Kansas State avoided its second 3-game skid in Big 12 play this season, as the Wildcats responded with an 83-69 win over Texas Tech on Wednesday night at Bramlage Coliseum. The win on Wednesday was K-State’s second home league win this season and ended a three-game home losing streak.
Kansas State (13-11, 5-8 Big 12) received 66 of its 83 points from the trio of Kayla Goth, Rachel Ranke and Peyton Williams. Goth led all scorers with a career-high 27 points on a career-high 11 made field goals. She also handed out nine assists, pulled in six rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, and pocketed three steals.
This was Goth’s fourth game this season with 20 or more points and five or more assists. With her nine assists, Goth ranks 10th in school history for assists in a season with 160.
Ranke registered her first 20-point game in Big 12 play, as the freshman from Burnsville, Minnesota, tallied 20 points including a 4-of-13 effort from beyond the arc. With her four 3-pointers, Ranke is tied for second in program history with Kim Woodless (1997-98) for 3-point field goals made by a freshman with 67 this season.
Williams added a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds while also pocketing two steals and a blocked shot. This was her fifth double-double this season.
Texas Tech (7-16, 1-11) also had three players in doubles figures and were led by Brittany Brewer with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Center Erin DeGrate added 14 points, while Dayo Olabode tallied 12 points.
K-State opened the first quarter by shooting 6-of-7 from the field and held a 16-10 lead with 4:38 remaining in the opening frame. Highlighting the hot start for the Wildcats was a pair of 3-pointers from Ranke.
Kansas State continued its hot opening quarter by using a 6-1 run to build a 10-point lead, 22-12, with 2:08 remaining. Goth finished a backdoor cut with a layup for K-State’s final field goal of the quarter. Texas Tech narrowed the game to five, 24-19, by using a 7-2 rally to end the first quarter.
The Wildcats were able to rebuild its lead to nine, 28-19, as Williams finished a pair of free throws and Goth added another backdoor cut and layup. The Lady Raiders closed within five, 30-25, with 6:10 to play in the second quarter as Brewer scored on consecutive possessions.
Ranke’s third 3-pointer of the first half and a Kaylee Page jump shot pushed the Wildcats into a 35-26 lead with 5:07 to play. Texas Tech closed to within four, 37-33, with the help of a 7-2 run. A transition layup from Kali Jones and a layup from Ranke would give K-State a 41-35 lead at the half.
The Wildcats shot 51.7 percent (15-of-29) from the floor in the opening half. K-State dished out 12 assists in the first half, including five each from Goth and Shaelyn Martin. Martin finished the night with eight assists, eight rebounds and two steals. Martin now ranks tied for ninth in program history for career steals with 193.
Back-to-back turnovers from Texas Tech and consecutive jumpers from Goth forced Texas Tech to take an early timeout in the third quarter, as K-State built a 45-35 lead with 9:19 remaining in the quarter.
K-State did not allow Texas Tech to attempt a shot in the first four minutes of the third quarter, as the Wildcats forced six straight turnovers to begin the second half. The Wildcats constructed a 14-point lead, 49-35, as Williams registered a pair of baskets following Goth’s jumpers.
The Wildcats appeared to pull away from Texas Tech, as the Wildcats secured a 57-46 lead with 1:29 to play in the third quarter after a Mary Lakes layup. The Lady Raiders responded with a quick 5-0 run to pull within six, 57-51 with 35 seconds to play. However, Lakes came up big with 19 seconds remaining as she finished a three-point play with layup and free throw to stake K-State to a 60-51 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Texas Tech forced an early K-State timeout in the fourth quarter, as the Lady Raiders creeped to within six, 63-57, with 7:32 to play. The Wildcats were able to readjust and increased the lead to eight, 69-61, after a Goth jumper with five minutes to play.
The Goth jumper would start an 11-5 run for K-State and would be capped by a final Goth jumper at 1:17 of the quarter to give K-State a 78-66 lead. K-State would go 5-of-8 from the foul line in the final minute to seal the win.
Kansas State finished the night by shooting 46.3 percent (31-of-67) from the field. K-State handed out 21 assists. Over the last 12 seasons, K-State is 56-2 when handing out 20 or more assists in a game.
Texas Tech would card a 40.3 percent (27-of-67) performance from the floor and were forced into 21 turnovers, which K-State turned into 26 points.
