KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? Anthony Grant doesn't care whether Alabama scores 50 points or 100, so long as it's one more than the Crimson Tide's opponent.
The problem lately is that hasn't been the case.
JaMychal Green had 20 points and Trevor Releford added 14 points and six assists, but they got little help in a 71-58 loss to Kansas State on Saturday night. It was the third loss in four games for No. 23 Alabama, and the fourth straight in which it has failed to eclipse 62 points.
"We come into games trying to win. It's never about how many points we score," Grant said. "When I look at the numbers, 18 turnovers, (Kansas State shoots) 63 percent from the field in the second half, that makes it very difficult to win."
Jordan Henriquez scored a career-high 17 points, Jamar Samuels had 14 and Angel Rodriguez added a career-best 13 for the Wildcats (7-1), who used a 19-6 run midway through the second half to avoid going to overtime for the third consecutive game.
Kansas State lost to West Virginia in two extra sessions last week and needed overtime to beat North Florida last Sunday.
"It takes a little time. It's not a perfect science," Kansas State coach Frank Martin said. "You've got young guys trying to learn how to play in college basketball. You've got guys trying to figure out their roles. It takes time. It's not as easy as it sounds."
Grant is certainly finding that out.
Alabama (8-3) is one of the nation's best defensive teams, and that was on display early against Kansas State. The Wildcats were 2 of 18 from the field and fell behind by seven points before finally hitting their stride. Once they did, the Crimson Tide simply couldn't keep up.
Releford grew up in suburban Kansas City and attended Bishop Miege High School. His homecoming would have been much more memorable had Alabama been as stingy over the final 30 minutes as it was over the first 10.
Or had the offense been able to score enough.
"Kansas State played a good game," Releford said. "They got the hustle plays in the second half, shot the ball a little bit better and that's what it took to win."
The Wildcats were still clinging to a 38-37 lead with just more than 13 minutes left when Samuels hit a 3-pointer off a feed from Rodriguez, one of his career-best seven assists. Shane Southwell scored moments later, Samuels added a pair of free throws and Rodriguez scored after a nifty behind-the-back move that got him open in the lane to make it 49-39 with less than 10 minutes to play.
The lead swelled to 61-45 when Henriquez scored back-to-back baskets and Thomas Gipson added a tough bucket in the paint. The Crimson Tide never got close the rest of the way.
Kansas State sealed the game with free throws down the stretch.
The game matched a pair of head coaches in Grant and Martin who were teammates at Miami (Fla.) Senior High School, where they met as sophomores. In fact, Grant is the godfather of Martin's eldest child, Brandon, and they remain good friends.
That doesn't mean they wanted to win any less than usual.
Both coaches spent the majority of the game riding the officials, riding their own players ? more or less yelling at anyone within earshot ? and coaching with the passion of March in mid-December.
Alabama, one of the nation's best defensive teams, held the Wildcats to two field goals over the first 10 minutes, slowly building a meager lead. Tony Mitchell's first basket with 9:08 left in the half made it 15-8, the Crimson Tide's biggest lead of the game.
The Wildcats still trailed 17-12 with less than 5 minutes left when Martavious Irving scored and Rodriguez fed Henriquez for an easy dunk, starting a 14-7 run to end the half. Henriquez's bucket with 18 seconds remaining allowed Kansas State to take a 26-24 lead into the break.
The game was being played at a pace that favored Grant's Crimson Tide, who came in allowing just more than 55 points per game ? 11th-best in the nation. But the Wildcats heated up in the second half, blowing past that number with 7 1/2 minutes left.
"We might not be perfect," Martin said, "but we're not taking a backseat to anybody either."
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