From K-State Athletics
Kansas State ended an 11-game losing streak at the Lloyd Noble Center, as the Wildcats downed Oklahoma 83-75. This was K-State’s first win in Norman since February 1, 2003.
The Wildcats have now secured its first series win of the season in Big 12 play. This was the first time K-State has won the season series with Oklahoma since the Big 12 switched to a round robin schedule in the 2012-13 season.
The Wildcats (15-9, 6-6 Big 12) had five players in double figures led by sophomore guard Rachel Ranke with 24 points on a career-high eight 3-pointers made. Her eight three-pointers tie her for fourth in program history for 3-point field goals made in a game and the most since Kindred Wesemann made eight against Texas on February 4, 2015.
Also in double figures were the tandem of Kayla Goth and Peyton Williams. Goth, a 2019 Nancy Leiberman Award candidate, notched her second double-double of the week with 13 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and four steals. With her points and assists on Sunday, Goth joins Shalee Lehning as the only two players in program history to register consecutive seasons with 300 or more points and 150 or more assists.
Williams tallied her second double-double this week and her 11th this season with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four steals. The 2019 Katrina McClain Award candidate moves into a tie for eighth with Kendra Wecker for double-doubles in a season.
Freshman Christianna Carr added 15 points including a 3-of-6 effort from 3-point range, while junior Jasauen Beard chip in with 10 points and four rebounds off the bench.
K-State dashed out to a seven-point lead, 13-6, with 2:54 remaining in the first quarter. The Wildcats built the lead with an 11-2 run as Carr and Ranke each hit a three during the burst. Oklahoma (5-17, 1-10 Big 12) cut the deficit to one, 13-12, with a 6-0 run with 1:05 to play. K-State answered with a layup from Kali Jones and Carr knocked down her second 3-pointer of the quarter to give K-State an 18-12 lead.
In the second quarter, K-State used an 8-2 run to build a 26-14 lead with 6:28 remaining. Carr hit her third 3-pointer while Goth added a 3-pointer of her own to force a Sooner timeout.
Despite four points from Oklahoma’s Ana Llanusa, K-State continued to roll offensively. Williams hit her first 3-pointer of the game while Beard added a putback. Ranke then drilled her second 3-pointer of the half to give K-State a 34-18 led with 3:29 to play in the second stanza.
Oklahoma cut K-State’s lead to 11 on four occasions but K-State held a 13-point lead at the half, 42-29, as Goth tipped in a missed 3-pointer before the halftime buzzer.
K-State opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run to build a 20-point lead, 49-29, with 8:23 to play in the quarter. Oklahoma then answered with a 13-0 run to pull back to within seven, 49-42, with 5:14 to play in the third.
The Wildcats snapped the Oklahoma run, as Jasauen Beard connected on a mid-range jumper with 4:08 to play in the third period. Ranke then beat the shot clock on two straight possessions to give K-State a 57-46 lead with 1:35 remaining. K-State would hold a 12-point lead, 61-49, entering the fourth quarter as Beard connected on a 3-pointer of her own.
K-State built its lead to 19, 71-52, with 7:22 remaining and force an Oklahoma timeout. The Sooners closed to within seven, 77-70, with 1:22 remaining in the game, but Goth made three of four free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
Kansas State set a season-high from beyond the arc, making 14 three-pointers on 50.0 percent shooting. The 14 threes tie for the most in the Jeff Mittie era. K-State shot 45.5 percent (30-of-66) from the field with 20 assists. Oklahoma also shot 45.5 percent (25-of-55) but were forced into 26 turnovers resulting in 21 points by the Wildcats.
