Kansas State looked for its second straight win over a ranked opponent, but eighth-ranked Texas held off K-State’s rally for a 75-64 win on Sunday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.
Kansas State (9-6, 1-3 Big 12) was paced by junior Kayla Goth and sophomore Peyton Williams with a combined 39 points. Goth registered 17 points, which was her 14th game in double figures this season and the eighth time she has led the team in scoring. She also pulled in five rebounds and handed out five assists.
Williams added 12 points and four rebounds. This was the 10th game in double figures for points this season for Williams.
Senior Shaelyn Martin tallied nine points, nine assists and four charges drawn. With her nine assists, the guard/forward from Salina, Kansas, moved past Brittany Chambers (2009-13; 363) for eighth on the K-State career assists list with 366. She needs two assists to pass Nicole Ohlde (2000-04; 367) for seventh.
Texas (12-1, 3-0) was led by Lashann Higgs with a game-high 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field and a 5-of-6 effort from the foul line.
Kansas State held an 11-6 lead after the first six and a half minutes of the contest. Goth staked K-State to the five-point lead with a midrange jumper. The Wildcats held the Longhorns to 2-of-10 shooting during the stretch.
Texas ended the first quarter with a 6-2 run to pull within three, 15-12, entering the second quarter.
K-State would rebuild its lead at five, 20-15, as Rachel Ranke connected on her first 3-pointer of the afternoon with 6:47 remaining in the opening half. Ranke paced a K-State bench that outscored the Texas bench, 21-9, with her 11 points. Ranke has now reached double figures in 10 games this season.
Texas would charge back with a 19-6 run to end the half and hold a 34-26 lead at the break. The Wildcats were held without a field goal for the final 3:18 of the second quarter, as Texas outscored K-State in the quarter, 22-11.
K-State shot 38.5 percent (10-of-26) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, while Texas tallied a 37.1 percent effort (13-of-35). The Longhorns held a 10-2 advantage in second chance points.
Texas dashed out to a 13-4 run to begin the third quarter and build a 47-30 lead. K-State was 2-of-7 from the field during the stretch, while the Longhorns were 5-of-10. Atkins registered seven points, while Jatari White added the other six during the stretch. Atkins finished the game with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Kansas State outscored Texas, 14-9, to end the quarter as Ranke banked in a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer to end the third and bring K-State within 12, 56-44. The Wildcats used a 7-0 run to close the gap, as Kaylee Page started the rally with a 3-pointer at 4:18 of the quarter.
Goth converted a layup in a half court set, while Williams added a pair of free throws with 2:28 to play in the third quarter.
In the early stretches of the fourth quarter, both teams traded field goals as the Wildcats were unable to pull closer than 11, 66-55, with 5:05 remaining. A Goth 3-pointer brought the Wildcats to within 11, but Higgs answered with a 3-pointer on the other end that started a 9-0 that sealed the win for the Longhorns.
K-State shot 43.9 percent (25-of-57) from the field, while Texas was held to 40.3 percent (29-of-72). The Longhorns out-rebounded K-State 47-26, including a 26-11 advantage in the second half. Texas finished with a 24-4 lead in second chance points.
Sunday’s game marked the fourth straight game against an Associated Press top 25 opponent for Kansas State. This was just the third time that any Big 12 team has started its league schedule with four straight ranked opponents and the first time since 2008-09 when Colorado opened with four ranked foes.
