MANHATTAN, Kan. – With a 15-2 run to open the second half, the Kansas State Wildcats were able to leave the Texas Longhorns in the dust with a lead that was too much to overcome. K-State grabbed the momentum out of the break and never surrendered it to get the win in commanding fashion 65-45.
The win helps separate the Wildcats from the pack in the Big 12 Conference standings to solidify their spot in fourth place with 17-9 overall record and 8-6 in the Big 12. With Kansas losing on Saturday, the Wildcats are now two games ahead of the Jayhawks and await the result of Iowa State’s contest with Oklahoma see if the Cyclones can keep pace with K-State.
K-State had three players score in double digits led by Tasha Dickey with 18 points. Dickey was 8-of-16 shooting as she scored on a number of back door cuts for layups. Brittany Chambersscored 15 points and pulled down nine rebounds on the defensive end to assist in transition.Jalana Childs scored 14 points inside for the Wildcats and was a perfect 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. Mariah White played a big role for the Wildcats as well leading the team with 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Texas (15-11, 5-9) struggled to get its offense clicking, shooting 31.5 percent (17-of-54) from the field. The Longhorns spread their offense around with only one player reaching double digits on the night. Ashleigh Fontenette scored 10 and got help from four other players who scored at least seven points.
The teams traded the lead throughout the first half, with K-State wresting the advantage from the Longhorns with a 7-0 run, 21-17, with 6:26 remaining. Chambers jump started the run with her first 3-point field goal of the game. Childs, who recorded 10 first half points, followed with a jumper in the lane and Ashia Woods tallied an offensive rebound and putback to give the Wildcats the four-point edge.
K-State expanded its lead to seven, 29-22 with 1:31 to play, as White found Dickey on a back cut for a layup to force a Texas timeout. After a steal from Woods, Dickey registered another layup to extend the lead to nine, 31-22, with 22 seconds to play. A pair of Fontenette free throws before the end of the half gave the Wildcats a 31-24 halftime lead.
The Wildcats stormed out of the locker room to jump on Texas with a 15-2 run to hold a 46-26 lead with 14:55 to play. Dickey continued her hot hand into the second stanza, scoring 10 of the 15 points.
Texas cut into the K-State lead with a 9-0 run, 46-35, highlighted by a pair of Fontenette fast break layups. K-State was able to hold off the Longhorns’ charge and increase the lead to 22, 65-43, with 1:21 to play.
K-State dominated the glass, 43-30. The Wildcats pulled down 16 offensive rebounds to convert them into 15 second chance points. Texas could only muster seven second chance points and could not win the battle in the paint with K-State scoring 38 points.
Kansas State will conclude its two-game home stand on Wednesday night, as the Wildcats host Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on Sports Radio 1350 courtesy of the K-State Sports Network.
(Story courtesy of KStateSports.com)
