(Courtesy K-State Sports Information)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With a career-high and K-State Big 12 tournament record effort, Jalana Childs propelled Kansas State into the semifinals of the 2012 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships with a 67-63 win over Iowa State at Municipal Auditorium. Kansas State improved to 19-12 with the win and have advanced to the semifinals for the seventh time in history of the Big 12 Championships.
Childs registered a career-high 31 points on 13-of-23 shooting and a 5-of-6 performance from the foul line. The 2012 All-Big 12 first team recipient surpassed the K-State school record for points in a Big 12 tournament game, as surpassed the record set by Andria Jones on March 6, 1997 against Kansas with 28 points. This was the 41st 30-point game in school history and the fifth in the month of March.
Childs also pulled in 10 boards and carded three steals. It was the fourth double-double of Childs’ career.
Joining Childs in double figures were Tasha Dickey and Brittany Chambers. Dickey tallied 13 points, four rebounds and two blocks. Chambers notched 12 points, eight rebounds and a team-high six assists.
The Cyclones were led by senior Lauren Mansfield and freshman Nikki Moody. The pair each scored 21 points and grabbed four rebounds.
Iowa State (18-12) zipped out to a 12-2 lead to start the game, as Lauren Mansfield register five points during the run including a three-point field goal to force a K-State timeout with 16:36 to play. The Wildcats battled back with a 13-2 run to capture a 15-14 lead with 10:36 to play. After Iowa State’s initial burst, K-State held the Cyclones without a field goal for the next five minutes during the rally.
Mansfield carded her second 3-pointer of the half following a scramble for a loose ball to give the Cyclones a 26-22 lead with 4:59 to play. The Wildcats recovered with a pair of free throws from Branshea Brown and a layup from Chantay Caron to tie the game at 26.
K-State sailed into halftime on an 11-3 run to hold a 33-29 lead, as Childs and Chambers each carded a basket in the paint while Tasha Dickey tallied her second 3-point field goal of the half with 50 seconds left.
Childs paced K-State in the early stages of the second half, scoring six of the Wildcats’ first eight points on an assortment of post moves to keep K-State in front, 41-37, with 15:08 to play.
After Mansfield connected on a mid-range jumper to tie the game at 46 with 11:33 to play, Childs answered for the Wildcats with a pair of jumper to give K-State a 50-46 lead with 8:38 remaining.
Moody tied the game for the seventh and final time at 59 with a fast break layup after a scramble for a rebound. K-State went back to Childs, who responded with four of the next five K-State points including a long jumper from the top of the key as the shot clock expired to give K-State a 64-61 lead with 21 seconds to play. Chambers and Childs sealed the K-State win with four free throws in the final 14 seconds.
K-State shot 44.6 percent from the field for the game and held an 11-4 edge in points off turnovers. The Wildcats were 13-of-15 from the charity stripe, which is the second-high free throw percentage of the season at 86.7.
