MANHATTAN, Kansas (Kansas State Athletics) – K-State built a first quarter lead and held back a late Oregon charge to capture a wire-to-wire win, 68-56, on Saturday night in front of a raucous Bramlage Coliseum crowd. Kansas State is off to its best start through 12 games since the 2016-17 season (10-2).
“I thought we made a lot of big plays when they made a run at us and I think that was probably the key for the game,” said K-State head coach Jeff Mittie about the win. “We were able to keep them at arm’s length. I thought our team fought hard. I thought we made a lot of the right plays in the right moments to keep them away from us, and then we just kind of persevered through the game.”
K-State (10-2) opened the game with 14-6 advantage with 4:48 to play in the frame, as the Wildcats knocked down two 3-pointers and Ayoka Lee tallied six points.
Lee finished the night with her eighth double-double of the season on a game-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 12 rebounds, four blocks and a steal. Lee was energized from the atmosphere in Bramlage on Saturday night.
“If we could have that atmosphere every game, that would be great. It was great. I was excited to see what it would be like, because I knew they were promoting it a lot and a lot of people were coming, so it was great. I loved it.”
Keeping K-State in front in the opening quarter was sophomore guard Jada Moore. Moore tallied K-State’s final five points of the first quarter to provide the Wildcats a 19-16 edge.
Oregon (6-4) closed to within two, 21-19, with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter. The Wildcats buried 3-pointers on consecutive possessions, as Serena Sundell and Emilee Ebert knocked down their chances to force a timeout by the Ducks with the Wildcats leading 27-19 with 7:17 remaining.
Ebert completed the night with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including a career-high three 3-pointers. Mittie felt Ebert was the key to Saturday’s effort.
“I thought she was huge. I thought she knocked the threes down early, but I thought middle of the zone she was making good reads in there. I don’t think we got it there as much as I wanted to, but when we got it there good things were happening.”
The Ducks would cut the K-State lead to three points twice, but a pair of field goals from Lee put the Wildcats in front by seven, 35-28, with 2:52 remaining. Brylee Glenn then scored K-State’s last three points of the half to give the Wildcats a 38-33 lead at the half.
Glenn finished her night by tying her career-high with 15 points and also added three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal.
The Wildcats shot 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from beyond the arc in the opening half, as Ebert buried three.
In the third quarter, Oregon cut the K-State lead to two, 38-36, on a 3-pointer from Maddie Scherr to begin the frame. The Wildcats responded with a 7-0 run to go in front by nine, 45-36, with 6:20 remaining after a layup from Ebert.
K-State would build a 10-point edge, 52-42, as Rebekah Dallinger knocked down a three and Laura Macke added a mid-range jumper. Ebert would bring the crowd to its feet at the end of the third quarter, as she beat the buzzer with a short jumper to give K-State a 54-44 lead.
The Wildcats would force an early fourth quarter Oregon timeout, as Lee made a short jumper and Brylee Glenn finished with a runner in the lane to give K-State a 58-46 lead with 7:55 to play.
The Ducks would close to within six, 62-56, on a Endyia Rogers layup with 48 seconds remaining. Four free throws from Sundell and Ebert were followed by a steal and layup from Brylee Glenn to ice the game.
Defensively, K-State held Oregon to 26.3 percent (5-of-19) shooting in the fourth quarter.
For the night, K-State held Oregon to its lowest point total of the season and lock up the Ducks to a tune of 33.3 percent (21-of-63) from the floor including 7-of-25 (.280) from 3-point range.
The Wildcats ended the night shooting 42.1 percent (24-of-57) from the field including an 8-of-21 (.381) effort from beyond the arc. K-State also converted at the free throw line, shooting 80.0 percent (12-of-15) including 4-of-4 in the final minute.
K-State ends its non-conference schedule on Wednesday, December 22, as the Wildcats host UIC at 1 p.m.
