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No. 11 K-State Wins a Tough Home Game to Improve to 6-0 in the Big 12

Ely Burroughs

Serena Sundell shoots over an Arizona Wildcat defender during Thursday's basketball game.
Serena Sundell shoots over an Arizona Wildcat defender during Thursday's basketball game. Courtesy: Ashton Todd

No. 11 Kansas State fights off a tough and scrappy Arizona team to improve the winning streak to 13 for the Wildcats and 6-0 in Big 12 play. An all-around team effort from K-State was needed to fight off a competitive team from Tucson. Both Wildcat squads had their struggles on both sides of the ball and the most eye-popping was the lack of shots finding the bottom of the net.  

 

K-State struggled to pull away from Arizona until the fourth quarter when the K-State could go on an early run. Serena Sundell was able to pass 1,500 career points, an accomplishment that only 14 Wildcats have done. Arizona was able to make it difficult to find Ayoka Lee for K-State when she was on the court. Lee only attempted one field goal, but her presence was more felt on the defensive end. Lee blocked eight shots, tying her career-high and the school record for blocks in a conference game.  

 

Wildcat Warm-Up 

Opponent Matchup  

The Arizona Wildcats (11-8, 2-4) began a two-game road trip to Kansas with their first stop in Manhattan. A slipping Arizona team coming off two losses at home and three of their last four. Arizona has been riddled with injuries with only nine of their 18 games with a full lineup. A young Arizona team is led by their center Breya Cunningham and point guard Jada Williams.  

 

Tip-Off to Buzzer 

Quarter Breakdowns 

First Quarter-  

K-State started on a quick run and never gave up the lead. An 8-0 run for the Wildcats helped K-State to start early. Holding Arizona to just 16% from the field and 0-11 before scoring their first basket. K-State was unable to force a turnover while Arizona forced the Wildcats to four. Kansas State led 14-10 after the first frame.  

 

Second Quarter-  

K-State jumped on another early in the quarter scoring run thanks to Gisela Sanchez knocking down three shots, two of which were beyond the arc. Both teams improved their slow shooting from the first quarter, with K-State shooting just under 70 percent knocking down four threes, and extending their lead at half to 36-23.  

 

Third Quarter-  

Arizona came out of half and popped the K-State in the mouth. Going on an 11-4 run and slashing the lead down to three before K-State ended on a little run thanks to two baskets from Sundell. A season-low shooting percentage in a quarter for K-State allowed Arizona to fight back and be down 47-41 into the final 10 minutes.  

 

Fourth Quarter-  

K-State, almost Deja Vu to the first quarter, opened on an 8-0 run and forced an Arizona timeout. K-State scored 15 in just over the first five minutes of the final quarter and that’s all it took to hold onto the win. Two threes from Temira Poindexter, and finally Lee found her first field goal. Even though K-State was scoreless for the last 4:30 seconds K-State was able to win 62-47.  

 

Courtside Conclusions 

K-State had one of the worst offensive nights of the season, tying a season-low 62 points. Just shooting 45 percent from the field and under 40 percent from three-point land, while knocking down eight from long range. K-State struggled to find an inside offensive presence, only scoring 20 in the paint. Head coach Jeff Mittie shared his thoughts on the tough offensive night.  

 

“I thought this game was going to be a tough one. I was impressed with Arizona's defensive toughness and their inside physicality,” Mittie said. “We had a great response in the fourth quarter, found enough offense, and got the job done. There will be nights like this where you have to win in different ways, and I'm proud of us for doing that tonight”  

 

An off-beat game for the Wildcats with Lee only scoring six, might be good for this squad. Finding different ways to win, as Mittie said, will help this top-ten team down the road. This squad found other ways to win besides their go-to bread and butter.  

 

K-State Leaders 

K-State was led by Sundell on the court tonight, scoring 16 and picking up eight assists. Poindexter closely followed behind Sundell with 14 with four shots from beyond the arc. The K-State defense held Arizona to only 47 thanks to six steals and nine team blocks, eight of which were from Lee. A full team effort from this K-State squad on the boards with Lee and Jaelyn Glenn with six rebounds.  

 

Future Focus 

A Look Ahead at the K-State Schedule  

K-State will face the other Arizona school in the Big 12, Arizona State. The Sun Devils are also on a Kansas campaign, losing by 23 in Lawrence. A struggling Sun Devil squad will have a tall task against the Wildcats on Sunday. After that Sunday’s matchup, K-State will play five solid teams (two ranked matchups), with the first in Boulder, Colorado. Every home game, and a special road trip next Saturday to Colorado, will be covered live here on Wildcat 91.9.

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