For the first time in the history of the series, Kansas State defeated (12/11) West Virginia at WVU Coliseum, pulling off a 60-52 upset. K-State has now won two of the last three meetings in the series. That’s according to a release from K-State Athletics.
K-State has now defeated an Associated Press ranked opponent in 12 straight seasons. This is the highest ranked opponent K-State has defeated on the road since Jan. 14, 2012, Texas Tech and the highest ranked foe downed on the road under head coach Jeff Mittie.
Kansas State (9-5, 1-2 Big 12) had four players in double figures for the second straight game. Leading the way was sophomore Peyton Williams with 22 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. This was the ninth game in double figures for points this season for Williams.
Junior Kayla Goth joined Williams with 13 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Goth has scored in double figures in 13 of the 14 games this season. The nine rebounds were a career-high for the guard from DeForest, Wisconsin.
Senior forward Kaylee Page reached double figures for the first time since December 6 against UT Arlington, as she tallied 12 points and five rebounds. She was 2-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Freshman Rachel Ranke came off the bench to add 11 points and three steals.
West Virginia (13-2, 1-2) was led by Teana Muldrow with a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Kansas State’s offense in the first quarter was all Williams, as she registered 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Her 11 points tied the school record originally set by Kindred Wesemann against UTEP on November 26, 2016.
K-State trailed by nine, 16-7, but Williams scored five straight to bring the Wildcats within four, 16-12. Page ended the opening quarter with a running jumper with two seconds left to bring K-State within four at 18-14.
Mountaineers would build their lead to eight on two separate occasions, including a 28-20 advantage with 3:04 in the second quarter. Sparked by a Ranke three-pointer, the first of the night for K-State, the Wildcats dashed out to an 8-0 run to tie the game at 28, as Page capped the rally with her first 3-pointer of the night.
A three-point play from West Virginia’s Theresa Ekhelar with 44 seconds left in the first half gave West Virginia a 31-28 lead at the break. K-State shot 32.3 percent (10-of-31) from the field, but outrebounded the Mountaineers, 22-20. Williams finished the opening half with 15 points, while Page and Kayla Goth added five each.
Muldrow staked West Virginia to a 38-31 lead with 7:39 to play in the third quarter. K-State battled back to within two, 40-38, as Ranke nailed her second 3-pointer of the night with 4:51 left in the third stanza.
K-State held West Virginia scoreless in the final 2:54 of the third quarter and pulled within two, 44-42, entering the fourth frame. Williams knocked down a jumper, while Ranke added a pair of free throws with seven seconds to play in the third to close the gap.
K-State took its first lead of the game, as the Wildcats used a 6-0 run to begin the fourth quarter. Page started the run with a fast break layup and capped it with a corner three-pointer in front of the K-State bench to force a West Virginia timeout with 7:26 remaining.
After a K-State timeout, Ranke knocked down a three-pointer in front of the K-State bench to stake the Wildcats to a 53-47 lead with 5:51 left. Williams and Goth helped K-State keep the Wildcats up six in the late stages with a pair of layups. Williams sealed the win with three free throws with under a minute to play.
K-State finished the night at 36.2 percent from the field (21-of-58) and held the Mountaineers to a 30.0 percent effort (18-of-60).
Kansas State will play three of its next four games in Bramlage Coliseum, as the Wildcats host (8/8) Texas on Sunday at 1 p.m. Sunday’s game marks K-State’s annual participation in the Play 4 Kay initiative. The first 4,000 fans will receive a free pink K-State women’s basketball shirt, while the team will be wearing pink uniforms.