Mar 12, 2021

K-State women down Texas Tech to advance at Big 12 Championship

Posted Mar 12, 2021 3:28 PM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas State used a season-high 29 points in the fourth quarter to down seventh-seeded Texas Tech, 75-65, on Thursday night in the first round of the 2021 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at Municipal Auditorium.

Since the Big 12 adjusted to a 10-team league in the 2011-12 season, K-State is just the fourth 10-seed to win the first round of the Big 12 Championship. K-State has advanced at least one round in 18 of the 24 Big 12 Championships.

K-State (9-17) entered the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game trailing by two, 48-46. The Wildcats would outscore the Lady Raiders with a season-high for points in a fourth quarter, 29-17. K-State shot 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from the field and 7-of-7 from the foul line in the last stanza. The 29 points set the school record for points in a fourth quarter in a Big 12 Championship game.

Sydney Goodson connected on a 3-pointer with 7:03 remaining in the final frame to tie the game at 54.

Texas Tech (10-15) would push in front by three, 59-56, as Bryn Gerlich made a jumper with 5:23 to play. The Wildcats squared the game at 59, as Christianna Carr buried her third 3-pointer of the night with 5:07 to play. A jumper from Texas Tech’s Khadija Faye put the Lady Raiders in front, 61-59, for the final time of the night with 4:49 left.

After a K-State timeout, the Wildcats found Ayoka Lee for an old-fashioned 3-point play to give K-State a 62-61 lead. Lee would go on a personal 7-0 run to give the Wildcats a 66-61 lead with 3:08 to play.

The Lady Raiders would close to within one, 66-65, as 2021 All-Big 12 First Team selection Vivian Gray finished a layup with 54 seconds left.

With 33 seconds left, K-State was looking for a shot as the shot clock was winding down. Lee found Rachel Ranke open in the corner and the junior from Burnsville, Minnesota, connected on her second 3-pointer of the night to give K-State a 69-65 lead.

Lee, Carr and Goodson sealed the win with six straight free throws. The Wildcats ended the night 10-of-10 from the foul line. K-State is just the fourth team to end a Big 12 Championship game perfect from the foul line (min. nine free throws made).

Lee finished her first Big 12 Championship game with her ninth double-double of the season and the 28th of her career with 21 points, 12 rebounds, seven blocks and four assists. She is the 16th player to record a double-double in a Big 12 Championship game.

Lee established the school record for blocks in a Big 12 Championship game and tied her career-high with seven. Her seven blocks are tied for the third-most in the history of the Big 12 Championship and are the most since Baylor’s Lauren Cox blocked seven on March 5, 2018.

Carr joined Lee in double figures, with a game-high 22 points while pulling in six rebounds and dishing three assists.

Goodson notched 10 points against her former team, while handing out four assists. This was Goodson’s 31st career game and her fifth game this season with 10 or more points.

The Wildcats overcame a one-point deficit, 16-15, at the beginning of the second quarter by using a 12-1 run in the first six minutes of the frame to build a 27-17 lead. Carr started the run with five points, including her second 3-pointer of the opening half.

Emilee Ebert followed with two free throws with 6:29 remaining. Laura Macke then connected on the first of her two first half 3-pointers with 4:55 to play in the stanza. Macke tied her career-high with the two connections from beyond the arc.

Taylor Lauterbach finished a layup with 4:14 to play to force a Texas Tech timeout.

Texas Tech used a 10-0 run to square the game at 27 with 1:52 remaining. Lexi Gordon scored eight of the 10 points for the Lady Raiders.

K-State would finish the half with a 33-31 lead, as Carr took a dish from Lauterbach and finished an old-fashioned three-point play with 1:04 remaining.

The Lady Raiders would outscore the Wildcats, 17-13, in the third quarter to pull in front by two entering the fourth frame.

Kansas State finished the night shooting 46.7 percent (28-of-60) from the field including 37.5 percent (9-of-24) from 3-point range. The Wildcats dished out 23 assists, which is tied for the third-highest total in program history for a Big 12 Championship game.

With the win, head coach Jeff Mittie improves to 125-96 in his seven seasons at K-State. Mittie ties Lynn Hickey (1979-84) for third in school history for wins at the helm of the Wildcat program.

K-State advances to the quarterfinals of the 2021 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. The Wildcats will face two-seed West Virginia on Friday at 5:30 p.m., at Municipal Auditorium. Friday’s game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and will air on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.

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