points in the third quarter to build as much as a 51-point lead. Perry went 12-of-15 from the field, including 9-of-11 from 3-point range, in just 18 minutes of action, as head coach Jerome Tang freely rotated players. Perry was joined in double figures by 4 other Wildcats, including junior Cam Carter (20 points), senior Nae'Qwan Tomlin (15), redshirt sophomore Jerrell Colbert (12) and freshman Dai Dai Ames (11). Colbert grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to complete the double-double.
K-State's 112 points were the second-most scored in an exhibition (since they began in 1964) and the most since the Wildcats tallied a school-record 122 vs. the University of Windsor (Canada) on Nov. 29, 1979. It was the first 100-point exhibition since the Wildcats dropped 101 vs. Fort Hood on Nov. 22, 1993. Perry's 33 points were two shy of the individual exhibition record of 35 scored by Michael Beasley against Fort Hays State in 2007. His 9 3-point field goals were easily the most-ever by a Wildcat in an exhibition, surpassing the 5 done 3 other times.
Al Sharjah is an Emirati professional basketball team based in Sharjah in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and plays in the U.A.E. National Basketball League. Former NBA player and longtime pro Dequan Jones matched Perry's 33 points, hitting on 11-of-18 field goals and 5-of-8 from 3-point range, while fellow American – Devon Scott – added 13 points and 6 assists.
K-State is now 73-21 all-time in exhibition play dating back to the first such competitions in 1964, including 29-14 against international competition. This was the first meeting with a team from the U.A.E. The current international tour is the program's first since 2016 when the Wildcats played 5 exhibition games in Italy and Switzerland.
K-State will conclude its 10-day trip on Saturday (August 19) with some sightseeing and shopping in Abu Dhabi before starting the journey back to the U.S., later in the day. The team is expected to return to Manhattan on Sunday afternoon (August 20).