Kansas State made a triumphant return to the NCAA Tournament on Friday night with a 77-65 win over 14th-seeded Montana State. The Wildcats, who hadn't won an NCAA Tournament game since their Elite Eight run in 2018, were led by Markquis Nowell's 17 points and 14 assists. Kansas State got off to a hot start, leading by as many as 15 points in the first half. But Montana State battled back to cut the deficit to just four points with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Nowell then took over, scoring five points in the final two minutes to help the Wildcats secure the victory. The Wildcats will now face Kentucky, who defeated Providence 61-53 in the earlier game, in the second round on Sunday. It will be a rematch of the 2018 Elite Eight game, which Kansas State won to advance to the Final Four. Nowell, who was named to the third-team All-Big 12 team, was pleased with his team's performance. "It's always great to get a win in the tournament," he said. "We played well and stuck together. We can't wait to get another shot at Kentucky." The Wildcats will look to make another deep run in the tournament and continue their triumphant return to March Madness.