Kansas State strung together a complete performance on Monday night at United Supermarkets Arena, as the Wildcats dismantled Texas Tech with a 86-62 win. K-State has won six straight in the series, and 10 of the last 11 against the Lady Raiders.
Kansas State (15-14, 7-11 Big 12) had four players in double figures for the second straight game and the ninth time this season. Freshman guard Rachel Ranke led the way with 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting including a 6-of-13 effort from beyond the arc.
With her six connections from deep, Ranke moved into a tie for ninth in school history for 3-point field goals made in a season with 83.
Junior guard Kayla Goth added 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds. This was Goth’s 15th game this season with 15 or more points and five or more assists.
Also in double figures were seniors Shaelyn Martin with 14 points and Kaylee Page with 10 points. Martin tied her career-high in points and also added three rebounds, three assists and five steals. Page tallied three 3-pointers, notched four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Texas Tech (7-22, 1-17) was led by freshman Lyndsey Whilby with 14 points off the bench, while Dayo Olabode added 12 points and five rebounds.
Kansas State finished the night shooting 46.2 percent (30-of-65). The Wildcats forced 16 turnovers and capitalized with a 31-10 advantage in points off turnovers. Texas Tech shot 39.6 percent (21-of-53).
K-State picked up where it left off against Kansas, as the Wildcats buried 3 three-point field goals in the opening five minutes to take an 11-4 lead. Rachel Ranke nailed her first 3-pointer of the night on a transition play to force a Texas Tech timeout with 5:20 remaining in the opening quarter.
Following the timeout, K-State continued to hold Texas Tech without a field goal for the next two and a half minutes. The Wildcats outscored the Lady Raiders in the final five minutes, 13-5, as Goth beat the end of quarter buzzer with a deep 3-pointer to send K-State into a 24-9 lead. Goth registered 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting in the quarter.
Kansas State continued to pour on the points in the first four minutes of the second quarter. After a Texas Tech layup, K-State went on a 7-0 run to lead 31-11 and force a Lay Raider timeout with 6:25 to play in the first half.
The Wildcats continued to roll for the remainder of the first half, as K-State went into the halftime locker room with a 45-24 lead. Goth and Ranke paced the Wildcats with 12 points each, as K-State shot 45.5 percent (15-of-33) from the field and forced Texas Tech into 18 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
Ranke continued to lead the K-State attack in the third quarter, as she scored 11 points in the frame. The Wildcats were 9-of-19 from the field in the third to build a 69-42 lead.
Texas Tech outscored the Wildcats in the final quarter, 21-17, as the Wildcats were able to empty its bench for a majority of the quarter.
Kansas State will now prepare for the 2018 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Wildcats will begin action on Friday at a time to be determined and against an opponent to be determined.
