Kansas State used a 13-0 run to end the first quarter and capture a lead they would never relinquish on Monday night, as the Wildcats capped its exhibition schedule with a 65-50 win over Pittsburg State at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats were led by freshman guard Christianna Carr with a game-high 27 points. Carr was 10-of-20 from the field, including 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. She also added five rebounds to her final line.
Joining Carr in double figures was redshirt junior Jasauen Beard with 11 points, five rebounds and four steals.
Pittsburg State was led by Athena Alvarado with 13 points and six rebounds, while Kaylee DaMitz tallied 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Kansas State trailed early in the first quarter, 9-3, but the Wildcats used a 13-0 run to end the opening quarter with a 16-9 lead. K-State’s rally was keyed by Beard who tallied four points and four steals during the run.
The run opened with a second chance layup from Rachel Ranke. Beard followed with a steal and uncontested layup. Carr then tallied a reverse layup and a 3-pointer to send K-State into a 12-9 lead with 1:25 left in the quarter.
Beard recorded another steal and uncontested layup with 31 seconds left to force a Pittsburg State timeout. Cymone Goodrich capped the scoring run with a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left.
K-State’s defense stifled the Gorillas in the second quarter, forcing Pittsburg State into a 1-of-14 (.071) shooting effort in the second stanza. K-State held Pittsburg State without a made field goal for the final 8:03 of the second quarter, including an 0-of-11 effort from the field during that stretch.
Offensively, the Wildcats were led in the quarter by Carr with 12 of K-State’s 16 points in the frame to build a 32-16 lead at the half. Carr bolstered her scoring effort in the quarter with three 3-point field goals.
For the half, Carr scored 17 of K-State’s 32 points. The K-State defense held Pittsburg State to a 15.4 percent shooting performance (4-of-26) from the floor.
Pittsburg State outscored Kansas State in the third quarter, 15-14. Carr started K-State’s scoring with a three-pointer to increase K-State’s lead to 35-16 with 8:14 remaining. The teams then exchanged baskets for the entirety of the third stanza. Ranke led the Wildcats in the frame with four points, as the Wildcats held a 46-31 lead.
The Gorillas cut the K-State lead to 10, 52-42, with 6:17 to play on an Alvarado jumper. The Wildcats then strung together an 11-4 run to establish a 17-point lead, 63-46, with 2:34 to play as Goodrich finished a layup.
Kansas State ended the night shooting 37.1 percent from the field (26-of-70), including a 7-of-22 (.318) effort from three-point range. The Wildcats also tallied a 38-16 advantage in points in the paint.
After a difficult first half, Pittsburg State finished at 31.0 percent (18-of-58) from the floor. The Wildcats held a 45-39 edge in rebounding.
Kansas State will begin the 51st season in program history on Monday, November 12, as the Wildcats host Omaha at 5:30 p.m. Monday’s game is part of a women’s and men’s basketball doubleheader.
