STILLWATER, Oklahoma (K-State Sports) – (25/rv) Kansas State secured its first win in Gallagher-Iba Arena since the 2011-12 season, picking apart Oklahoma State with a 63-43 win on Saturday. The win ended a four-game skid in Stillwater for the Wildcats and marked the third straight league win.
K-State (14-4, 4-2 Big 12) was paced by freshman forward Eternati Willock with her first career double-double with career-highs of 13 points and 13 rebounds. Senior center Breanna Lewis added 15 points and four rebounds.
Oklahoma State (12-5, 2-4) was led by junior center Kaylee Jensen with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Kansas State shot 40.7 percent (24-of-59) from the field and held Oklahoma State to a 29.5 percent (13-of-44) performance. K-State’s defense forced 22 turnovers and capitalized with a 21-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
Willock came off the bench to spark the Wildcats to a 13-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. Willock registered six points and six rebounds in the opening frame. The Wildcats ended the quarter on a 6-0 run to go in front.
K-State used a 9-2 run to build a 24-13 lead with 2:26 left in the second quarter. Peyton Williams started the run with a rebound and putback. Kindred Wesemann followed with her first points of the afternoon, as she converted on a drive and free throw with 3:49 left. Wesemann finished with eight points and five assists.
Williams then recorded a baseline jumper to answer a pair of free throws from the Cowgirls. After another defensive stop, Kaylee Page buried a pull up jumper from 17 feet.
With a pair of free throws, the Cowgirls pulled to within nine, 24-15, but Page responded by knocking down K-State’s only three-pointer of the first half. Kayla Goth followed Page’s 3-pointer with a pull up jumper to give the Wildcats a 29-15 lead and send the Wildcats into the locker room at the half with a 29-17 lead.
K-State used an 8-2 run to increase its lead to 39-21 halfway through the third quarter. The run was highlighted by an offensive rebound and putback by Willock.
The Cowgirls chipped away at the K-State lead with a 7-0 rally to pull within 11, 39-28. K-State responded with a 9-4 run to end the quarter and hold a 48-32 lead. The final basket of the quarter for the Wildcats came on the strength of solid defense. Page blocked a Cowgirl 3-point attempt and sprinted down the floor. Middlebrook gathered the rebound and found Page for an uncontested layup at the buzzer.
Kansas State picked the Cowgirls apart early in the fourth quarter with an 11-3 run. Willock finished an open reverse layup, Goth connected on a backdoor layup and Williams finished a pick and roll with a layup.
Kansas State returns to Bramlage Coliseum on Wednesday night to host TCU at 7 p.m.
