According to K-State Athletics, Kansas State women’s basketball started a five-game home stand on Wednesday night with a tough start against UT-Arlington. The Wildcats overcame first quarter offensive struggles and came back to win, 70-56. K-State improved to 4-0 in Bramlage Coliseum this season.
K-State (6-2) had three players reach double figures for the eighth straight game this season, led by junior guard Kayla Goth with a career-high tying 25 points connecting on 9 of 15 shots. This is Goth’s eighth straight game scoring in double figures. Goth set the school record for points in a quarter with 18 in the third quarter to spark the Wildcats in the second half.
Junior forward Kaylee Page joined Goth in double figures with 12 points, scoring eight in the first half. Freshman guard Cymone Goodrich had a total of 10 points off the bench.
UT-Arlington (5-3) was led by Rebekah VanDijk with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Crystal Allen recorded 14 points and four assists.
Despite shooting 14 percent from the floor in the first quarter, K-State stayed close by shooting 7-of-11 from the free throw line in the opening quarter. The Mavericks would hold a 14-12 lead after the first stanza.
The Wildcats used a 14-0 run over a six-minute span to hold a 28-21 lead after the first half. After a steal by Goth in the second quarter, the Wildcats took its first lead of the night, 19-18, with a layup by freshman guard Rachel Ranke which forced a Mavericks timeout with 4:54 left in the opening half. Ranke started the run with a 3-pointer and finished the night with eight points, four assists and five steals.
K-State allowed UTA to score just seven points in the second quarter which is the fewest K-State has allowed to a foe in a second quarter this season. K-State also held the Lady Mavericks to 21 points in the first half which is the fewest points K-State has allowed this season in a first half.
In the third quarter, Goth took over the Wildcats attack. The product of DeForest, Wisconsin, scored 10 straight points, which included four straight layups and push K-State into a 42-26 lead with 5:38 remaining in the quarter.
The Wildcats would score a season-high 27 points in the third quarter, shooting 71.4 percent (10-of-14) from the field in the third frame. UT Arlington managed 21 points in the third quarter on 8-of-13 shooting to keep the game close entering the fourth frame, 55-42.
K-State’s Goodrich notched five points in the fourth quarter, while Page added four to keep the Mavericks at arm’s length in the final frame to send K-State to its sixth win of the season.
Kansas State shot 43.1 percent (22-of-51) from the field, but were 5-of-17 (.294) from beyond the arc. UT-Arlington shot 32.1 percent (18-of-56) from the floor, but recorded 19 turnovers to K-State’s 10. K-State capitalized with a 27-10 edge in points off turnovers, which is the eighth straight game K-State has outscored its opponent in points off turnovers.
The Wildcats also registered a season-high 21-of-32 (.656) from the free throw line. This was the second time this season K-State has made 20 or more free throws in a game (vs. Stephen F. Austin; 20).
Following a 10-day break which includes finals week, Kansas State returns to action against Little Rock on Saturday, December 16, at 2 p.m.,
