Lehning's faith, determination will follow her to WNBA

It was early February when without explanation, practices had suddenly become a chore and games exhausting for the cornerstone of the K-State women's basketball team. In search of an explanation for her sudden lack of stamina, point guard Shalee Lehning consulted a doctor following the Wildcats' 59-50 loss at Baylor.

The resulting news was something that neither Shalee nor her mother, Jane, wanted to hear.

Jane was devastated initially. She knew she was lucky that her daughter had avoided injuries during her four-year career as point guard, but she never expected Shalee to be diagnosed with mononucleosis during the middle of her senior year.

"The day she found out she had mono, it just broke my heart," Jane said.

The two of them had talked on the phone that Tuesday, discussing the condition and the future of Shalee's final season. Jane said that following their conversation, her daughter was much more optimistic than she was.

However, it was more than optimism. With the final games of her career suddenly in question, Shalee turned to her strong faith upon hearing the news of her condition.

"What she said to me that morning was 'It's in God's hands, it's whatever he chooses,'" Jane said. "I still remember her saying that."

Shalee knew she had to assure her mother about the outlook of her senior season. To console her, Shalee sent Jane multiple text messages quoting Scripture, including Jeremiah 9:11 and Proverbs 3:5-6.

These passages helped assure Shalee of her strength, and put the condition in the hands of her faith.

"She has always been that way, she has always been the one that's there to help someone else," Jane said. "Those things are amazing, it should have been me text messaging her, not her text messaging me."

It was that faith through the course of the next few weeks that kept the Wildcats' season intact during Shalee's absence from the starting lineup. In that span, K-State was able to maintain a .500 record through four games, defeating Oklahoma State and Colorado.

Once Lehning made her return to the lineup during the Wildcats' game against Colorado on March 7, she helped propel the team into its eighth consecutive postseason appearance and sixth straight NCAA second-round game in as many tournament appearances.

"[God] had plans, and I just had to put my trust in Him," Lehning said.

On April 9, those plans would open a new chapter in her life as she was selected as the 25th overall pick in the WNBA Draft. She said she remembers the day clearly as she sat nervously in her coach's office with head coach Deb Patterson, associate head coach Kamie Ethridge and fellow players.

It was, however, one of the few times in the prolific point guard's life that she said she felt nervous and uncertain. Lehning's nerves came from the fact that she did not have control over the situation. She said she thrives on having control, and it shows in the way she ran the Wildcat offense with a deceivingly simplistic flow for four years.

But on that day, all she could do was wait.

"It was nervewracking," she said. "I was just so anxious the entire time. Being able to get drafted is very difficult, so I understood the complexity of it. I was still nervous, I still didn't know going in if I was going to get drafted or not, that's how nervous I was. I just had to sit there."

As the first round concluded, Atlanta Dream head coach Marynell Meadors was set to make her the first pick in the second round. Lehning was a guard that she had kept her eyes on for three years leading up to this day, and Meadors knew that the honorable mention All-American had potential to benefit her squad.

"I have a great feeling about what she can do," Meadors said of Lehning. "I think one of the things that I like so much about her is her grit and determination. Besides that, she handles the ball well, she is a good shooter, she can get to the rim, she rebounds, and she is just a really good all-around basketball player."

But with being drafted comes another challenge for the feisty point guard. Once Lehning leaves for Atlanta on May 15, she must catch the eye of Meadors at training camp in order to make the small roster: again, another decision that is out of her hands.

"Undoubtedly, there are some nerves there that just go with the uncertainty of being in this position and not knowing what to expect." Lehning said. "But I am confident in my abilities. I am confident that this coaching staff that just drafted me has a purpose for their draft pick and they have faith and confidence in [me]. They have watched me play for the past [few] years, so they know what I can bring, and obviously there is something about me that I bring that they are interested in."

That faith appears to be there, as Meadors said she is confident with her second round selection.

"She has to come here and make the team," Meadors said "With her grit and her determination, she has a great chance of making our team,"

In less than a month, Shalee will leave Manhattan in pursuit of yet another dream. However, the purple No. 5 jersey hanging from the rafters of Bramlage Coliseum will remain, and the K-State community will remember the four years Shalee gave to the school.

"K-State, I have got to say, is everything to me," Lehning said. "K-State will always have a special place in my heart, and if there is anyway that I can give back, I intend to do that."

***

I had the privilege of following Shalee Lehning throughout the entirety of her senior year at Kansas State. I came into the job as the beat writer for the women's basketball team knowing little about the team and little about Shalee Lehning. However it didn't take long to realize what an enormous impact Lehning made to not only the basketball program but to the university as a whole. Therefore I planned on writing a feature piece highlighting her following the conclusion of her senior year. So with that idea in mind I searched for a specific event during her final season that would capture her incredible character. Then came the mono incident. The timing and the impact it had on the season was an incredible story to watch unfold. In the midst of of a tightly contested final leg of conference play, the team suddenly found themselves without their leader. Yet eventually Lehning embraced a new role as she began to influence the team as a mentor. She was a constant presence on the bench during the next few games and helped the team to secure a 2-2 record before returning to the lineup against Colorado.

Snyder stresses need for stability

The theme of K-State football's spring season this year has been achieving a sense of consistency.

Discuss the performance of the Wildcats this spring with head coach Bill Snyder - it won't be long before he uses the term to evaluate his squad, and it won't take much longer to realize he isn't satisfied.

He has made clear, however, that the team has made some improvements through the course of spring practices, and Saturday's annual Purple and White scrimmage gave fans an opportunity to see the team for themselves.

The game in itself was a rout with the Purple team, filled with first team starters, dominating the White 45-0. Therefore it was somewhat painful to watch, yet it did answer several questions about the progress of Snyder's team.

Prior to the scrimmage, Snyder had said his quarterback, junior Carson Coffman, had made improvements throughout the spring practices, yet he, along with the vast majority of the team, struggled to remain consistent.

Snyder said Coffman had a good week leading up to the scrimmage; however, a disappointing Wednesday practice had set his progress back slightly.

"Good football teams develop consistency, and we are not there yet by any stretch of the imagination," Snyder said.

Based on his performance on Saturday, however, it seems as though Coffman is progressing and growing comfortable in the starting quarterback role. The 6'3", 215 pound junior threw 334 yards for three touchdowns and no interceptions on 25-36 passing.

Most of Coffman's success came after the halftime break. The Purple team went into the halftime break with a mere 17-0 lead with Coffman only throwing for 90 yards on 9-14 throwing.

"I thought he had a good third quarter," Snyder said. "That doesn't surprise me that he had a good third quarter. It didn't surprise me that one, two and four were not so hot. But it just relates to [the fact that] he has to be consistent in order for the offense to be consistent."

That consistency in the third quarter led to the Purple's offensive explosion and was highlighted by Coffman's connections with receivers Brandon Banks and Attrail Snipes. The two receivers combined for six receptions in the quarter en route to the Purple team building a 38-0 lead.

The two receivers would finish the game with a combined 14 receptions, 217 yards and two touchdown receptions.

On the defensive side of the ball, it was clear that linebacker Alex Hrebec was looking to make a statement as he recorded 19 tackles on the day for the Purple unit.

"He normally is going to be at the right place when he is suppose to be," Snyder said. "He will play hard and he will play aggressively and that says something about him to record 19 tackles."

While Coffman was successful in leading his team to a convincing victory in the spring game, it is clear the game has to be put into perspective and therefore it leaves many questions to be answered before Snyder's team takes the field in the fall.

Cats stumble against Missouri

Heading into a series against the Missouri Tigers, Brad Hill's squad was turning heads in the Big 12 Conference. But the youth of Hill's team, a factor that many believed would be the Achilles' heel of the club, was present at Tointon Family Stadium this weekend as the Wildcats dropped two of three games to the Tigers.

In Friday's series opener, it seemed as though the Wildcats would extend their four-game losing streak as they received yet another stellar performance from junior pitcher A.J. Morris. Morris, who came into the series leading the nation with nine wins, threw eight scoreless innings before giving up consecutive base hits.

Missouri outfielder Aaron Seene led off the inning with a double to right center field, followed by an infield single off Morris' glove by outfielder Greg Folgia.

"I think [Morris] competed extremely well. But it's the same thing with him in the ninth inning, he got the slider up and they just hit him," said head coach Brad Hill.

Following a mound visit by Hill, sophomore Thomas Rooke was called in from the bullpen. Rooke, who has been dependable for most of the season, came in to face catcher Trevor Coleman. Rooke was able to keep Coleman off balance with the use of off-speed pitches, working the count to 2-2. Then Rooke left a change-up out over the plate, and Coleman powered a home run over the left-field fence, scoring himself and two others.

The three-run blast was followed by a solo home run by Kyle Mach to give the Tigers a sudden 4-2 lead, silencing the 3,008 fans in attendance.

"We made some mistakes," Hill said. "We made some good pitches early on Coleman and we just didn't get that last one down — it stayed up and he handled it. It's just one of those things. [Rooke] usually doesn't make those mistakes but he did tonight."

The Wildcats were able to respond with some noise of their own. Four consecutive singles produced a run for the Wildcats, cutting the Tiger lead to one run. Yet a failed squeeze attempt by Adam Muenster resulted in the second out of the inning. Muenster then grounded out to second base, ending the game.

"I thought we had a lot of competitive at-bats; we put ourselves in a spot to maybe win that ball game, but we just came up one short," Hill said.

Hill said he felt his team would come out ready to compete for the second game. After two innings Saturday, it seemed his prediction was coming true as the Wildcats jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead.

Yet the pitching staff was unable to keep the lead as K-State gave up 10 free bases throughout the game through walks and hit batters. Missouri's offense came alive in the fourth inning as the Tigers scored five runs on three hits.

"That was a key factor," Hill said of the walks. "Any time you have more runs than hits, there is probably something not going right with [your pitchers] throwing strikes."

The Wildcats were able to avoid a sweep on Sunday as they took advantage of five errors committed by the Tigers. The Wildcats offense came alive as K-State defeated Missouri, 11-5. K-State recorded 10 hits and scored in seven of the eight innings they headed to the plate.

With one win in the series, the No. 21 Wildcats improved to 29-11 overall and 8-7 in the Big 12. While the Wildcats did lose the series to Missouri, they remained in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Big 12.

"That's the way this conference is," said first baseman Justin Bloxom. "Playing in the Big 12, it's a tough conference — one of the best in the country. That's just the way it falls. Sometime you have a bad weekend, sometimes stuff doesn't go your way and you just have to bounce back."

K-State returns to action Friday as the Wildcats travel to Austin, Texas, to face the No. 9 Texas Longhorns in a weekend series to face the Big 12 leaders.

Women's team lacks necessary support, despite achievements

It was late last spring when I first encountered an opportunity to attend a K-State women's basketball game. That evening, I was in the midst of a discussion about the team that with a group of people I had just met.

Those people noticed that I struggled to contribute in the discussion, making it obvious I knew little about the team, and therefore even more obvious that I, along with most of the student body, wasn't keen on women's basketball.

Then came the invitation.

Instinctively, I gave a weak excuse as to why I would be unable to attend a game, along with a weak promise that someday I would take them up on the offer.

Little did I know at the time that after one year and one season of covering the team they were so fond of, I too would be advocating the women's basketball team to others.

Life has a funny way of doing thing's like that.

It is quite amazing that this team is not celebrated throughout the K-State community. While covering head coach Deb Patterson's squad for the Collegian, this year I found myself hooked after only a few games.

It was downright incredible to watch the prolific play of Shalee Lehning as she exhausted the stats sheets each night, leaving a permanent mark on the program after her jersey was retired and lifted to the rafters on March 1.

Lehning broke a Big 12 Conference and K-State record this season when she recorded her fifth career triple-double against Colorado. She also set a career record with 900 assists during her Wildcat tenure, highlighted by a single season record of 229 this past year.

Yes, the loyal fans of women's basketball celebrated her, but it is a shame that during her senior year, Bramlage only averaged 4,400 fans per game to witness her final season at K-State.

Compare that to the 2007-08 season, when Michael Beasley wore the Wildcat jersey and an average of 12,529 fans packed the "Octagon of Doom" each night.

Yet as those 12,529 fans were jumping at the opportunity to see Beasley, who only used K-State as a one-year springboard to the NBA, Lehning and the women's team captured a Big 12 title in his shadow.

"The team always comes first," said Joshua Kinder, sports editor of the Manhattan Mercury. "It's not about them. They are not chasing the riches of the NBA. They're chasing titles. They want championships."

But just one year ago, I too was blind to the idea of women's basketball. See, I was among the myriad of students and sports fans throughout Manhattan that leave the women's team in the rearview mirror of the bandwagon of men's athletics.

Gradually, as I covered the women's basketball team, I realized that these athletes are just as entertaining to watch as their men counterparts.

No, they may not have the ability to dunk a basketball, but when it comes down to the pure fundamental ability to play the sport, it is ludicrous to claim they are sub par.

Because they don't have the athleticism and speed of the men, they have to be fundamentally sound.

"The fundamentals, I think, are the biggest difference," Kinder said. "They have better passers, better shooters, better footwork, and that's because they have to be. They can't rely on the athleticism."

It is good basketball.

Not only are they more fundamentally sound than the men's team, but they are playing for each other. They play for K-State. We should embrace that as students because we too are K-State. These players are not one-and-done athletes.

Deb Patterson's team will return next season looking to reach its ninth consecutive post-season appearance, most likely playing in front of a one-third capacity crowd. If the K-State community says they celebrate success, then let's keep to our word and support the women's basketball program next season.

Cats hold on to win in final game of series against Texas A&M

The Wildcats were down to their final three outs Saturday afternoon. Three outs from falling to the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies and losing their third straight series to a Big 12 South team this season.

The series was tied at one game apiece, and the Aggies were ahead 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth and looking to take the series after losing game two Friday evening.

However, with one out and fellow Wildcat Jason King on second base and Rob Vaughn on first base, pinch hitter Michael Kindel singled through the right side and brought King home, giving K-State a sudden spark.

Following the single, Vaughn advanced to third base with Carter Jurica coming to the plate. On a 1-2 pitch with one out, Jurica was able to hit a fly ball deep enough to right field to bring Vaughn home and give the Wildcats the win and the series.

With the two wins in the series, K-State improved to 26-9 overall this season, and 7-5 in the Big 12. Meanwhile, Texas A&M dropped to 21-14 overall and 8-7 in the Big 12.

After dropping the opening game of the series 4-2 on Friday afternoon to the Aggies, it looked as though K-State would yet again fall victim to the Big 12 South in the series.

Wildcat starting pitcher Lance Hodge was able to throw six innings of shut-out baseball, and the Wildcats held a 2-0 lead following a single down the third base line by Jason King, bringing in Drew Beiry.

However, the Aggie bats would come alive in the eighth inning. After Kevin Gonzalez doubled to right center, Hodge was pulled from the game and replaced by James Allen.

Allen was unable to slow the momentum built by Gonzalez’s double as the Aggies exploded for four hits and four runs in the inning and took a 4-2 lead that would sink K-State in the first game of the series. The Aggies held the lead for the short remainder of the game.

Despite the loss, it wasn’t difficult for Wildcat fans to be optimistic prior to the second game of the doubleheader on Friday, as the dominant A.J. Morris was scheduled to take the mound for K-State just one hour later for game two.

Morris, who led the nation in wins with eight prior to taking the mound Friday, gave K-State a chance to tie the series before heading into Saturday, and delivered just as he has all season long.

The Wildcats took a quick 3-0 by the second inning, as K-State strung together three singles by the middle of the lineup.

The lead proved to be enough for Morris, who tossed five complete innings before the Aggies could push across a run, when Kyle Colligan blasted a two-run home run. Morris got out of the inning with the home run being the only damage done by the Aggies.

He was pulled in the following inning after giving up two runs and another home run, this time by Brodie Green. With the Wildcats up 5-4, sophomore Thomas Rooke replaced Morris on the mound and preserved the precious lead to give the Wildcats the victory and tie the series at 1 game apiece.

With the victory, Morris improved to 9-0 on the season, tying a single season record for victories by a Wildcat pitcher.

K-State is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday at Tointon Family Stadium, when they take on in-state rival Wichita State in a two-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be televised on Cox Cable Channel 22.

K-State's season ends with loss to Vandy

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Kansas State coach Deb Patterson could hardly face her team in the locker room Monday after her Wildcats lost to Vanderbilt in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. As she looked at her prolific senior class, one that had captured an outright Big 12 Championship and appeared in two consecutive NCAA second round games, it was difficult to comprehend that their K-State careers were finished.

That senior class, led by point guard Shalee Lehning, saw its college run come to a close when the fifth-seeded Wildcats fell to the fourth-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores 74-61 in the second round of the Raleigh Region of the NCAA Tournament on Monday at The Pit.

"They really have represented everything we dream that Kansas State women's basketball being about," Patterson said as tears began to develop in her eyes. "They have been an unbelievably special group. It's mind-boggling to think they're walking out the door now."

They will shut the door behind a game that was well in their hands during the first half. K-State was able to keep up with the Commodores early as they took advantage of their size over Vanderbilt with senior forward Marlies Gipson able to connect from down in the post, while senior guard Danielle Zanotti opened up the perimeter game.

Following a basket by Christina Wirth, who finished the game with 24 points, to put Vanderbilt up 20-19, the Wildcats perimeter game would again open up as junior Ashley Sweat, who led K-State with 17 points, and Zanotti hit consecutive 3-pointers igniting a 11-2 run putting the Cats up 30-23.

K-State would maintain a slight lead over the Commodores for the majority of the first half, thanks largely to their shooting from behind the arc.

The Wildcats began the game 5 for 5 from 3-point range and finished the half 5-6. Both Zanotti and junior guard Kari Kincaid went 2 of 2 from 3-point territory.

However, after walking into the locker room with a 38-37 lead, the game would change during the second half.

It was following a jumper by Gipson with 11:41 remaining in the second half to tie the game at 48 that Vanderbilt would pounce on the Cats with their speed and physicality.

"I think Vanderbilt got very aggressive offensively and also began to dominate the extra possessions on the rebounds," Patterson said. "I think that was probably the most significant aspect of the stretch run of that game."

That stretch run, an 11-0 burst led by forward Jennifer Risper, who sparked Vandy with 27 points, that sucked the momentum out of the Wildcats and put the Commodores (26-8) on top 59-48 with 7:38 remaining, shut the door on the Wildcats season.

During that fatal span, both Sweat and Gipson picked up their fourth personal fouls, forcing them to the bench.

Patterson would eventually return them to the game in an a desperate attempt to catch Vanderbilt, however, Gipson would be called for her fifth foul in the paint with 2:47 remaining in the game. Gipson finished the game with 16 points and six rebounds.

The Wildcats finished the season 25-8 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year and made their 11th NCAA appearance at the NCAA tournament in the program's history, the eighth appearance under Patterson.

Despite the loss, it wasn't difficult for Lehning to look past the results on the court just moments earlier. The record-setting guard whose jersey was lifted to the rafters of Bramlage Coliseum this season was humbled as she recalled her four years at K-State.

"In the immediate, the loss is disappointing," said Lehning, who scored 10 for the Wildcats. "But we can't help but be proud of our team and the accomplishments that we have made together. I think we have surpasses a lot of expectations and we have accomplished things together that nobody ever thought was possible. It's just been great. It's been the best four years of my life."

Vandy stands in way of Cats' Sweet 16

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- On the heels of her team's first-round win over the 12th-seeded Drexel Dragons in the Raleigh Regional of the NCAA Tournament, Kansas State coach Deb Patterson will look to leap over an obstacle that has haunted her during her previous four trips to the NCAA Tournament.

On Saturday evening, the Wildcats (25-7) recorded their sixth straight first-round NCAA victory by defeating Drexel. However, Patterson's team has only managed to escape second round play, and reach Sweet 16 once in its previous attempts.

Monday night, Patterson's team will be presented with yet another opportunity to reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in the program's history and the second time under the direction of Patterson.

That challenge may seem like déjà vu for Patterson as it comes in the form of the fourth-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores. Vanderbilt broke the hearts of the Wildcats in 2005 with a three-point victory, also in the second round of the tournament.

Patterson, though, has pushed history aside and is focused on the present challenge at hand.

"I think it is going to be a great match up between two basketball teams that are relying right now on great senior leadership," Patterson said.

That senior leadership helped the Wildcats to roll over the Drexel Dragons on Saturday night as senior point guard Shalee Lehning baffled the zone defense of Drexel by handing out 13 assists, tying her career high.

Senior forward Marlies Gipson scored a game-high 18 points, while senior Danielle Zanotti added nine points.

Vanderbilt, (25-8) the SEC tournament champions, comes into the contest riding a four-game win streak after defeating Western Carolina 73-44 in their opening round game on Saturday evening.

The Commodores are led in scoring by senior forward Christina Wirth, who averages 16 points per game and was named the SEC tournament most valuable player and was an unanimous selection for first-team All-SEC choice. Wirth enters the game having scored double figures in 16 straight contests.

"Wirth is definitely an extremely emotional leader for her team, and I think it is just going to be a team role to try and contain her," Gipson said.

While K-State's defense finished the regular season ranked first in the Big 12 by allowing opponents only 52 points per game, Patterson emphasized the importance of containing and being aware of Wirth's presence on the floor.

"I think she is one of the premier players in the country," Patterson said. "We're going to have to have a radar on her and not lose sight of her. From that point on it's just do what you do defensively, but certainly if fail at all or bring in a preoccupation to knowing where she is and where she's going she's going to beat you."

The Wildcats meanwhile will look to their cornerstone players in Ashley Sweat, Gipson and Lehning trio Monday evening. The trio combined for 34 points in the victory against Drexel. As a team, K-State managed to shoot an even 50 percent from the floor, thanks largely to a second half surge in which they scored 42 of their 68 points after shooting 42 percent in the first half.

The K-State bench played a large part in offensive production Saturday evening, led by senior Kelsey Nelson and freshman Jalana Childs, both with eight points.

Lehning said the bench will be vital in their efforts against Vanderbilt on Monday.

"It (K-State bench production) was tremendous," Lehning said. "At this time of the year you have to rely on your bench. That is definitely something we need to happen next game. All good teams go to their bench and rely on that. That is definitely something we need to happen next game."

With a victory in the first round against Drexel completed, Patterson's squad is 40 minutes away from breaking the four-year Sweet 16 drought.

"It would be tremendous for our program and for our players more than anything," Patterson said. "You think about where we are at right now competing in the second round and in such a precious moment with such a tremendous achievement, but to be one of the 16 remaining teams would be a dream."

Lehning helps Cats run away from Drexel

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Despite scoring the game's first six points, the Drexel Dragons found themselves in quick trouble in their NCAA Tournament first-round game with the fifth-seeded Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday at The Pit. After five minutes of play, the 12th-seeded Dragons' leading scorer and Colonial Athletic Association preseason player of the year, Gabriela Marginean, headed to the bench with two fouls.

It didn't take long for the Wildcats to take advantage.

Deb Patterson's Wildcats, now 25-7, went on a run against Drexel's suddenly depleted lineup and never looked back as they defeated the Dragons 68-44 to advance to the second round of the Raleigh Regional. K-State will face the fourth-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores on Monday at The Pit, the homecourt of the New Mexico Lobos.

"It wasn't necessarily a pretty game for us at points in time, but we found a way to fight through possessions and I thought we managed the game real well in the second half overall," Patterson said.

The Dragons jumped out to a 6-0 lead over the Wildcats as K-State missed its first five field goal attempts. The Wildcats tried to get the ball inside to Ashley Sweat and Marlies Gipson, but the pair failed to connect on several forced lay-ups.

Then Marginean committed her second foul and everything about the game changed.

"I thought it was a huge factor in this game," Patterson said. "Anytime you lose somebody early in the game of this magnitude, it puts a lot of pressure on everyone else and changes the flow a little bit."

That change of flow benefited the Wildcats immediately as their offense suddenly began to click.

Patterson's team immediately started to pull away from the Dragons, as they began to break the Drexel zone defense with Gipson connecting from the paint on back-to-back attempts.

The Wildcats built a quick 11-6 lead following the run and continued to build on the momentum and went into halftime leading the Dragons, 26-19.

During the first half, senior point guard Shalee Lehning was able to penetrate the Drexel zone defense and tied the school record for assists in a game by half time with eight.

"The lanes were just open and my teammates did a great job of knocking down the shots," Lehning said. "You just have to see what the defense is giving you and tonight it was more for me to pass the ball. So, the credit goes to my teammates, I just give them the ball and they're the ones who have to do the hard work and knock it down."

Lehning would finish by tying her career high 13 assists. The 13 assists is the most by any player in an NCCA tournament game since Tameka Johnson of Louisiana State had 15 on March 26, 2005.

The Wildcat offense would continue to click in the second half as junior guard Kari Kincaid would jumpstart the Wildcats with deep 3-pointer from the wing. The Wildcats' perimeter game would open following Kincaid's shot, as the Cats would go 6 of 11 from beyond the arc in the second half after shooting 3-10 in the first half.

"I was really pleased with our perimeter (shooting) in the second half," Patterson said. "It (was) really neat to see it open up for us in the second half and I really appreciate the confidence and aggressiveness that Kelsey Nelson and Danielle (Zanotti) and Kincaid brought to the floor."

The perimeter game would prove to give the Wildcats the cushion they needed to propel them passed the Dragons in the second half.

"I said it going into the game, they have players in each position that are really threats out there," Drexel coach Denise Dillon said. "It really opened up, the drives, the kick-outs, and knocking down those threes forced us to go man-to-man. Again, they took advantage of whatever defense we showed them."

Gipson led the Wildcats with 18 points, while Sweat and Kincaid both added 11. Marginean still managed to lead the Dragons, which ended their season at 24-9, with 15 points in 24 minutes of action. Jasmina Rosseel added 13 for Drexel.

Wildcats to play Buffaloes in first round of Big 12 tourney

The K-State women's basketball team will travel to Oklahoma City to participate in the Big 12 Conference Championship Thursday following two consecutive victories to close out the regular season. The Wildcats will enter the tournament as a No. 5 seed, and will face a rematch against the Colorado Buffaloes in the first round.

The Wildcats swept Colorado in two games during regular season play, with the most recent win coming Saturday on the road.

Head coach Deb Patterson said playing Colorado recently will benefit her team's preparation heading into the first round match-up.

"It's not just the third time we are playing them, but it was just a few nights ago, so the preparation is minimized," Patterson said. "You are headed into a tournament, in which you hope to play four days in a row, that extra preparation is hopefully something that plays as an advantage."

In their previous meeting with the Buffaloes, First Team All Big 12 point guard Shalee Lehning registered her third triple-double of the season and fifth of her career. Her triple-double total leads the NCAA this season.

"I was pumped," Lehning said. "Just for the adversity I have had to face in coming back from my sickness, I hadn't felt like myself, and I actually felt like myself in Colorado."

Lehning missed three consecutive games during the second half of the conference season due to a mononucleosis infection.

While Lehning's performance proved she is well enough to play extended minutes, Patterson said she is still not at 100 percent strength. According to Patterson, Lehning tires much faster than normal and requires more recovery time following games.

"The fight and the push and the drive and the leadership we get, I couldn't ask for more when she is on the court." Patterson said. "But is she 100 percent? No, she is not."

However despite Lehning's condition, Patterson said her team cannot afford to play cautiously in the Big 12 Tournament.

"You have to live in today and not worry about tomorrow as we go through this tournament," she said. "We have to go all out every minute of every game as we head into the tournament."

Lehning said that she is feeling better each day and feels comfortable playing extended minutes in possible back to back games during the tournament.

"That is just going to have to be a day-by-day situation where we are just going to have to see how my body reacts," Lehning said. "I really am getting better everyday. I'll be fine with the minutes."

If the Wildcats win, they will face No. 4 seed Texas A&M in the second round.

The Aggies handed the Wildcats their only home loss of the season with a 71-45 rout March 1.

However, Lehning said the Wildcats will not be looking past the Buffaloes to the second round.

"It's one game at a time for us," Lehning said. "That has been the motto all season. But we also understand that we have upset teams and we have been upset, last season we were upset in the first round. So we cannot allow ourselves to overlook anybody."

Tipoff for the first round game, which will be broadcast on KMAN 1350 AM, is set for 11 a.m. at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

Cats look for elusive road win in final regular season game

Following a upset victory over the No. 15 Texas Longhorns, the K-State women's basketball team will travel to Boulder, Colo., to face the Buffalos for their final regular season game.

The Wildcats (22-6, 9-6 Big 12 Conference) will look to build off the momentum of Wednesday's performance in which they forced the Longhorns into 19 turnovers. The K-State defense dictated the pace of the game and held the Longhorns' third-ranked Big 12 offense to 38 percent shooting from the field.

"That win [Wednesday] was just huge," said head coach Deb Patterson. "It was huge for every reason: We played well, we competed hard, we faced a top-15 opponent, we lined up a significantly deeper and more athletic team and answered that aspect of the game, whereas we struggled with that against Texas A&M."

In the game against Texas, senior point guard Shalee Lehning saw her first substantial minutes since suffering from mononucleosis.

Junior forward Ashley Sweat said having Lehning back in the lineup was significant in the success of the offense last night.

"She is such a great leader," Sweat said. "She just brings a whole different dimension to our team. Just having her back raises everyone else's confidence."

Lehning scored 11 points, handed out six assists and grabbed seven rebounds while playing 39 minutes against the Longhorns on Senior Night.

Junior guard Kari Kincaid said the Wildcats will be a different team this weekend since Lehning is healthy and able to contribute. In the Wildcats' previous meeting with Colorado, Lehning was sidelined.

"We have our All-American point guard back, which is a big weight off all our shoulders," Kincaid said. "She just makes us so much better in every aspect of the game, which Colorado will be ready for the 'Shalee Lineup.'"

Colorado will enter Saturday's game having lost seven of its previous eight games. However, despite their lack of success lately Patterson says her team is not overlooking the Buffalos before the Big 12 Tournament.

"I don't have any question in my mind that our kids are completely focused on Colorado," Patterson said.

The Cats will enter the contest looking for their first road win since their Jan. 24 victory in Lawrence over KU.

"This is another challenge for our team right now to see if we can overcome that challenge that has nicked us in the last few road games in the Big 12," Patterson said.

Tipoff for Saturday's game, which will be broadcast on 1350 KMAN, is set for 3 p.m.