K-State Holds Back Penn State for Win on Saturday - Kansas State University Athletics

Saturday, November 25

Las Vegas, Nevada

7:45 p.m.

Kansas State University

5-1

Penn State

5-2

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Penn State	12	18	16	19	65
Kansas State	11	26	17	16	70

Nov 25, 2017 | Women's Basketball

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LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Kansas State closed out its trip to the desert with a 70-65 win over Penn State on Saturday night in each team's final game in the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout.

For the sixth straight game, Kansas State (5-1) had at least three players reach double figures and were led by the career-high of Peyton Williams with 19 points and Kayla Goth tying her season-high with 19 points. Williams added eight rebounds, while Goth dished out six assists.

Joining Goth and Page in double digits was senior Kaylee Page with 13 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two assists.

Penn State (5-2) was led by Jaida Travascio-Green with 15 points, while Amari Carter added 14 and six assists.

After a sluggish first quarter by both teams that saw Penn State hold a 12-11 lead, K-State opened the second quarter with a 13-2 run to build a 24-14 lead with 6:48 remaining in the first half.

Williams started the run with a 3-point play on a layup and free throw. After a pair of free throws from the Lady Lions, Page knocked down her first 3-pointer of the night. After a defensive stop, K-State's Mary Lakes converted a layup on a dish from Williams. A steal and layup by Goth resulted in a 21-14 lead and forced a Penn State timeout.

After the timeout, Williams tallied her second 3-point play to give the Wildcats a 24-14 lead with 6:48 remaining in the opening half. Penn State narrowed the deficit to four, 24-20, with consecutive 3-pointers and force a K-State timeout.

Following the K-State timeout, Shaelyn Martin knocked down a 15-foot jumper and Goth added a midrange jumper of her own to give K-State a 28-20 lead with 3:52 left in the second quarter.

The Lady Lions closed to within three, 30-27, after a quick 7-2 run with 2:17 left. Goth and Page combined to give K-State a 37-30 lead at the break, as Goth made a layup and Page converted two layups and a free throw in the final 2:16 of the second quarter. In total in the second quarter, Goth and Page each scored eight points apiece as K-State registered 26 points in the stanza.

In the second quarter, K-State shot 62.5 percent (15-of-34) from the floor. In the opening half, the Wildcats did their damage in the lane by outscoring Penn State 20-2 in the paint.

The teams played a back and forth third quarter that K-State won 17-15 and held a 54-46 lead entering the fourth. The Wildcats increased their lead to nine, 47-38, as Goth buried a 3-pointer from the corner with 4:13 to play. Penn State answered with a 3-pointer, but Page converted a 3-point play to keep the lead at nine.

Penn State closed to within five, 51-46, but a trio of free throws from Goth and Mary Lakes gave the Wildcats their eight-point lead. Lakes would finish with six points off the bench.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Lions started the quarter with a 6-0 run to close to 54-52 and force a K-State timeout with 6:51 to play in the final frame.

Kansas State responded with nine points after the timeout, including a deep Ranke 3-pointer to force a Penn State timeout with 2:52 to play and K-State leading 63-57.

The Lady Lions pulled within three, 63-60, with 1:13 to play as Carter connected on a 3-pointer. The Wildcats were able to ice the game, as Williams completed a 3-point play with 45 seconds left.

K-State finished the night shooting 81.8 percent (18-of-22) from the free throw line and 42.1 percent (24-of-57) from the floor. The Wildcats outscored the Lady Lions in the lane, 30-8. Penn State was held to a 34.4 percent (22-of-64) effort but were 13-of-30 (43.3 percent) from beyond the arc.

The Wildcats handed out 18 assists on their 24 made field goals and blocked seven shots on the night.

Kansas State will end its four-match road trip and the month of November on Thursday, November 30, at Missouri in the 2017 Big 12/SEC Challenge. Game time in Columbia is set for 8 p.m. Thursday's game will be broadcast on the SEC Network and ESPN3. The game will also be available on the K-State Sports Network.