Kansas State University Athletics
Thursday, December 20
Manhattan, Kan.
7 p.m.
Kansas State University
8-3
70
vs
54
Central Arkansas
5-5
1
2
3
4
F
Central Arkansas
13
9
8
24
54
Kansas State
10
16
20
24
70
Defense Holds Strong in 70-54 Win Over Central Arkansas
Dec 20, 2018 | Women's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kansas – Led by a game-high 17 points from sophomore guard Rachel Ranke and strong defensive play that held Central Arkansas to single-digits in the second and third quarters, Kansas State expanded their home court win-streak to six games with a 70-54 victory over Central Arkansas at Bramlage Coliseum on Thursday evening.
Kansas State (8-3) held Central Arkansas to single-digits in scoring in consecutive quarters on Thursday night, marking the first time this season the Wildcats have done so. The Wildcats have now held opponents to single-digits in 10 quarters this season, including 9-of-11 games, as the Wildcats held the Sugar Bears to 9 points in the second quarter and 8 points in the third quarter, respectively.
Central Arkansas (5-5) had the hot hand early, scoring the first seven points of the game on 3-of-5 shooting from the field in the first three minutes of play. The Sugar Bears got their first points of the game from junior guard Taylor Sells, who knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
The Wildcats struggled from the floor early on, missing on their first five shots of the game and connecting on just two of their first 11 shots in the opening quarter. The tough start from the field led the Wildcats to draw contact and shoot from the free throw line, where they scored five of their 10 first quarter points. The free throw shooting was a theme for the Wildcats on Thursday, as they matched a season-high 24 free throw attempts.
Despite the slow start, junior forward Jasauen Beard connected on a jumper as time expired in the first stanza, to bring K-State within three, 13-10, at the end of the first quarter. K-State's 10 first quarter points were the fewest scored by the Wildcats in an opening quarter this season.
K-State found their rhythm in the second quarter, as K-State led for the first time following a jump shot from senior guard Kayla Goth to make the score 16-15 with 7:16 left in the second quarter. Goth finished with six points, six assists, three steals and two blocks.
Later in the second quarter, the Wildcats put together an 8-0 run, led by strong interior defense to solidify a first half lead, as K-State outscored the Sugar Bears 15-9 in the second quarter, which led to K-State holding a 26-22 lead at the half.
In the third quarter, the Wildcats expanded on their lead by shooting 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers from sophomore guard Rachel Ranke, as K-State exited the third quarter with a 46-30 lead.
Ranke continued her hot shooting into the fourth quarter, as she connected on her fourth 3-pointer of the evening to give K-State a 62-43 lead with 5:07 remaining. Ranke went on to lead all scorers with a season-high 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, with 14 points coming in the second half.
The Wildcats featured three individuals in double-digits, including Ranke (17), senior forward Peyton Williams (12) and Beard (10). Williams' 12 points marks the 15th straight double-digit scoring effort of the for the product of Topeka, Kansas.
As a unit, K-State shot 44 percent (22-of-50) from the field and 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from beyond the 3-point line. The Wildcats bounced back from a tough first quarter, by closing out the game with a 72.7 percent effort (8-of-11) from the field in the fourth quarter.
Central Arkansas was led by freshman forward Alana Canady, who scored a team-high 14 points on 4-of-12 from the field. The Sugar Bears shot 37.3 percent (19-of-51) as a team.
After a break for the holidays, Kansas State returns to action on Saturday at 1 p.m., as the Wildcats close out their regular season non-conference schedule against Northern Iowa. Saturday's game is part of a Wildcat Weekend. Fans may purchase a general admission ticket for only $3 when showing their ticket to that evening's men's basketball game against George Mason.
Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN3. The game will also be available on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.
What They Said
K-State Head Coach Jeff Mittie
Opening statement…
"When you talk about the first half and how the game got started, I think you get to this time of the year and you get some mental fatigue. Anxious for the break and coming off of finals and all of those things. It certainly was not the offensive start that we like. It was a rough start. I did not think our energy was good. I did not think our connectivity on the offensive end was good. Only four assists at halftime. I challenged them at halftime to really move the ball and find ways to get assists. We had 12 assists in the second half. I think we are going to shoot it as well as we pass it. I think our shooters have to be the ones moving the ball because the more that they move it, the more the defense has to shift away from them and that will free them. I think Rachel [Ranke] saw that in the second half. Chrissy [Carr] got one in the second half and Rachel got numerous ones in the second half."
On what the difference in the game was...
"I felt like we could have played this team 40 minutes of zone but I also felt like there was a benefit to playing man-to-man. We needed to play man-to-man against small, quick guards. We needed to continue to get better at that. Defense certainly was not the problem in the first half. We held them to 22 (points) in the first half. We were able to get out of the zone in the second half, though, with some turnovers. That is what we were not getting in the first half against them. We got a little more of an open floor in the second half. I just think we played together better in the second half."
On Rachel Ranke…
"I think she has made good improvements on the defensive end and I think she has worked hard to do that. I think she has had better focus at that end. I am able to trust her. I think she is able to guard a shooter but I also think she has been able to guard an attacker better than I expected. Early in the year, not so much. She did not understand space and distance on somebody quicker than her. She was playing hard but not very smart in that case. Her technique has gotten better. That has been a big improvement of hers. She has not played as well offensively as we know she is capable of but she has been contributing in a lot of areas. I thought she was better inside tonight and on balance better than she has been. She drew a couple fouls down there and had some tough, physical plays down there. That is an area we have wanted her to get better at."
On Central Arkansas' guard play ...
"We were allowing them to continue to lower that ball screen and I did not like that. I thought our guards should have gone over the screen at that point. Our awareness at that point was not very good at where that screen was. We do have the option as guards, that if we can beat that screen, to go over it. We were pretty content. That is part of the area that I did not think we were engaged in the game. We were not competing as hard as we are capable of because we would never go under that ball screen in practice. We were kind of content to go under and they were getting deeper and deeper. That is a pretty easy shot."
On the eight-day stretch between games…
"We are going to have practice tomorrow. I think we just need to get a little bit of a run to make sure our conditioning is at a good level before they get out of town. They all get out of town tomorrow, whether it be at noon or later in the afternoon. I am going to grab a steak as soon as they get out of town. That is my first priority. They are going to sleep for about 19 hours the minute they get home, just like my daughter did and just like every other college kid does the first day. It will be a nice, little mental break. When we get back, though, it will be back to the things that we want to continue to improve on - move the ball better and play more unselfish together. Defensively, we were better tonight in areas that we switched. We were on point with some switches and traps, whereas at Arizona State, we lost some possessions there. While it was not great early, it was not about missed assignments. We just were not moving the ball very well. If we were grading this on missed assignments, we had fewer of those tonight than we did the previous game."
On when the mental fatigue sets in….
"I think it is right now. The campus gets empty and you are coming off of finals. Good teams grind through that. They do not play their best but they find a way. I thought we did that tonight. I thought we recognized at half that we needed to make some changes and we did. It will be a good break. For some of our team, they have not been home since August. That is a significant amount of time and I am sure they are anxious to be with their families for the next three-to-four days."
Sophomore Guard Rachel Ranke
On her game tonight…
"Honestly, seeing that first one go in helped and gave us a little bit more energy. I think we just started passing the ball a lot better, that created more energy for us. Obviously just seeing that first one go in, it starts to be more fun. Then you see the next one go in, and now you're getting hyped up. I haven't been shooting the best, well not how I want to be shooting. I think this game was good for us."
On getting over shaky shots…
"It's really just about my technique. If I drop my follow-through right away, or im off balance, maybe it wasn't a contested shot. I think I need to get my feet set and get that first open shot to go in and then it gave me the energy to get those other shots going."
On difficulty of shots not falling…
"It's frustrating, but it's just one aspect of the game. If shots are falling, I can get rebounds or play harder on defense. If my shots aren't falling I know I can contribute in other ways."
On shots moving forward…
"Like I said, I haven't been shooting the best. Tonight was a good night to get the flow going. Just seeing that first one go in was beneficial."
Kansas State (8-3) held Central Arkansas to single-digits in scoring in consecutive quarters on Thursday night, marking the first time this season the Wildcats have done so. The Wildcats have now held opponents to single-digits in 10 quarters this season, including 9-of-11 games, as the Wildcats held the Sugar Bears to 9 points in the second quarter and 8 points in the third quarter, respectively.
Central Arkansas (5-5) had the hot hand early, scoring the first seven points of the game on 3-of-5 shooting from the field in the first three minutes of play. The Sugar Bears got their first points of the game from junior guard Taylor Sells, who knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
The Wildcats struggled from the floor early on, missing on their first five shots of the game and connecting on just two of their first 11 shots in the opening quarter. The tough start from the field led the Wildcats to draw contact and shoot from the free throw line, where they scored five of their 10 first quarter points. The free throw shooting was a theme for the Wildcats on Thursday, as they matched a season-high 24 free throw attempts.
Despite the slow start, junior forward Jasauen Beard connected on a jumper as time expired in the first stanza, to bring K-State within three, 13-10, at the end of the first quarter. K-State's 10 first quarter points were the fewest scored by the Wildcats in an opening quarter this season.
K-State found their rhythm in the second quarter, as K-State led for the first time following a jump shot from senior guard Kayla Goth to make the score 16-15 with 7:16 left in the second quarter. Goth finished with six points, six assists, three steals and two blocks.
Later in the second quarter, the Wildcats put together an 8-0 run, led by strong interior defense to solidify a first half lead, as K-State outscored the Sugar Bears 15-9 in the second quarter, which led to K-State holding a 26-22 lead at the half.
In the third quarter, the Wildcats expanded on their lead by shooting 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers from sophomore guard Rachel Ranke, as K-State exited the third quarter with a 46-30 lead.
Ranke continued her hot shooting into the fourth quarter, as she connected on her fourth 3-pointer of the evening to give K-State a 62-43 lead with 5:07 remaining. Ranke went on to lead all scorers with a season-high 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, with 14 points coming in the second half.
The Wildcats featured three individuals in double-digits, including Ranke (17), senior forward Peyton Williams (12) and Beard (10). Williams' 12 points marks the 15th straight double-digit scoring effort of the for the product of Topeka, Kansas.
As a unit, K-State shot 44 percent (22-of-50) from the field and 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from beyond the 3-point line. The Wildcats bounced back from a tough first quarter, by closing out the game with a 72.7 percent effort (8-of-11) from the field in the fourth quarter.
Central Arkansas was led by freshman forward Alana Canady, who scored a team-high 14 points on 4-of-12 from the field. The Sugar Bears shot 37.3 percent (19-of-51) as a team.
After a break for the holidays, Kansas State returns to action on Saturday at 1 p.m., as the Wildcats close out their regular season non-conference schedule against Northern Iowa. Saturday's game is part of a Wildcat Weekend. Fans may purchase a general admission ticket for only $3 when showing their ticket to that evening's men's basketball game against George Mason.
Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN3. The game will also be available on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.
What They Said
K-State Head Coach Jeff Mittie
Opening statement…
"When you talk about the first half and how the game got started, I think you get to this time of the year and you get some mental fatigue. Anxious for the break and coming off of finals and all of those things. It certainly was not the offensive start that we like. It was a rough start. I did not think our energy was good. I did not think our connectivity on the offensive end was good. Only four assists at halftime. I challenged them at halftime to really move the ball and find ways to get assists. We had 12 assists in the second half. I think we are going to shoot it as well as we pass it. I think our shooters have to be the ones moving the ball because the more that they move it, the more the defense has to shift away from them and that will free them. I think Rachel [Ranke] saw that in the second half. Chrissy [Carr] got one in the second half and Rachel got numerous ones in the second half."
On what the difference in the game was...
"I felt like we could have played this team 40 minutes of zone but I also felt like there was a benefit to playing man-to-man. We needed to play man-to-man against small, quick guards. We needed to continue to get better at that. Defense certainly was not the problem in the first half. We held them to 22 (points) in the first half. We were able to get out of the zone in the second half, though, with some turnovers. That is what we were not getting in the first half against them. We got a little more of an open floor in the second half. I just think we played together better in the second half."
On Rachel Ranke…
"I think she has made good improvements on the defensive end and I think she has worked hard to do that. I think she has had better focus at that end. I am able to trust her. I think she is able to guard a shooter but I also think she has been able to guard an attacker better than I expected. Early in the year, not so much. She did not understand space and distance on somebody quicker than her. She was playing hard but not very smart in that case. Her technique has gotten better. That has been a big improvement of hers. She has not played as well offensively as we know she is capable of but she has been contributing in a lot of areas. I thought she was better inside tonight and on balance better than she has been. She drew a couple fouls down there and had some tough, physical plays down there. That is an area we have wanted her to get better at."
On Central Arkansas' guard play ...
"We were allowing them to continue to lower that ball screen and I did not like that. I thought our guards should have gone over the screen at that point. Our awareness at that point was not very good at where that screen was. We do have the option as guards, that if we can beat that screen, to go over it. We were pretty content. That is part of the area that I did not think we were engaged in the game. We were not competing as hard as we are capable of because we would never go under that ball screen in practice. We were kind of content to go under and they were getting deeper and deeper. That is a pretty easy shot."
On the eight-day stretch between games…
"We are going to have practice tomorrow. I think we just need to get a little bit of a run to make sure our conditioning is at a good level before they get out of town. They all get out of town tomorrow, whether it be at noon or later in the afternoon. I am going to grab a steak as soon as they get out of town. That is my first priority. They are going to sleep for about 19 hours the minute they get home, just like my daughter did and just like every other college kid does the first day. It will be a nice, little mental break. When we get back, though, it will be back to the things that we want to continue to improve on - move the ball better and play more unselfish together. Defensively, we were better tonight in areas that we switched. We were on point with some switches and traps, whereas at Arizona State, we lost some possessions there. While it was not great early, it was not about missed assignments. We just were not moving the ball very well. If we were grading this on missed assignments, we had fewer of those tonight than we did the previous game."
On when the mental fatigue sets in….
"I think it is right now. The campus gets empty and you are coming off of finals. Good teams grind through that. They do not play their best but they find a way. I thought we did that tonight. I thought we recognized at half that we needed to make some changes and we did. It will be a good break. For some of our team, they have not been home since August. That is a significant amount of time and I am sure they are anxious to be with their families for the next three-to-four days."
Sophomore Guard Rachel Ranke
On her game tonight…
"Honestly, seeing that first one go in helped and gave us a little bit more energy. I think we just started passing the ball a lot better, that created more energy for us. Obviously just seeing that first one go in, it starts to be more fun. Then you see the next one go in, and now you're getting hyped up. I haven't been shooting the best, well not how I want to be shooting. I think this game was good for us."
On getting over shaky shots…
"It's really just about my technique. If I drop my follow-through right away, or im off balance, maybe it wasn't a contested shot. I think I need to get my feet set and get that first open shot to go in and then it gave me the energy to get those other shots going."
On difficulty of shots not falling…
"It's frustrating, but it's just one aspect of the game. If shots are falling, I can get rebounds or play harder on defense. If my shots aren't falling I know I can contribute in other ways."
On shots moving forward…
"Like I said, I haven't been shooting the best. Tonight was a good night to get the flow going. Just seeing that first one go in was beneficial."
Team Stats
UCA
K-STATE
FG%
.373
.440
3FG%
.500
.421
FT%
.917
.750
RB
29
34
TO
18
17
STL
5
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
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