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No. 20 Kansas State (25-6, 13-5 Big 12) got trampled in the second half by an Iowa State offensive frenzy, to lose 85-63. K-State offensive woes seemed to carry over from the loss against the Baylor Bears earlier in the week as the Wildcats shot only 33 percent from the field in Ames. Ayoka Lee yet again missing Farmaggedon in a boot on the sideline, after surgery earlier in the week. The Cyclones seemed to break the K-State full-court pressure with ease and then scored at 53 percent.
K-State did not take much time to shoot the ball in their offensive possessions, usually shooting the ball before 15 seconds on the shot clock. The Wildcats tried to force a quick pace on the game and Iowa State would not have it. K-State was able to knock down nine 3’s from 36 attempts. The Cyclones out-rebounded and out-assisted the Wildcats in their second meeting this season.
Wildcat Warm-Up
Opponent Matchup
Iowa State (21-10, 12-6 Big 12) 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 the big three, Audi Crooks, Emily Ryan, and Addy Brown. Crooks averages 23.3 points per game. The Cyclones finished the season winning six of the last seven.
Tip-Off to Buzzer
Quarter Breakdowns
First Quarter-
K-State was able to keep the pace up in the first two quarters. The Wildcats trailed the whole first quarter. K-State had eight different players score in the first 10 minutes. Ryan, Iowa State’s only senior, quickly got started on her senior day, scoring six, to help the Cyclones lead, 18-16.
Second Quarter-
The Wildcats were finally able to gain the lead and then it went back and forth throughout the quarter. K-States final player to find the bottom of the net was Serena Sundell, who finished the first half shooting 1-5. The Cyclones were able to find Crooks all game long, as she had 10 in the first half to lead the ‘Clones into the half up one, 35-34.
Third Quarter-
The Iowa State scoring frenzy started right after the half, the Cyclones would go 6-6 to start the quarter. The Wildcats could not keep up getting outscored 27-15 in the quarter. Crooks began to heat up as she scored 14 and did not miss a shot. K-State trailed into the final quarter 62-49.
Fourth Quarter-
K-State was unable to make a push at the Cyclone lead thanks to shooting 16 percent from deep in the quarter. The Cyclones would outscore the Wildcats 50-29 in the second half. K-State could not contain Crooks as she dropped another 12, going 10-11 in the second half, to finish with 36 points. K-State stood no chance inside the Hilton Magic in Ames and they fell 85-63.
Courtside Conclusions
K-State was unable to mount a second-half comeback on Senior Day in Hilton Coliseum. The Wildcats seemed to have no offensive answer for a Cyclone team who came out of half and dominated. K-State was quickly in foul trouble in the second half, but the majority of the players played through. Only Temeria Poindexter, who led K-State in scoring with 17, fouled out of the game.
Sundell despite having a lackluster shooting day, is the only player in the nation to end the season with 400+ points, 200+ assists, and 125+ rebounds. A great season for the Wildcats seemed to tail off at the end. K-State now will have to fight to be one of the top 16 seeds in the NCAA tournament.
K-State will have to lick their wounds and get ready for a challenging Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
Future Focus
A Look Ahead at the K-State Schedule
K-State ended the season by dropping three of the last four games. The rocky ending to a great season leaves K-State in limbo. The Wildcats finished fifth in the Big 12 after being picked in the preseason as the favorite. K-State will have to make a run for the Big 12 tournament later this week to try to host the NCAA tournament for the second year. K-State as the fifth seed will face the winner of BYU and UCF on Thursday, March 6 at 11 a.m. If the Wildcats win they will get a rematch against the West Virginia Mountaineers. All of the Women’s Big 12 Tournament will be covered live here on Wildcat 91.9.
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