.png)
No. 12 Kansas State (22-2, 10-1 Big 12) downs TCU for the sole possession of the Big 12 conference. The heavyweight battle went far and put on a show for basketball fans. The battle was a slow, defensive first half with multiple missed shots and turnovers. K-State’s grueling defense played a full four quarters and held the best offense in the Big 12 to 50 in the 59-50 win.
K-State’s offense woke up after halftime to outscore the Horned Frogs 40-25. K-State was able to find a career night from senior Serena Sundell. Sundell scored 27 and dominated the second half. Sundell, who leads the nation in assists per game, found a living in the paint in the second half. Scoring 23 of the Wildcat’s 40 in the second half, Sundell pushed K-State to the upset.
Wildcat Warm-Up
Opponent Matchup
No. 9 TCU (21-3, 9-2) traveled into a hostile and packed Bramlage Coliseum after a trip to Ames, Iowa. TCU is having a marvelous turnaround season after not having enough players to play some matchups in last year's season. The Horned Frogs are led by transfers Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince, both contenders for Big 12 Player of the Year.
Tip-Off to Buzzer
Quarter Breakdowns
First Quarter-
K-State struggled in the opening quarter, shooting only 25 percent (4-16). The Wildcats were able to control the game thanks to quick defense. Just in this quarter the Wildcats forced six turnovers and picked four steals. After a slow offensive showing from both teams, the quarter closed tied 8-8.
Second Quarter-
After a season-low quarter total, K-State jumped on a quick 5-0 run to force a TCU timeout. K-State would rack up four more steals throughout the quarter. K-State shot slightly better (33%) through the second 10 minutes, thanks to Jaelyn Glenn’s five points. However, TCU would go on to close the quarter on a 12-2 run to lead at half, 25-19.
Third Quarter-
The lid seemed to come off the K-State bucket in the third quarter. K-State would jump on a 9-2 run to regain the lead by three and then go on another 9-2 to close out the quarter. Sundell scored 16 of the 18 in the two runs. K-State's big third quarter found them up by seven, 43-36.
Fourth Quarter-
TCU did not stay trailing long, as the Horned Frogs would shoot themselves into a 10-2 run to regain the lead by one. After back-and-forth play K-State would close on the final run of the game, the Wildcat’s 7-0 run would end the game winning 59-50.
Courtside Conclusions
A heavyweight bout that was a slugfest in the second half. Both teams found much-needed runs to push through to the end. A star-studded night, with All-American candidates all over the floor, and K-State despite having their former All-American Ayoka Lee still again found a way to win another big game. Sundell told her story of how K-State was able to come up with the win.
“Everybody played their part tonight,” Sundell said. “We had a solid game plan, and we did a great job on our scout. We stuck to it, and everyone was flying around. Without Yoki, we've just been finding a way, with people scrambling and stepping up.”
One of those people who stepped up was Sundell. The game leader in points found several points in the paint in the second half, Head Coach Jeff Mittie shared his thoughts on her inside game.
“The iso play, where she was able to get some post UPS down low,” Mittie said. “We wanted to put them at a decision of whether they were going to come bring that double team, or what they were going to do out of that, and she played well at it. Made good reads.”
Sundell was not the only crucial scorer for the Wildcats. Glenn made big shots throughout the first half to keep K-State in the game and described the K-State offense, who leads the nation in assists.
“I think our team has a lot of scoring threats, and it also shows how mentally tough we are,” Glenn said. “As Serena [Sundell] said about Zy [Walker], she struggled a bit offensively, but she never let up on defense, and that brought a lot of energy to our team.”
Future Focus
A Look Ahead at the K-State Schedule
K-State’s big win has to be quickly put in the past as their tough Big 12 schedule just continues. The Wildcats will have to travel to Stillwater to face No. 25 Oklahoma State. OSU is the first of two road games before K-State returns home to face a solid UCF squad on February 15. K-State plays four teams who are ranked or previously in their final seven matchups. All home games are available to listen to right here on Wildcat 91.9.
Comentários