Wildcats Look To Rebound On Saturday When They Play Oklahoma
Jan 31, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2003
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Game #21
No. 3/3 Kansas State Wildcats (18-2, 5-1)
vs. No. 19/18 Oklahoma Sooners (13-6, 4-2)
Date:Sat., Feb. 1, 2003 - 3 p.m. CT
Site:Lloyd Noble Center (12,000) -Norman, Okla.
Television: Fox Sports Net - Bill Land (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLengen (color)
Radio:Mid America Sports Network -Steve Webster (play-by-play) andMissy Heidrick (color)
Internet: Audio broadcast on www.kstatesports.com
Gametracker: www.kstatesports.com
Records:Kansas State is 18-2, 5-1 overall. Oklahoma is 13-6, 4-2 overall.
Coaches: Kansas State coach Deb Patterson (Rockford (Ill.) College '79) is 115-86 (.572) in her seventh season at K-State. Oklahoma is coached by Sherri Coale (Oklahoma Christian '87), who is 126-79 (.614) in her seventh season at OU.
Series: K-State leads the series, 21-20.
MANHATTAN, Kan. - The No. 3/3 Kansas State Wildcats (18-2, 5-1) look to rebound from a loss for only the second time this season when they finish a two-game road swing with a trip to Norman, Okla., to meet No. 19/18 Oklahoma (13-6, 4-2) on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Lloyd Noble Center.
The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Net. Bill Land will call the play-by-play and Brenda VanLengen the color commentary.
Kansas State looks to stay in the race for the Big 12 regular-season title after it had its 13-game winning streak, the third longest in school history, snapped with a 74-69 loss at Iowa State on Wednesday.
The Wildcats are currently in second place in the Big 12 Conference, trailing Texas Tech and Texas who are a half-game ahead with 6-1 records.
Oklahoma also dropped its game on Wednesday, losing 60-54 in Norman to No. 11/13 Texas. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Sooners. OU is in fifth place in the league behind Colorado, K-State, Texas and Texas Tech.
Saturday's game can be heard on KMAN (1350 AM), KBLS (102.5), KNDY (1570 AM), KTPK (106.9 FM), KXKU (106.1 FM) and KINZ (95.3 FM). Steve Webster will call the play-by-play and Missy Heidrick the color commentary. Pre-game starts at 2:40 p.m.
Kansas State leads the series, 21-20. The teams last met on March 7, 2002, in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City. Oklahoma won, 69-49.
Setting The Scene
Things don't get any easier for Kansas State on the road this weekend when it tips off against two-time defending Big 12 Champion and NCAA runner-up Oklahoma.
Kansas State will be looking for its first win over the Sooners in six tries. The last time the 'Cats were victorious was March 4, 1997, in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, 81-56. The Wildcats last won in Norman on Feb. 8, 1997, 49-47.
K-State will not only have to rebound from just its second loss this season against Oklahoma, but also try to keep pace with Texas Tech and Texas for the regular-season Big 12 title. The Wildcats are a half-game behind the Lady Raiders and Longhorns and will have the opportunity to pick up a game next Wednesday when Tech and UT are idle.
The Wildcats also hope to improve their Big 12 road record. The 'Cats are 13-37 (.260) on the road in six league seasons, but sport a 4-2 overall mark this season.
Kansas State will be playing its second ranked opponent in the last three games and fifth overall, while Oklahoma is facing its second-straight ranked foe and seventh of the season. The Wildcats are 3-1 and the Sooners 1-5 vs. ranked teams.
Oklahoma is 4-3 overall and 1-2 in league this season at home. Its lone Big 12 victory was an 77-39 win over Texas A&M, and the league losses were to Texas Tech, 80-71, and Texas, 60-54.
A Glance at Kansas State
Kansas State has been red-hot in its last 14 games, posting double-digit victories in nine and winning by 24.1 points per outing.
One of the hottest shooting teams in the Big 12, K-State has connected on 50 percent or more of its attempts from the field in eight of its last 14 games. They rank first overall in field goal percentage at 49.8 percent and second three-point field goal percentage at 39.9 percent.
In the last five outings, Kansas State is winning by 17.2 points per game, and shooting 46.6 percent (134-287) from the field and 32.9 percent from three-point range (32-97).
Defensively, the Wildcats have held their last 14 foes to a combined 36.7 percent (292-796) from the floor and 35 percent (75-214) from beyond the three-point arc. Additionally, six of the last nine opponents have shot 36 percent or lower from the field. For the season, opponents are connecting on 36.3 percent of their shots from the field and 331.7 percent from three-point range.
Kansas State is shooting 49.8 percent from the field, 39.9 percent from three-point range and 73.9 percent from the free-throw line. The Wildcats are averaging 78.2 points a game and allowing only 58 points an outing.
Seventh-year head coach Deb Patterson used the lineup of sophomore Chelsea Domenico at point, sophomore Megan Mahoney at wing, junior Amy Dutmer at small forward, sophomore Kendra Wecker at power forward and junior Nicole Ohlde at center for the fifth time this season in a loss to Iowa State on Jan. 29.
All-American candidate Kendra Wecker is averaging 20.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game and is one of the premier players in college basketball. The 5-foot-11 forward ranks among the top 10 in the Big 12 Conference in six of 12 statistical league categories, including first in scoring. She is also 14th in scoring in the NCAA.
Ohlde, also an All-American candidate, provides consistent play in the paint despite seeing double and triple teams. The 6-foot-4 center is in the top 10 in five of 12 categories in the Big 12 Conference stats, and is the only player to be in the top 5 in six categories. She is averaging 18.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists a contest. Additionally, Ohlde changes an opponent's offense with her blocking ability. She is rejecting 1.95 shots per game, the fifth-most in the Big 12.
Mahoney is the Wildcats' top playmaker, dishing out 5.0 assists per game, and has had 10 five-assist games already this season. She is seventh in the Big 12 in assists and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio. The guard/forward is scoring 13.5 points and grabbing 6.1 caroms an outing.
Domenico is averaging 4.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists over 18 games (11 starts), and has a 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Dutmer, who made her fifth collegiate start Jan. 29, is averaging 2.8 points and 1.7 rebounds. She has been effective from beyond the three-point arc, hitting nine of 23 (39.1 percent) of her attempts after sinking her first career trey on Dec. 20.
An injured Laurie Koehn is K-State's leading three-point threat, hitting a conference-leading 49 treys, including 39 three's in her last 11 games (3.5 pg). Additionally, she is scoring 13.5 points and grabbing 3.5 rebounds a game.
Off the bench, Brie Madden has been a consistent contributor.
Madden is tallying 5.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in 20 games (10 starts). She is also the team's second-leading shot blocker (33) and ranks seventh in the league in that category.
A Glance At Oklahoma
Oklahoma is 13-6 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12 after a 60-54 loss to Texas in Norman on Wednesday. OU's conference losses have been to Texas Tech, 80-71, in Norman on Jan. 15 and to Texas. Oklahoma's wins have been over Nebraska (57-43), Texas A&M (77-39), at Kansas (61-49) and at Baylor (65-64).
The two-time defending Big 12 champions are coached by Sheri Coale, who is in her sixth season (125-78) at OU.
The Sooners have four players scoring in double figures - Maria Villarroel (16.3), Dionnah Jackson (12.6), Theresa Schuknecht (11.2) and Chelsi Welch (10.8).
Villarroel, a 5-foot-8 guard, is grabbing 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Jackson, a 5-foot-9 guard, is making a team-leading 2.5 steals a game and dishing out a team-best 4.7 assists an outing while grabbing 6.4 rebounds a contest.
Schuknecht, a 6-foot-3 forward/center, is Oklahoma's top rebounder, grabbing 6.8 caroms a game.
Welch, a 5-foot-9 freshman guard, is OU's top three-point threat, sinking 23 treys.
Oklahoma is shooting 41.6 percent from the field, 29.4 percent from three-point range and 69 percent from the free-throw line. Additionally, the Sooners are averaging 67.9 points per game and giving up 60.7. They are also grabbing 40.2 rebounds per contest.
Streaking
Kansas State has won its last 16 home games and has a long way to go to break the school record of 31 set between Dec. 12, 1981, and Dec. 30, 1983.
RPI's
Kansas State's 2002-03 schedule is ranked in the Top 10 in three RPI ratings. The Wildcats' schedule is the sixth-toughest in the country in the Jeff Sagarin/CBN Women's College Basketball Ratings, fifth by Collegerpi.com and sixth by the WBCA ratings.
Series History
*Kansas State leads the all-time series 21-20.
*K-State is 7-10 all-time vs. Oklahoma in Norman.
* The Wildcats are 2-1 in the 70s, 10-6 in the 80s, 9-9 in the 90s and 0-4 in 2000s vs. the Sooners.
*Deb Patterson is 3-7 all-time against Oklahoma, including a 1-2 mark in Norman.
* Kansas State last beat Oklahoma on March 4, 1997, in the first year of the Big 12 Tournament. The last home win came on Jan. 21, 1996, when the 'Cats won, 80-67, but the game was later forfeited because of K-State's NCAA violations.
*The Wildcats have lost the last six games to the Sooners and seven of the last nine.
*The Wildcats and the Sooners first met in 1976 in the Big Eight Conference Tournament.
*In the teams' two meetings last season, sophomore Kendra Wecker averaged 16 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals. She is 14-of-29 from the field (48.2 percent) and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line (75.0 percent) against the Sooners.
A Kansas State Victory Saturday Would...
...be K-State's first win over Oklahoma and the first victory in Norman since 1997.
...improve its Big 12 road record to 14-38 (.269).
...put head coach Deb Patterson's overall win-loss record at 116-86.
...improve Kansas State's all-time record to 619-389.
...be the first time Kansas State has won its first game in February in three years.
Peak At The Polls Reveal...
Kansas State remained No. 3 in the latest Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today/WBCA Coaches polls.
In this week's AP poll, Kansas State has six opponents currently ranked. Stanford is No. 6; No. 8 Texas Tech (March 6); No. 14 Penn State; No. 11 Texas; No. 19 Oklahoma (Saturday); and No. 21 Wisconsin-Green Bay. The other Wildcat opponent receiving votes is Colorado (53).
In the coaches poll, K-State will play or have played six teams in the coaches' poll during the 2002-03 season. The Wildcats have played No. 7 Stanford, No. 15 Penn State, No. 13 Texas and No. 23 UW-Green Bay, and will play No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 8 Texas Tech. The other Wildcat opponent receiving votes is Colorado (36).
The Next To 1,000 Points
Sophomore Kendra Wecker is 39 points shy of becoming Kansas State's 29th 1,000-point scorer. With 961 points in 54 games, she is the fastest Wildcat to 1,000 points since Nicole Ohlde reached the millennium mark in 57 games.
20-win Season
K-State is two victories shy of recording the program's 16th 20-win season in 35 years.It would also be the second-straight 20-win year. The last time that was accomplished was in 1982-83 and 1983-84.
Just Plain Good Defense
Kansas State is limiting its opponents to just 58 points per game and allowing the foes to shoot 36.3 percent from the field, 31.7 percent from three-point range and 68.2 from the foul line.
This season, K-State has allowed only seven foes to shoot over 40 percent from the field and five of them to score 65 or more points. Additionally, 10 of 20 foes have scored 60 or fewer points.
Kansas State is fourth in scoring defense (57.0), field goal percentage defense (36.7) and eighth in three-point field goal percentage (34.8) in conference games.
On The Glass
Kansas State has dominated the glass through its 20 games, averaging 39.8 rebounds per game. K-State has outrebounded 15 of its 20 opponents and has a +8.1 rebounding margin.
In conference games, the 'Cats are first in rebounding defense (32.7) and third in rebounding margin (+4.8) and fourth in defensive rebounds (26.0).
By The Halves
Kansas State has been strong in both halves of its 20 games this season.
The Wildcats have led at halftime in 16 of the contests and trailed by a combined 14 points in the other three outings (-3 vs. Ball State; -2 at Stanford; -1 vs. Texas; -8 at Iowa State).
K-State's largest halftime lead was 41 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and the 'Cats average a 14.9-point halftime lead in the games they have won and led at halftime.
In the second half, Kansas State has been outscored by two teams (34-30 at Stanford; 34-32 vs. Iowa State {Jan. 29}) and USC tied the Wildcats with 36 points.
Double-Doubles
Sophomore Kendra Wecker recorded her eighth double-double of the season and the 20th of her career when she had 27 points and 11 rebounds against Texas on Jan. 25. She is currently fifth on the career doubles-doubles list, ninth on the single-season chart and tied for first in the Big 12 with Nicole Ohlde this season.
Ohlde recorded her eighth double-double of the season and 26th of her career when she had 18 points and 11 rebounds vs. Kansas on Jan. 8.
The center is currently is sixth on the Big 12 career double-doubles list. She trails Texas' Stacy Stephens, who has 32 and counting.
Ohlde is also tied with Tammie Romstad (1978-82) for second on the K-State career double-doubles list.
Pick Your Poison
Kansas State continues to be a tough team to figure out for opponents. The Wildcats are averaging 78.2 points per game, including 71.4 points over the last five contests, and have four players averaging in double digits.
*K-State has had four different leading scorers this season.
*Four different Wildcats have scored 20-plus points in a game, including 31 points by Kendra Wecker at UW-Green Bay and 33 points by Laurie Koehn vs. Iowa.
*Overall, five different K-Staters have scored in double figures at least three times this season.
*On the outside, Laurie Koehn leads the Big 12 in three-pointers, while Megan Mahoney and Kendra Wecker are in the top 10.
*On the inside, a pair of Wildcats, Nicole Ohlde and Kendra Wecker, are in the Big 12's top 10 in points, rebounds, field goals and defensive rebounds.
From The Iowa State Game
- Kansas State trailed at halftime for the second-straight game and for the fourth time this season.
- The Wildcats' 30 points in the first half were the third-fewest scored this season in the opening half (27 at Stanford; 29 at Northern Illinois).
- The game was the third contest in which an opponent shot a high field goal percentage than K-State (UW-Green Bay; Iowa State twice).
Career-High
Sophomore Megan Mahoney tied her career high in points with 22 against Iowa State on Wednesday. The 6-foot guard/forward was 7 of 14 from the field, 3 of 6 from three-point range and a perfect 5 for 5 from the free-throw line.
She first tallied 22 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 2.
20-Something
Center Nicole Ohlde has 30 career 20-plus point games and seven this year after scoring 21 vs. Iowa State on Jan. 29.
Guard/forward Megan Mahoney has four career 20-plus point games after registering 22 points vs. Iowa State on Jan. 29.
Forward Kendra Wecker tallied 27 points on Jan. 25, marking the 20th game she has had 20 or more points in a game in her career. It was also her 10th 20-plus point game of the season.
Guard Laurie Koehn has 15 20-plus point games.
Working To Join The Leaders
Guard/forward Megan Mahoney scored her 500th career point when she made a layup with 4:49 remaining against Colorado on Jan. 11.
The Sturgis, S.D., native now has 555 career points and is 29 points away from joining the top 40 all-time scorers at Kansas State.
NCAA Stats
In the sixth edition of the 2002-03 NCAA statistics, three Wildcats are listed among the NCAA leaders.
Sophomore Kendra Wecker is ranked 14th in scoring and sophomore Laurie Koehn is ninth in three-point field goals made and 28th in three-point field goal percentage. The guard also has the most three-pointers in a single game thus far this season.
Junior Nicole Ohlde is 22nd in field goal percentage and 44th in scoring.
K-State is 12th in scoring offense, 29th in scoring defense and sixth in scoring margin. The 'Cats are fifth in field-goal percentage and one of only five teams to shot over 50 percent, and 16th in field goal defense.
Kansas State is eighth in three-point field goal percentage, 14th in three-point field goals, 15th in rebounding margin, sixth in assists, 21st in blocks, 27th in turnovers, eighth in fouls and third in win-loss percentage.
Who Is Hot?
Junior Nicole Ohlde has been sizzling in their last five games.
Ohlde is averaging 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. The 6-foot-4 center is also shooting 57.6 percent (34-59) from the field.
Up Next
Kansas State returns to the friendly confines of Bramlage Coliseum on Wednesday, Feb. 5 when it hosts the Missouri Tigers at 7 p.m.
Missouri is currently 9-8 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12. The Tigers are in a tie with Iowa State for sixth in the league rankings.
The Tigers' league victories have been at Iowa State (86-55), vs. Nebraska (65-53) and vs. Oklahoma State (87-65). Their losses have been to Baylor (71-65), Texas (70-59) and Texas Tech (84-50).
Missouri head coach Cindy Stein is in her fifth year at MU and sports a 76-60 record. Overall, she is 141-85 in eight seasons as a head coach.
The Tigers have two players scoring in double figures - Evan Unrau (14.9) and Kerensa Barr (11.8).
Unrau, a 6-foot-1 forward, is grabbing a team-high 8.4 rebounds a game. She is also dishing out 1.8 assists and making 1.4 steals per outing.
Barr, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, leads the team in assists, dishing out 5.2 a game, and is tops on the squad in steals, making 2.5 an outing.
Junior guard Tracy Lozier is Missouri's top three-point threat, sinking 28 treys this season. She also averages 8.8 points, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals a game.
Missouri is shooting 41.5 percent from the field, 33.1 percent from three-point range and 75.6 percent from the free-throw line. Additionally, the Tigers are averaging 69.4 points per game and giving up 66.2. They are also grabbing 37.5 rebounds per contest.
