All five K-State starters scored in double-figures, including a game-high 24 points and 15 rebounds from junior Peyton Williams, as Kansas State won its 10th Big 12 Conference game of the season by defeating Texas Tech, 75-67, on senior day at Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday.
K-State (19-10, 10-7 Big 12) extended its Big 12 winning streak to four-straight with the win on Saturday, the longest win streak since the 2016-17 season, where the Wildcats also won four-in-a-row. The 10 Big 12 wins marks the sixth-time in Big 12 history reaching 10 or more conference wins in a season and the first since 2010-11.
Saturday also marked senior day for the Wildcats, honoring Kayla Goth and Kali Jones, who have now combined for 79 wins in their K-State careers. The duo combined for 21 points on Saturday, including 10 points from Goth, marking her 62nd double-digit scoring game in her career and 21st of the season, while Jones registered 11 points for her seventh double-digit scoring effort of her career.
The Wildcats were led by a complete scoring effort that included five individuals reaching double-digits, including a game-high 24 points from Williams, who shot an impressive 9-of-13 from the floor while gathering a season-high 15 rebounds. In addition to Williams, sophomore Rachel Ranke (11), Jones (11), Goth (11) and freshman Christiana Carr (10) all reached double-figures, marking the third time this season the Wildcats had five individuals in double-figures.
Goth, an All-America candidate, added 12 assists to her final line. The 12 assists ties her career-high and provided her with her sixth double-double of the season, the most of any guard in the Big 12.
Saturday’s victory marks the eighth-straight for K-State over Texas Tech, with their last loss in the series coming in 2015. K-State improves their record in the series against the Lady Raiders, 23-13, while going 10-5 at home.
Texas Tech (12-16, 3-14 Big 12) was led by 20 points from junior Brittany Brewer, who shot 9-of-17 in the game. Zuri Sanders added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The K-State seniors started their day with a pair of baskets, as Goth hit her first shot of the day on a jumper. Two possessions later, Goth found Jones in the lane for a layup as K-State trailed 5-4 just 1:30 into the game.
Jones’ lay-in spurred a 13-2 run, as K-State would pull ahead 15-7 with 4:29 left in the first quarter, where the Wildcats scored on 7 of their first 9 shots from the field.
After a Texas Tech timeout, the Lady Raiders put together a run of their own, stringing together 12-straight points to give them the lead at 19-15 with 2:12 left in the first quarter. The Lady Raiders were able to ride out the first quarter with a 21-19 lead.
K-State wasted no time retaking the lead in the second quarter, as the Wildcats went on a 13-0 run behind seven points from Ranke and four points from Williams, giving K-State a 32-21 lead with 5:58 left in the quarter. The 11-point lead was the largest lead of the half for either team.
Just before the half, Texas Tech was able to re-take the lead, as the Lady Raiders went on an 15-0 run to bring the score to 36-32 with 1:24 left in the half.
Despite the late Texas Tech run, the Wildcats responded by taking advantage before halftime on a 3-pointer from Ranke. The Ranke 3-pointer gave K-State a 39-38 lead at the break, as K-State shot 57.6 percent (15-of-29) from the field in the half, including 16 combined points from the seniors and a team-high 11 points from Ranke.
In the second half, Williams had the hot hand as she scored nine-consecutive points for the Wildcats, giving them a 53-44 lead with 5:54 left in the third quarter, at which point Williams had 17 points on 6-of-7 from the field, paired with two steals.
Coupled with Williams’s nine second-half points, Carr accounted for the other seven points to open up the second half for the Wildcats, as the duo accounted for the first 16 points for K-State in the second half to help K-State to a 55-46 lead with 5:21 left in the quarter.
In the third quarter, K-State shot 64.3 percent (9-of-14) to bring their lead to six points at 63-57.
In the final quarter of play, the Wildcats relied on their shooting from the free throw line, as K-State shot 12-of-18 from the line in the game. The Wildcats went on to shoot 50 percent (28-of-56) from the floor, marking the sixth time this season K-State shot 50 percent or better from the floor.
