Kansas State University Athletics
K-State Selected for 2018 Postseason WNIT
Mar 12, 2018 | Women's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kansas – For the fourth straight season, Kansas State women's basketball will make a postseason appearance as the Wildcats have accepted a bid to play in the 2018 Postseason WNIT and will host Saint Louis in the first round on Thursday. The time for the game between K-State and Saint Louis will be 7 p.m.
This will be K-State's sixth appearance in the Postseason WNIT and the first since reaching the second round of the 2015 WNIT. With K-State's bid into the Postseason WNIT, the Wildcats are one of seven Big 12 schools to earn a women's basketball postseason bid.
The Wildcats (16-15, 7-11 Big 12) will be opposed by the Billikens (17-15, 9-7 Atlantic 10) on Thursday in Bramlage Coliseum. K-State and Saint Louis will meet for the third time and the first time since Dec. 6, 2003. The Wildcats are 9-3 all-time against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference, with the last meeting against an A-10 program coming on March 18, 2016 against George Washington in the 2016 NCAA Tournament in Columbia, South Carolina, a 56-51 K-State win.
Saint Louis, making the program's third straight WNIT appearance, is led by senior guard Jackie Kemph. Kemph, a 2018 All-A-10 First Team selection, is averaging 15.8 points per game and 7.1 assists per game this season. Joining Kemph in double figures are senior forwards Madison Gits and Paige Rakers. Gits is averaging 11.5 points and 9.5 rebounds, while Rakers adds 10.3 points and 3.7 rebounds.
The winner of the Kansas State-Saint Louis game will play the winner of the Utah-UNLV matchup on either March 17, 18, 19 or 20 at a site to be determined.
Tickets for K-State's first round matchup with Saint Louis are available now, by calling the K-State Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS, visiting www.kstatesports.com/tickets or by stopping by the K-State Athletic Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum. Tickets are priced at $15 for chair backs, $10 for adult general admission and $5 for youth and senior citizens. All K-State students will receive free entry by showing a valid K-State ID at the door.
K-State is 14-4 in its previous four WNIT Tournament appearances in 1999, 2006, 2007, 2013 and 2015. The Wildcats captured the 2006 WNIT title for the first postseason title in school history in front of a sell-out crowd of 13,340 fans.
With the guidance of fourth year head coach Jeff Mittie, Kansas State is postseason eligible for the fourth straight season. The Wildcats have registered an overall record of 16-15, which marks the fourth straight season K-State will finish above .500 and the first time since eight straight seasons from 2001-02 to 2009-10. Mittie joins former K-State head coaches Judy Akers and Lynn Hickey as the third head coach in program history to finish with an overall record .500 or above in their first four seasons at the helm of the Wildcats.
The Wildcats have been paced during the 2017-18 season by All-Big 12 Second Team selection Kayla Goth, All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient Peyton Williams and Big 12 All-Freshman Team pick Rachel Ranke.
During the 2017-18 season, Goth set career season-highs in 14 statistical categories including points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. Goth's assist total of 211 (6.8 apg) leads the Big 12 and ranks 10th in the nation. Her 211 assists are the second-highest total in school history for a single season and she joins Shalee Lehning as the only players in program history with 200 or more assists in a season.
In addition to pacing the team in assists, Goth leads the team in scoring with 17.0 points per game. Her 526 points this season ranks fourth in program history for points by a junior. For the season, Goth is responsible for 53.6 percent of K-State's made field goals this season and is the only player in the Big 12 that is responsible for 50.0 percent or more of her team's made field goals.
The guard from DeForest, Wisconsin, is the first player in school history to register 500 or more points and 200 or more assists in a season. Her scoring average increase of 11.2 points per game from last season to this season is the second highest increase from one season to the next in program history.
Williams has also had a career season, as she has set season-highs in 16 statistical categories including points, rebounds, blocks and steals.
The forward from Topeka, Kansas, has increased her scoring average from last season to this season of 10.4 points per game. This is the fourth highest increase from one season to the next in program history. She leads the team and ranks among the Big 12 top 15 in field goal percentage (.538), free throw percentage (.847) and blocks (43, 1.4 bpg). Williams is second on the team in points per game (14.1) and rebounds per game (6.7), while she is third in steals (45, 1.5 spg).
Ranke, an All-Big 12 Freshman Team selection, leads all Big 12 freshmen in 3-point field goals made per game (2.7; 85 3-pt FGs made). Her 85 made 3-point field goals are second in program history among freshmen, behind Laurie Koehn's school record 122 three-point field goals made. A three-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week recipient, ranks tied for eighth in program history for 3-point field goals made in a season.
The guard from Burnsville, Minnesota, is fourth among the league's freshmen in scoring (11.8 ppg). Ranke is the first K-State freshman to surpass 350 or more points in her rookie season since the 2013-14 season and is the ninth freshman in program history to score 350 or more points in her rookie season.
This will be K-State's sixth appearance in the Postseason WNIT and the first since reaching the second round of the 2015 WNIT. With K-State's bid into the Postseason WNIT, the Wildcats are one of seven Big 12 schools to earn a women's basketball postseason bid.
The Wildcats (16-15, 7-11 Big 12) will be opposed by the Billikens (17-15, 9-7 Atlantic 10) on Thursday in Bramlage Coliseum. K-State and Saint Louis will meet for the third time and the first time since Dec. 6, 2003. The Wildcats are 9-3 all-time against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference, with the last meeting against an A-10 program coming on March 18, 2016 against George Washington in the 2016 NCAA Tournament in Columbia, South Carolina, a 56-51 K-State win.
Saint Louis, making the program's third straight WNIT appearance, is led by senior guard Jackie Kemph. Kemph, a 2018 All-A-10 First Team selection, is averaging 15.8 points per game and 7.1 assists per game this season. Joining Kemph in double figures are senior forwards Madison Gits and Paige Rakers. Gits is averaging 11.5 points and 9.5 rebounds, while Rakers adds 10.3 points and 3.7 rebounds.
The winner of the Kansas State-Saint Louis game will play the winner of the Utah-UNLV matchup on either March 17, 18, 19 or 20 at a site to be determined.
Tickets for K-State's first round matchup with Saint Louis are available now, by calling the K-State Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS, visiting www.kstatesports.com/tickets or by stopping by the K-State Athletic Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum. Tickets are priced at $15 for chair backs, $10 for adult general admission and $5 for youth and senior citizens. All K-State students will receive free entry by showing a valid K-State ID at the door.
K-State is 14-4 in its previous four WNIT Tournament appearances in 1999, 2006, 2007, 2013 and 2015. The Wildcats captured the 2006 WNIT title for the first postseason title in school history in front of a sell-out crowd of 13,340 fans.
With the guidance of fourth year head coach Jeff Mittie, Kansas State is postseason eligible for the fourth straight season. The Wildcats have registered an overall record of 16-15, which marks the fourth straight season K-State will finish above .500 and the first time since eight straight seasons from 2001-02 to 2009-10. Mittie joins former K-State head coaches Judy Akers and Lynn Hickey as the third head coach in program history to finish with an overall record .500 or above in their first four seasons at the helm of the Wildcats.
The Wildcats have been paced during the 2017-18 season by All-Big 12 Second Team selection Kayla Goth, All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient Peyton Williams and Big 12 All-Freshman Team pick Rachel Ranke.
During the 2017-18 season, Goth set career season-highs in 14 statistical categories including points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. Goth's assist total of 211 (6.8 apg) leads the Big 12 and ranks 10th in the nation. Her 211 assists are the second-highest total in school history for a single season and she joins Shalee Lehning as the only players in program history with 200 or more assists in a season.
In addition to pacing the team in assists, Goth leads the team in scoring with 17.0 points per game. Her 526 points this season ranks fourth in program history for points by a junior. For the season, Goth is responsible for 53.6 percent of K-State's made field goals this season and is the only player in the Big 12 that is responsible for 50.0 percent or more of her team's made field goals.
The guard from DeForest, Wisconsin, is the first player in school history to register 500 or more points and 200 or more assists in a season. Her scoring average increase of 11.2 points per game from last season to this season is the second highest increase from one season to the next in program history.
Williams has also had a career season, as she has set season-highs in 16 statistical categories including points, rebounds, blocks and steals.
The forward from Topeka, Kansas, has increased her scoring average from last season to this season of 10.4 points per game. This is the fourth highest increase from one season to the next in program history. She leads the team and ranks among the Big 12 top 15 in field goal percentage (.538), free throw percentage (.847) and blocks (43, 1.4 bpg). Williams is second on the team in points per game (14.1) and rebounds per game (6.7), while she is third in steals (45, 1.5 spg).
Ranke, an All-Big 12 Freshman Team selection, leads all Big 12 freshmen in 3-point field goals made per game (2.7; 85 3-pt FGs made). Her 85 made 3-point field goals are second in program history among freshmen, behind Laurie Koehn's school record 122 three-point field goals made. A three-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week recipient, ranks tied for eighth in program history for 3-point field goals made in a season.
The guard from Burnsville, Minnesota, is fourth among the league's freshmen in scoring (11.8 ppg). Ranke is the first K-State freshman to surpass 350 or more points in her rookie season since the 2013-14 season and is the ninth freshman in program history to score 350 or more points in her rookie season.
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