Kansas State used a season-best shooting performance in the second quarter and lockdown defense in the third to cruise past Oklahoma, 86-56, on Saturday night in Bramlage Coliseum. K-State improved its home court winning streak to eight games, while senior guard Kayla Goth became the 41st player in school history to reach the career 1,000-point mark.
In the second quarter, K-State (10-4, 1-1 Big 12) would score a season-high for a second quarter with 26 points in the frame and tallied a season-high for field goal percentage in any quarter by shooting 78.6 percent (11-of-14).
Kansas State dashed out to a 12-point lead, 29-17, with 6:52 remaining in the second quarter. K-State used a quick 8-2 run to force an Oklahoma timeout. Rachel Ranke buried a 3-pointer, then Christianna Carr tallied one from the wing and Ranke registered a steal and fastbreak layup to force the timeout and give the Wildcats the 12-point lead.
The lead increased to 18, 40-22, as the Wildcats used a 9-1 run in the final minutes of the second quarter. Kali Jones started the run with a rebound and putback. Jones finished the night with eight points, five rebounds, two blocks and three steals.
Goth then converted an old fashioned 3-point play on a layup and free throw. Jasauen Beard added a driving layup followed by Goth capping the run with a jumper with 3:01 remaining.
Goth, who scored 14 points in the opening half, then beat the halftime buzzer with a free throw line jumper to send K-State into the locker room with a 44-25 lead. The 44 points by K-State in the first half were the most in an opening half this season by the Wildcats.
Late in the third quarter, K-State nailed a three-pointer on three straight possessions over a two-minute stretch to increase its lead to 25, 60-35, with 2:16 remaining. Carr buried a 3-pointer, then Ranke followed with her own and Carr capped it with her fourth of the night.
Defensively, the Wildcats held the Sooners to a 1-of-10 effort from the field in the third quarter. Oklahoma registered their only make on a layup with a second remaining in the quarter.
K-State outscored Oklahoma in the fourth quarter, 22-18, and shot 45.0 percent in the final quarter. The Wildcats would build their largest lead of the night at 34, 80-46, before the Sooners narrowed the game to its final margin.
The Wildcats had four players in double figures, as Ranke notched 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting including a season-high 5-of-11 effort from beyond the arc. She added a career-high six assists and a season-high four steals to her final line.
Goth ended her night with 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including a 2-of-4 effort from three-point range. The 2019 Nancy Lieberman Award candidate surpassed the 1,000-point mark on a three-pointer from the left corner with 4:28 remaining in the first quarter.
She also dished out five assists and pocketed two steals. Goth is the fourth player in program history with 1,000 or more career points and 400 or more career assists.
Junior forward Peyton Williams registered her career-best seventh double-double this season as she finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The 2019 Katrina McClain Award candidate also tied her career-high with six assists. For her career, Williams has 14 double-doubles and needs one more to tie for 10th in program history.
Carr added her fifth game in double figures, as she finished with 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting including a 4-of-8 effort from three-point range.
Oklahoma (5-8, 1-1) was led by Ana Llanusa and Taylor Robertson with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Kansas State ended the night shooting 54.2 percent from the field (32-of-59), including an 11-of-23 performance (.478) from 3-point range. The 11 connections from three-point range ties for K-State’s season-high set against Vanderbilt on December 2.
Oklahoma was held to a 28.0 percent effort (14-of-50) and finished 23-of-30 (.767) from the free throw line. The Sooners were forced into 24 turnovers, with K-State scoring 32 points off those turnovers.
K-State handed out a season-high 24 assists on the 32 made field goals. The 24 assists are the most by K-State since dishing out 24 against Kansas on February 24, 2018.
