Kansas State played tenacious defense, but couldn’t overcome cold shooting as they fell to #15/16 Oklahoma State 58-51 on Wednesday night at Bramlage Coliseum. The loss drops K-State to 6-8 overall, and 0-3 in conference play. They still lead the all-time series with the Cowgirls 31-29.
Ashia Woods continued her impressive play, leading all scorers with 17 points. Katya Leick and Leti Romero each added 8, but the Wildcats still dropped their third straight contest to open Big 12 play. Head Coach Deb Patterson said she hoped the team felt the disappointment, but wants to see how her team reacts. “It’s really all about the next day”, said Patterson.
The Cats came out hot early, forcing turnovers on both of OSU’s opening possessions, but couldn’t turn them into points. They finally got rolling as Chantay Caron scored two early buckets to help put the Wildcats out front 9-4 at the 15:27 mark. The Cowgirls then found their offense, including back-to-back three pointers from Tiffany Bias to put OSU in the lead at 20-7 with 6:55 left. Then Breanna Lewis came off the bench to score all five of her points, and the Cats trailed by only four at the break 27-23.
K-State came out smoking to start the second half. Woods and Haley Texada each hit from beyond the arc, and suddenly the Cats were in front by four. But senior Kendra Suttles scored eleven straight points…while K-State went scoreless for more than six minutes, and Oklahoma State had a 45-35 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The Cats did manage to cut the deficit to seven a few times late, but could get no closer.
“She’s been taken out of the starting rotation, but responded the way a senior should” said OSU Head Coach Jim Littell, when asked about Suttles’ contribution.
Patterson said she was happy with the growth of her team. “We’re still inconsistent, and it really cost us”, she said. “I like that we recovered from it, but we recovered too late”. The Cats shot just 38% from the floor, and were just 4-23 from long range…good for 17%. Several misses came from open looks, and the Wildcats were plagued by unfriendly rims.
K-State hits the road for games Oklahoma and Texas Tech, before returning to Bramlage on January 18th for “Pack The House Night”. All tickets are just $1, as well as select concession items. The Cats have benefited from large crowds in the past, and are looking forward to another big turnout.
