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K-State Defends Bramlage in an OT Win Against Iowa State

Ely Burroughs

Gisela Sanchez stares down an opponent during Thursday nights game against Iowa State in Bramlage Coliseum.
Gisela Sanchez stares down an opponent during Thursday nights game against Iowa State in Bramlage Coliseum. Courtesy: Ashton Todd

No. 11 Kansas State (20-2, 8-1) extends their home-court winning streak out to 14 against a solid Iowa State team. The annual ‘Farmageddon’ rivalry has long been tough, close matchups for these two schools. K-State found their stride thanks to an all-out defensive blitz, forcing 23 turnovers.  

 

Not only was K-State effective defensively, but they also found five scorers in double figures. Led by Serena Sundell, the Wildcats were able to maintain a lead and control the game for 35 minutes of the contest, but thanks to a late push the Cyclones forced overtime. A back-and-forth game led to a K-State dominated overtime and a Wildcat victory, 87-79. 

 

Wildcat Warm-Up 

Opponent Matchup  

Iowa State (15-8, 6-4) has had a down year to their preseason expectations, however, the Cyclones are one of the better squads inside a tough Big 12. The Cyclones are led by veteran coach Bill Fennely and his two superstars, Audi Crooks and Addy Brown. Crooks leads the Big 12 in scoring (22.2 PPG) and Brown is a dynamic two-way player.  

 

Tip-Off to Buzzer 

Quarter Breakdowns 


First Quarter-  

The slugfest contest all started in the first frame. Iowa State came out hot from behind the arc, making four. Brown had eight for the Cyclones and dominated the first quarter. K-State found scoring from six different Wildcats but trailed, 18-16.  

 

Second Quarter-  

K-State picked up Iowa State in a full-court press starting in the second and never let up. The Wildcats came away with six steals and forced nine turnovers. Sundell had seven in the quarter to help the Cats take a 36-32 lead into the half.  

 

Third Quarter-  

The Wildcats came out aggressively defensively forcing the Cyclones into five turnovers. K-State found production off the bench all game, and nine of their 19 in this quarter from the bench. The Wildcats led into the final frame, 55-47.  

 

Fourth Quarter-  

K-State controlled most of the fourth quarter until a late 7-0 to tie up the game. Iowa State was unable to connect on a buzzer-beater shot, and forced overtime, tied at 71.  

 

Overtime-  

Just seconds into overtime Jaelyn Glenn knocked down a three-ball and the Wildcats never looked back. K-State went on to go 6-6 in the overtime period. Taryn Sides helped the cause by hitting her fourth three-pointer. The Wildcats went on to win a classic in Bramlage, 87-79.  

 

Courtside Conclusions 

The Wildcats played an excellent game defensively, with the majority of the game in full-court pressure. Coach Jeff Mittie spoke his thoughts about the contest.  

 

“Great game. That’s an understatement,” Mittie said. “Both teams made a lot of shots. Proud of our group because when you have the lead in regulation and you feel like you missed an opportunity, it's not always easy to come back out of that, but our group stayed confident.”  

 

K-State was able to get out and run in transition against the Cyclones, scoring 22 in transition. Mittie would go on to say that Sides played the best game of her career. Sides shared her thoughts on the defensive game.  

 

“I came in with a different mindset today, and I have to credit girls like Zy [Walker], who really get after it,” Sides said. “When she does, it makes me want to do the same. That was our game plan, to apply pressure and make them handle the ball.” 

 

Sides had a picture-perfect, fade-away shot to beat the shot clock in overtime. Zy Walker gave her thoughts on the full-court press.  

 

“Oh, it was fun,” Walker said. “We just went after it. Everyone brought a different level of defense, jumping into passing lanes, getting steals. I remember when Audi Crooks was dribbling, and you [Sides] came from behind and tapped the ball away. That moment gave us the push we needed.” 

 

K-State Leaders 

K-State had several players shine in the game. Sundell led the way in points with 23, followed by Sides with 17, and Walker with 11. Sides had five assists, five boards, and four steals to fill up her stat sheet. Another player of the game was K-State’s posts. Imani Lester in particular played a great game with six points, five rebounds, three big assists, and two steals. 

 

Future Focus 

A Look Ahead at the K-State Schedule  

K-State has just begun one of their hardest stretches of conference play, especially with the absence of Ayoka Lee, who is recovering from a foot injury. K-State travels to Lawrence for the Sunflower Showdown on Sunday before returning home for a ranked matchup against the TCU Horned Frogs. Both of these games will be aired live here on Wildcat 91.9.  

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