K-State Extends Streak in Win over Northern Arizona, 79-63
Dec 20, 2001 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2001
Flagstaff, Ariz. - Freshman forward Kendra Wecker scored 16 of her career-high 24 points in the second half, as Kansas State extended its winning streak to seven games with a 79-63 victory over Northern Arizona in a women's basketball game played before 413 fans at the Walkup Skydome.
Kansas State improved to 10-1 overall, while Northern Arizona fell to 6-4.
Wecker led four Kansas State players in double figures with 24 points, while sophomore center Nicole Ohlde added 20 points and seven rebounds. Freshman guard Laurie Koehn collected 15 points, a team-high five assists and four steals, and freshman forward Megan Mahoney tallied 10 points to go with seven rebounds. Senior guard Kristin Rethman also added eight points in the victory, including a pair of three-point baskets that moved her past Jennifer Crow of Oklahoma State into fifth place on the Big 12 Conference's all-time list with 216.
Lacey Tolbert came off the bench to pace two Northern Arizona players in double figures with 19 points, while guard Lindsey Foster tallied 11 points and a team-high four steals.
Kansas State forced 13 turnovers and held Northern Arizona to 36.7 percent (11-of-30) shooting from the field in the first half en route to a 33-26 halftime advantage. The Wildcats never trailed in the opening half, going on a 15-0 run beginning at the 18:17 mark to take a 19-2 lead. However, the Lumberjacks scored 19 of the next 26 points to close within 26-21 with 4:38 left in the half. The Wildcats answered with six straight points to put the lead back into double-digits with under three minutes to play.
Kansas State continued to hold the lead in the early moments of the second half, as a Wecker basket again put the lead into double-digits with three minutes gone in the half. However, Northern Arizona scored 16 of the next 24 points to tie the game at 47 with 9:23 left. The Lumberjacks then took its first and only lead at 50-49 on a three-pointer by Foster with just over eight minutes remaining. The game remained tight until the 5:46 mark when the Wildcats got a three-point basket from Koehn followed by a foul and a pair of free throws by Wecker to take a 63-56 lead. K-State scored 21 of the final 28 points.
For the seventh time in 11 games this season, K-State shot over 50 percent from the field, as the Wildcats connected on 50.9 percent (28-of-55) of its shots against the Lumberjacks, including 62.5 percent (15-of-24) in the second half. Northern Arizona controlled the boards with a 40-33 advantage in rebounds, but turned over the ball 23 times to go along with 35.5 percent (22-of-62) shooting from the field.
Kansas State returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 29, when the Wildcats travel to Baltimore, Md., to face Georgia State at the Loyola Christmas Tournament at 2 p.m. CST.
