Wildcats return home to face Texas A&M

Following their fourth consecutive loss on the road at Nebraska Wednesday evening, the No. 20 Wildcats (19-5 8-5 Big 12 Conference) will return to the friendly confines of Bramlage Coliseum Sunday afternoon to face No. 12 Texas A&M.

The game will be the first of a two-game home stand that also includes a game against No. 16 Texas on Wednesday. This home stand will be the final home games of the season for the Wildcats.

Following the game, the K-State athletic department will honor senior point guard Shalee Lehning and her prolific career in a jersey retirement ceremony.

"I'm honored. I get the goose bumps whenever they mention it," Lehning said. "It's one of those things — it was a dream of mine since I was a little girl to have stuff like this happen."

Lehning returned to the court Wednesday in the Wildcats' contest against Nebraska after missing three games due to mononucleosis infection. She played 14 minutes against the Cornhuskers, but is still on a day to day basis.

However, according to head coach Deb Patterson, Lehning might start Sunday.

"I really would have to make that a gameday decision on how she feels that morning and what her energy level is and overall how she feels," Patterson said. "It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility."

Texas A&M will enter Sunday's match up after upsetting No. 2 Oklahoma at home on Monday evening.

The Aggies' offense is led by senior guard Takia Starks. Starks scored 12 points in the Aggies' victory over the Sooners, including the go ahead layup with 6 seconds remaining to seal the win.

"Starks is just a tremendous specimen," Patterson said. "She is such a phenomenal silky, but yet quick, point guard and she has some size to her too."

The Wildcats will look to recover from a poor shooting performance on the road against Nebraska. In Lincoln, the Wildcats shot a mere 32 percent from the field and 17 percent from behind the 3-point line.

However, the Wildcats have been a different team while playing at home this season and have yet to lose a game at Bramlage Coliseum.

Lehning said that the team is thankful to be back home and that they are looking to build up their confidence while playing at Bramlage.

"There are just a lot of different elements that go into it," Lehning said. "We just haven't been shooting the ball very well on the road. That is something that we have to get out of because a lot of our games from here on out are going to be on the road.

"Luckily we can come here at home and hopefully get our confidence back up, make some shots and then carry it out with us as we get on the road," she said.

The two-game home stand will be a critical test for the Wildcats before closing the season out at Colorado. Currently, K-State is in a three-way tie for fourth place with Texas and Iowa State in the Big 12.

With a first-round bye in the conference tournament on the line, the Wildcats will look to keep their record at home perfect.

"It's great to be home," Patterson said. "The saying is true — there is no place like home."

Husker defense prevails, leads to K-State road loss

K-State could not connect on opportunities late in the game Wednesday, as the Wildcats dropped their fourth consecutive road game at the hands of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 52-47, in Lincoln, Neb.

Both teams suffered a poor shooting night. However, the Cornhusker defense prevailed as the Wildcats struggled to move the ball to their post players, forcing them to settle for outside shots.

K-State suffered a shooting drought at the four-minute mark, missing seven consecutive shots before junior forward Ashley Sweat hit a jumper with nine seconds remaining in the game.

“It’s just disappointing to finally be in the game and get better looks and do a good job of moving the basketball and just flat out miss,” said associate head coach Kamie Ethridge. “The right people were taking the shots and we just missed the shots.”

The Wildcats struggled just as much from the 3-point line, missing three consecutive attempts with less than four minutes to play. K-State finished the game shooting an abysmal 17 percent from the 3-point line on 17 shot attempts.

Senior point guard and Wooden Award Candidate Shalee Lehning made her return to the court after missing three games with a mononucleosis infection. Lehning played 14 minutes and finished the night with three rebounds and two assists; however, she did not score.

The Wildcats led the contest at halftime 22-21 after Kari Kincaid made two free throws. Kincaid played all 40 minutes of the game and finished with six points.

K-State could not maintain its lead in the second half as the Cats failed to overcome their first-half shooting woes.

Senior guard Kelsey Nelson continued to provide productive play off the bench for the Wildcats, registering 12 points and eight rebounds.

“Kelsey Nelson has really stepped it up and tried to really help us in ball handling and attacking the rim and trying to do everything that we ask her to do,” Ethridge said. “The rebounds are unbelievable for her and she played a lot of post defense tonight and really had a good game.”

Despite the loss, the Wildcats remain in fourth place in the Big 12 as they head into a pivotal home game this week against third-place Texas A&M. The Wildcats will host the Aggies on Sunday with tipoff set for noon.

“It’s an unbelievable Texas A&M team that will be coming in, so we need a great show of purple and fans,” Ethridge said.

Wildcats look to earn month's first road win

Despite the connotations Valentine's Day brings, February has never been a loving month for the Wildcats. In fact, K-State has historically posted its lowest winning percentage of any month throughout the month of February.

Heading into the second month of 2009, head coach Deb Patterson's team had posted a 20-2 record and gained a reputation as a group of road warriors. The Wildcats accumulated an impressive 9-2 record in road games, including consecutive wins at Texas Tech and Kansas.

Yet, the No. 20 Wildcats have suffered an all too familiar slump as the calendar flipped to February. After suffering two of their four losses throughout the entire season, K-State will look to steal their first road win of the month on Wednesday as they travel to Lincoln, Neb., to face the Cornhuskers.

Patterson's team has suffered three consecutive road losses dating back to their Jan. 31 60-50 loss at Iowa State.

"We haven't won a road game in three games," Patterson said. "That is the big challenge and that is where this basketball team has to turn a corner."

The Wildcats have played without the assistance of senior point guard and Wooden Award candidate Shalee Lehning for the previous three games and in that time K-State is 2-1 with one road loss.

Lehning continues to be on a day-to-day basis as she is suffering from a mononucleosis infection.

"I don't know that we are playing without her," said senior guard Kelsey Nelson. "We are making adjustments and we are ready for her to come back. We just have to keep making adjustments."

In their last meeting against the Cornhuskers, the Wildcats struggled early offensively shooting 33 percent from the field and trailed at halftime 23-21.

However, second-half adjustments and a great bench performance in the second half by sophomore guard Shalin Spani propelled the Wildcats past Nebraska.

"Nebraska is a very dangerous team and we know that going in," said junior guard Kari Kincaid. "They have multiple threats outside and inside and we are going to have to play our very best basketball to beat them."

Nebraska forward Cory Montgomery led the Cornhuskers with a game-high 21 points in their previous meeting. She shot 50 percent from the field and anchored the Cornhuskers' offensive attack.

"[Nebraska] is just rock-solid fundamental," Patterson said. "They put [Montgomery] in position to play off of those quick guards. Cory is just playing tremendous basketball."

The Wildcats will head to Lincoln looking to remain in sole possession of fourth place in the Big 12 standings after a pivotal two-game home stand against Texas A&M and Texas before closing the regular season at Colorado.

However, Patterson insisted that the Wildcats must remain focused on securing a road win Wednesday in Lincoln to stay competitive in the standings as the season draws to a close.

"If you want to stay in the hunt, this is a must win," Patterson said. "It's go time right now. Every game is significant in the standings. There is no game that doesn't have a major impact where you finish down the stretch in this league."

Cats look to sweep Missouri

Following a victory at home this weekend against Oklahoma State in their "Pink Zone" game, the Wildcats will travel to Columbia, Mo., looking to sweep the Tigers while playing another game dedicated to breast cancer awareness.

K-State (20-3, 9-3 Big 12 Conference) will attempt to set a school record for road wins this season while also putting its third-place position in the Big 12 on the line. The Cats will wear their pink uniforms again for Missouri's own "Pink Zone" event.

Senior point guard Shalee Lehning, who missed the Wildcats' game against Oklahoma State on Sunday with a mononucleosis infection, missed practice on Monday and is currently out on a day-to-day basis.

According to head coach Deb Patterson, Lehning will travel with the team and a decision about playing will be made Wednesday.

The Wildcats faced Missouri previously this season in Manhattan on Feb. 4 and defeated the Tigers 58-54 after struggling in the first half offensively.

The Wildcats have struggled on the road recently, losing against Baylor and Iowa State in their previous two road trips.

"We know it is going to be a really great challenge on the road for us right now," Patterson said. "We have got to bring a great game, and we have got to be good on the road. Our last road game was a loss we have got to find a way to get our next Big 12 road win."

Junior forward Ashley Sweat, who led the Wildcats in scoring in their previous outing against the Tigers with 25 points, said that playing Missouri just two weeks ago will prove to be advantageous.

"A lot of the stuff that they run is fresh in our heads and the scout that we have on them is fresh in our heads," Sweat said.

Missouri has lost six of their previous seven games in conference play, with the one win coming at home against KU. However the Tigers have proven to be a better team when playing at home this season with an 8-5 record overall at the Mizzou Sports Arena.

"We have got to be really tough on the road," said junior guard Kari Kincaid. "Everywhere we go in the Big 12 is a hard place to play and we have got to bring even better focus and intensity than we did against Baylor."

Despite the Wildcats' recent road struggles, Patterson said she feels this road game is of great importance to her team's season. Though the Wildcats have proven they can win at home this season with a perfect 11-0 record, the Wildcats are 2-3 on the road during conference play.

"If we want to stay really competitive at the very top level in this league, right now is when you have to dig in and get some wins," Patterson said.

Tip-off for the Wildcats' game against Missouri is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. It will be broadcast on the K-State Sports Network locally on 1350 KMAN.

Cats adjust without Lehning and defeat Cowgirls

The pink uniforms and shirts throughout Bramlage Coliseum Sunday afternoon were not the only changes to the typical outing for the Wildcats. With senior point guard Shalee Lehning out due to mononucleosis, head coach Deb Patterson was forced to alter her starting lineup against Oklahoma State.

With a decision on her hands, Patterson made the call to have freshman Jalana Childs make her first career start.

Childs answered the call in the form of her first double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. With the effort, Childs helped guide the Wildcats (20-3, 7-3 Big 12 Conference) to a 79-71 victory over the Cowgirls (14-9 3-7 Big 12).

"I think I just had a lot of energy; I was pumped for my first start," Childs said. "I think the energy played a big factor in it."

With the win, the Wildcats moved their home record to a perfect 11-0 on the season.

The Wildcats had four players finish with double figures in scoring, despite the new lineup. Junior forward Ashley Sweat led the game with 31 points, tying her career high. Childs followed with 14, senior guard Kelsey Nelson added 13, points and senior forward Marlies Gipson scored 10 points.

"I think it's really neat when you have an opportunity to work on things for a week and find a way for an individual or couple individuals to step up. I think we did that," Patterson said.

Patterson attributed the her team's ability to adjust to the new lineup to the week of practice following the Baylor loss. The Wildcats had a bye week to prepare for the Cowgirls on Sunday, and the extra time proved to be valuable.

"[Childs] had a great week of practice," Patterson said. "She really has had some very, very strong showings in practice over the course of the last three weeks or so, but not nearly as dominant as this past week. She had a big time game tonight when the need was tremendous."

The Wildcats struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 38 percent from the field on 31 shot attempts. The Cowgirls kept the Wildcats at their heels, and the two teams traded leads on 13 occasions.

The Wildcats struggled in the first half to score in the post; however, Nelson was 3-3 from behind the three point line. The team shot 6-13 from 3-point territory.

"[Oklahoma State] gave [K-State post players] a lot of attention, which opens up the outside shot, and luckily today they were going in," Nelson said.

K-State used a 10-3 run early in the second half to separate from the Cowgirls. Childs and Sweat scored the bulk of their points in the second half when the post game of K-State began to open up. The Wildcats outscored the Cowgirls 43-36 in the second half.

K-State will travel to Missouri on Wednesday. The Wildcats defeated the Tigers in Manhattan 58-54 on Feb. 4. Tipoff Wednesday is set for 6:30 p.m.

Cancer awareness hits home for Wildcat team

Danielle Zanotti knows she cannot control what happens in life.

She has learned that lesson while growing up in a family that has a long history of skin cancer, and she understands that it could eventually be a battle of her own.

Her mother, Dona Zanotti, has been fighting skin cancer since college.

Furthermore, her grandfather lost the battle.

However, the opportunity on Sunday afternoon to connect the game she and her mother love with cancer awareness is just one of the many ways the Zanotti family is fighting back.

Many of Danielle’s family members will be present in Bramlage on Sunday to watch Danielle and the Wildcats, as well as to support the fight against cancer in a way that is familiar to the family.

Basketball.

Sunday afternoon, the Wildcats will be wearing special pink jerseys as they participate in the Women’s Basketball Coaching Association "Pink Zone" game. From Feb. 13-22, colleges and universities across the nation are participating in the "Pink Zone" effort to raise awareness of breast cancer and raise money for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.

The fund is named for legendary North Carolina State coach Kay Yow who recently lost her battle against breast cancer on Jan. 24.

While Danielle’s mother was diagnosed with cancer in college, it didn’t prevent her from playing the game at the collegiate level.

She made it a point to pass the love of the game to her daughter.

Dona served as Danielle’s first basketball coach and followed her daughter as she developed into a premier player, lettering three years at Mustang High School in Yukon, Okla.

Their relationship centered around basketball, and their commitment to it paid off as Danielle is a starter for the No. 20 Wildcats.

"I think the fact that my mom has made so many sacrifices financially and time wise, driving to all of the tournaments across the country — taking off of work and doing it on her own — that is something that I will always look back on and be grateful for," Zanotti said. "It’s just a testament to her dedication to me as a player and me as a daughter. It is something that I will always treasure and be thankful for."

Zanotti and her teammates have been active in the effort to raise money for cancer research. Last season, Danielle remembers sitting in the Wildcat locker room discussing the topic of cancer and brainstorming ways the team could do its part to help.

They decided on participating in the Relay For Life event held at Ahearn Field House in the spring.

"I am so proud of the team," Zanotti said. "It takes work to raise money, and everybody rallied around it and was supportive. It is a great cause and a great opportunity to bond over something that is bigger than basketball — and bigger than us."

With the experience of volunteering through Relay For Life, Zanotti said her team has developed a bond that has helped give the team members an identity that exists beyond gameday.

"Our team, in my opinion, is unique in the fact that we are best friends on and off of the court." Zanotti said. "That is what makes us so special that helps our chemistry, and I think that our team realizes that basketball is a game that has given us blessings upon blessings."

Head coach Deb Patterson understands the effect of the disease and its relation to her program. She praises the women of the team on how they have done their part to bond and make a contribution to the cause.

"It is something we all recognize as a group, and we do talk about it as something that is very important to bring awareness to," Patterson said.

"I know our players are very proud to be wearing the pink in that regard."

The pink uniforms the Wildcats will wear Sunday afternoon have inspired the K-State athletics department to hold an auction following Sunday’s game.

The department will auction off a replica pink jersey, as well as a replica pair of shorts. The auction will run from Feb. 16 to Feb. 27.

In addition to bidding on the pink jersey and shorts, the public can purchase "Pink Zone" basketball T-shirt shirts at the K-State Super Store or the Cats Closet for $10.

"We are looking for our fans to contribute by virtue of the pink T-shirts and their attendance at our game," Patterson said.

While Zanotti said she understands she cannot control all aspects of her life, she knows what she is capable of and what it takes to battle back from something like cancer. For her entire life, her family has shown how.

"You can’t control everything in life," Zanotti said. "Cancer is one of those things that by in large you have no control over, and if it hits, faith, love, friendships and family are the only thing that can get you through it."

Cats look to bounce back against OSU in ‘Pink Zone’

Pink jerseys will fill the court in Bramlage Coliseum on Sunday afternoon as the Wildcats play host to the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in the annual "Pink Zone" game.

Through the display of the pink uniforms designed by Nike, the K-State women’s basketball team is joining a national effort to raise breast cancer awareness.

The Wildcats (19-3, 6-3 Big 12 Conference) will look to bounce back after suffering only their third loss of the season at the hand of the then-No. 8 Lady Bears.

"I think we played a really high-quality game against Baylor aside from the turnover issues," head coach Deb Patterson said.

Following the loss to Baylor, Patterson’s team has had a week off and time to prepare for Oklahoma State.

"I think [the break] has been really good for us. We have zoned on having some time to work to get better," Patterson said. "It is good heading into the stretch run of February to feel like you have that teaching time and that time where we can run the kids a little bit and still give them off days."

Oklahoma State (14-8 3-6 Big 12) comes into Manhattan having lost three consecutive games, with their last loss at home to the Baylor Bears in overtime by a score of 64-62.

"We have to come out and play our game," junior guard Kari Kincaid said. "Each game is a new day, so you never know the nature of the game, so we are going to have to figure out our strengths. We won’t know that until game time."

The series between the Cowgirls and Wildcats is tied at 26 games each. However, the Wildcats have won five of the last six meetings, including last year’s match at Stillwater, Okla., 68-63.

The Wildcats greatest challenge Sunday afternoon could come in the effort to slow down Cowgirl guard Andrea Riley. With 23.6 points per game, Riley leads the Big 12 in individual scoring. She is averaging a solid four points ahead of her closest competitor, Danielle McCray of Kansas with 19 points per game.

"We don’t at all look at our game plan and say that we are going to shut down Riley. You aren’t going to do that," Patterson said. "[We are] going to bring awareness to her, play quality team defense limit her easy basket opportunities and hope that you can be successful at that from a team concept — not a one-on-one — because I don’t think you can guard her one-on-one."

Tip-off for Sunday’s game is set for 1 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Kansas City. The game can also be heard the K-State Sports Network, KMAN 1350, in Manhattan.

Bears pull away from Cats in second half

Second place in the Big 12 was on the line Saturday afternoon in Waco, Texas. Following a close first half, the Baylor Lady Bears used a 20-5 run in the second half to push past the No. 18 ranked Wildcats and hand the Wildcats a 59-50 loss.

Despite losing two consecutive games on their home court for the first time under head coach Kim Mulkey, the Bears (19-3, 7-2 Big 12 Conference) got back on track and now hold sole possession of second place in the Big 12.

"Its always important to win at home and steal some on the road," Mulkey said following the game. "We didn't take care of our home court last week."

The Wildcats (19-3, 6-3 Big 12) were trailing 45-43 with 8:59 remaining in the game. Yet they could not get over the hump as Baylor went on a 13-0 run following a 3-pointer by junior Ashley Sweat to get the Wildcats within two points of the Bears.

With the loss, the Wildcats drop to 2-3 on the road in Big 12 games.

The Wildcats jumped out to a quick start in the game with junior Kari Kincaid hitting two consecutive 3-pointers to put the Wildcats up 8-2.

Kincaid anchored the Wildcats to begin the game, scoring the Wildcats' first eight points in the game. She finished the game with 11 points, shooting 3-5 from behind the 3-point line. The Wildcats shot 35 percent as a team from 3-point range.

The Wildcats finished the first half shooting 36 percent from the field and trailing the Bears 26-25.

However, second half defense adjustments by the Lady Bears proved to be the deciding factor in the game. The Lady Bears prevented point guard Shalee Lehning from distributing the ball as effectively as she did in the first half.

Sweat led the Wildcats in scoring with a game-high 17 points. Jessica Morrow of the Lady Bears also added 17 points.

With the loss, the Wildcats drop to 6-3 in Big 12 play and will return home to face the Oklahoma State Cowgirls Sunday afternoon. Tipoff for the game is set for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast regionally by Fox Sports Kansas City.

Wildcats squeak by Tigers at Home

Bramlage Coliseum fell completely silent Wednesday evening as halftime arrived.

After the Wildcats pounced on the Missouri Tigers early in the first half and seemed to take control of the game, their lead and momentum suddenly vanished.

The Tigers used a 19-4 run to swiftly work their way back into the game and steal both the Wildcats’ momentum and lead.

With a silent Bramlage crowd, the Wildcats walked into the locker room at halftime trailing 27-24.

During the Tiger run to close out the first half, the Wildcats managed only four points in the final 7:39 of the first half. The Wildcats finished the first half shooting 34 percent on 28 shot attempts, after making six of their first 12 shot attempts to open the game and take a 15-2 lead over Missouri.

“I felt like we were getting good looks, just not finishing,” head coach Deb Patterson said. “I wasn’t disappointed with the looks we were getting. So it wasn’t as big of a concern if it might have been if we had been playing real poorly there.”

However, the Wildcats would stay in the fight behind junior forward Ashley Sweat, who had a game-high 25 points and resisted the Tigers continued pressure, sealing a 58-54 victory.

The victory didn’t come without a tight battle for the Wildcats (19-2, 6-2 Big 12 Conference). The Tigers (10-11, 1-7 Big 12) maintained a steady offensive attack in the second half and kept two and three possessions ahead of the Wildcats.

It wasn’t until Sweat hit a 3-pointer from straight away with 6:25 remaining in the game that the Wildcats would regain the lead they lost in the first half.

“I think it’s all about Shalee [Lehning] penetrating and getting to the rim, which opens up the outside, and then it’s up to us shooters to knock them down,” Sweat said. “I think that’s what I like to do. It’s really good to be able to step up and hit that shot.”

Sweat anchored the Wildcats in the final stretch as she sank two free throws after getting fouled, to give the Wildcats a three-point lead with 16 seconds remaining in the game.

“Ashley Sweat I thought was just tremendous in asserting herself both on the boards and at the free-throw line and literally making some big play shots in critical game situations,” Patterson said. “I think that is what separated us a little bit down the stretch.”

Following the victory, the Wildcats will travel to Waco, Texas, on Saturday to take on the No. 8 Baylor Bears. The Wildcats are 2-2 in conference road games this season.

“It’s a really neat thing [that] on any given night in this league anything can happen,” Patterson said. “We’re not going to give an inch to anybody. And nobody is going to give us an inch. We’re going down there with the mindset of being as competitive as possible and bringing our best game as of today, and we will see what that means when it’s all said and done.”

Women look to tame Tigers

The K-State women’s basketball team will look to get back on track after against Missouri on tonight after suffering only their second loss of the season at the hands of Iowa State on Sunday. The 60-50 loss came within the hostile confines of the Hilton Coliseum where the Cyclones are now 11-0 on the season.

The Missouri Tigers (10-10, 1-6 Big 12 Conference) will come into Manhattan riding a four game losing streak, and in search of their first Big 12 road victory of the season. The Tiger’s road struggles have amounted to a 12 game Big 12 road-losing streak, which dates back to Feb. 17, 2008 when they picked up their last road win at Nebraska.

However despite Missouri’s 1-6 record in conference play, the Wildcats understand the toughness of the Big 12 conference and that everyone has the potential to beat any team.

"I think they (Missouri) are one of those teams in the Big 12 who are dangerous on any night." Junior forward Ashley Sweat said. "They are not necessarily totally dependent on their inside game or their outside game, they have a nice combination of both. They bring a lot of nice things to the floor and we have to be ready for them."

The balance that the Tigers bring to the floor is evident as senior guard Alyssa Hollins and junior forward Jessra Johnson compliment each other on offense. Hollins is averaging 13.3 points per game, while Johnson has averaged 12.2 points per game.

Following the Wildcats’ (18-2, 5-2 Big 12) loss to Iowa State on Saturday, senior guard Shalee Lehning said the teams practice on Monday was productive and the team was not affected by the performance against the Cyclones.

"That is something this team has done well with in the past," Lehning said. "You cannot mope about a loss. We have to work on the things we didn’t do well and we came in today and we focused on those things and did a great job."

The Wildcats game against Missouri will open the month of February that features three road games highlighted by Saturdays showdown at No. 8 Baylor. The month of February has historically been a challenge for the Wildcats as they have gone 183-128 (.588), which is the lowest percentage of any month for the Wildcats. Head Coach Deb Patterson owns a 43-47 (.478) record in the month of February, also her lowest percentage for any month.

"I’m not sure the way our schedule will play out in February that there is going to be a wave of momentum at any given point." Patterson said. "So that is the mental challenge. ‘Its line it up deal with it, line it up deal with that.’

It’s going to be that kind of February for us."

Patterson has stressed the importance of her team being physical on the court and felt that was a pivotal aspect of the Wildcats loss in Ames last weekend.

"We have to match physically," Patterson said. "We did not play even remotely physical on the offensive end of the floor at Iowa State."

Heading into the game tonight against Missouri Patterson said she is looking for her team to show balance on offense with her key players. The Wildcats struggled to find that balance in Ames as they shot a mere 38 percent on 50 shot attempts

"Ultimately I want us to find a way to get a win." Patterson said. "I want to see us improve significantly with our execution on the offense end. We have to produce."

K-State women lose only second game of year at ranked Iowa State

Iowa State senior guard Heather Ezell helped to prove her No. 22 Cyclones were up to the challenge when they played on their home court Saturday evening at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. After managing only seven points in Iowa State’s losing effort in Manhattan earlier this season, the senior guard exploded for 19 points en route to a 60-50 upset over the No. 14 Wildcats.
“We found a way to win,” Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said. “That’s as well coached team as we are going to play against.”
The Wildcats suffered early foul trouble with Ashley Sweat and Marlies Gipson as each recorded two fouls early in the first half. Gipson recorded two fouls in the first 10 minutes of the opening half.
“We had three players with two fouls very quick into the game, and obviously we didn’t step up and assert ourselves from that position on the floor.” K-State head coach Deb Patterson said.
The Wildcats built a six point lead late in the first half, however poor shooting and a 10-2 run by the Cyclones shifted the momentum and lead to Iowa State heading into halftime.
The Cyclone run was highlighted by a Kelsey Bolte jumper with :06 remaining in the first half to give the Cyclones a 24-19 lead heading into the half time break.
Iowa State took their momentum into the second half and built an eight-point lead just more than three minutes into the second half.
However Patterson’s team began to make a push with the help of Shalee Lehning and Sweat. The Wildcats were able to take the lead after a jump shot by Sweat with 8:11 remaining in the game.
AMES, IA - Following a technical foul on Alison Lacey of the Cyclones with eight minutes remaining, and two made free throws by Kari Kincaid as a result of the technical, the Wildcats amassed their largest lead in the second half at four points with a 35-39 advantage.
Yet, with what would prove to be the dagger in the back of the Wildcats, Kelsey Bolte hit a three pointer at the 6:28 mark to steal the momentum back from the Wildcats.
“They put themselves in the position down the stretch.” Patterson said. “We had an opportunity to stretch a little bit of momentum we had gained, we gave them the opportunity to hit a big three.”
Following the three pointer by Bolte, the Wildcats defense was unable to stop Ezell and the Iowa State offense, as she would account for a game high 19 points, 12 of which came in the second half.
“It was a game where both teams defended very well,” Patterson said. “It came down to one or two possession. If you break down defensively, Iowa State will crush you.”
With the loss, K-State falls to 18-2 overall and 5-2 in Big 12 play. They will look to bounce back at home next week as they play host to Missouri on Wednesday.