ABU DHABI, U.A.E. -- Paul Stoll's free throws with 11.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter proved to be difference, as Team Mexico held on late to knock off Kansas State, 83-81, in an exhibition game on Thursday night (August 17) at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. It was the Wildcats' second exhibition game of their historic 10-day trip to Israel and Abu Dhabi, which began Wednesday, August 9 and runs until Sunday, August 20.
Team Mexico, which is in Abu Dhabi training for the FIBA World Cup in Manila, The Philippines at the end of the month, used a pivotal 7-0 run to rally from a 4-point deficit midway through the final quarter to take an 80-76 lead with under 2 minutes to play. However, K-State took advantage of a pair of technicals from Mexico's Israel Gutierrez (with graduate transfer Tylor Perry making both free throws) followed by a 3-pointer from Perry to regain the lead at 81-80 with 38.6 seconds remaining. The Mexicans tied it at 81-all on a free throw with 27.9 seconds left before Stoll's game-winning free throws a few seconds later. The Wildcats had one more chance with 11.7 seconds remaining but could not convert.
Team Mexico is rated 31st in the world in the latest FIBA World Rankings.
Perry led all scorers with 18 points, as he went 5-of-10 from beyond the arc and 3-of-4 from the free throw line, to go with team-tying 3 assists before fouling out with just under 30 seconds to play. Three other Wildcats scored in double figures, including 15 from senior Nae'Qwan Tomlin, 11 from junior Cam Carter and 10 from freshman Macaleab Rich. Tomlin and redshirt sophomore Jerrell Colbert each grabbed a game-tying 7 rebounds.
Team Mexico was led by Gael Bonilla, who scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go with 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in playing all 40 minutes. Bonilla currently plays for the NBA G-League's Mexico City Capitanes. Fellow G-Leaguer and Capitanes' teammate Moises Andriassi had 16 points off the bench, including 4 3-pointers.
K-State is now 72-21 all-time in exhibition play dating back to the first such competitions in 1964, including 28-14 against international competition. This was the first meeting with a team from Mexico. 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 make a quick turnaround on Friday (August 18) when the Wildcats play their third and final game against Sharjah at 4 a.m., CT/1 p.m., local time in Abu Dhabi. The traveling party will visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque after the game before watching Team USA take on Greece that evening, as the teams' prep for the FIBA World Cup.