SE: Goth, Jones Enter Senior Day with Home Finale Aspect Out of Mind
Mar 01, 2019 | Women's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
It'll be a busy Saturday in Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State women's basketball will celebrate its two seniors in their home finale, while trying to add to the team's NCAA Tournament resume, in Saturday's battle with Texas Tech at 1 p.m. The Wildcat men look to stay atop the Big 12 standings when they host Baylor Saturday at 7 p.m. K-State SAAC's annual Tipoff for TP drive will also take place during the two basketball games.
Here's a look at each game and what it means.
Goth, Jones Enter Senior Day with Home Finale Aspect Out of Mind
The expectation has always been the NCAA Tournament.
That was Kayla Goth and Kali Jones' message in the summer, preseason, non-conference and Big 12 play. Regardless of their current record, of highs and lows, K-State's seniors have kept the end goal in mind for their team.
"That was the consistent message," Goth said, as K-State (18-10, 9-7) looks to secure 10 wins in conference play for the first time since she was a sophomore, also the team's last NCAA Tournament appearance. "We were just trying to stay consistent, stay consistent with the message, what we were saying to them."
The message has stayed the same going into the two seniors' last game in Bramlage Coliseum, to themselves and their teammates.
"I'm trying not to think about it, really," Goth said of Senior Day. "A win on Senior Day would be great but it would also mean we're one step closer to getting into the NCAA. It's about staying consistent, staying focused."
K-State head coach Jeff Mittie said while Goth and Jones play very different roles on the floor, both seniors have provided essential leadership for a team that needed it. Since February 2, the Wildcats went from a 13-9 record and 4-6 Big 12 mark to winning five of their last six games, including four straight victories on the road.
"In terms of leadership with our team and helping the young players, they've taken that role very seriously, that they need to be leaders by example, steady, come to work every day, show the team. Then, when we've had the ups and downs of the season, they've taken it upon themselves to help correct things, whether it be confidence or better practices," Mittie said of Goth and Jones. "I think stable leadership is critical for your young players to watch how the veterans handle things, and they've both been very good."
Freshman Laura Macke agreed.
"Their leadership," she said of what she's taken away from the seniors. "I feel like every time we come into a timeout, (Goth) always has something to say to make us better before Coach (Mittie) comes in and tells us something. KJ, she's always working hard in there in the post.
"Work ethic and leadership, I feel like, is important to those two."
As the team's floor general, Goth is a go-to scorer when needed — like Wednesday's 30-point performance against West Virginia — as well as a prolific distributor who leads the Big 12 in assists per game (6.6). Jones provides more energy than points, though the junior college transfer has nearly doubled her scoring average from last season, from 3.4 to 6.4.
Each senior overcame quite a lot to get here, too.
Goth battled through an ACL recovery in her first season and a shoulder injury her sophomore year. She was thrust unexpectedly into the point guard role last season and handled it, by her own account, poorly. Now, she's recognized as an elite leader.
"She's understood her ability to influence better," Mittie said. "Her words are impactful; her actions are impactful."
Jones, who started her career at UC Santa Barbara, went through a trying time after she was diagnosed with alopecia in 2016. Last season, she decided to shave her head and be a beacon of bravery for any other women with the disease. Jones even met with a young girl from the Kansas City area with alopecia after a game this season.
"They all like Kali, so they all respect Kali," Mittie said of his team. "You look at some of the things that Kali has gone through, personally, and they have a tremendous amount of respect for the way she's handled that, and that certainly gives her a voice with anybody in that locker room."
Going into Saturday, each senior voice has been echoing the same message as before: A win would help the team's NCAA Tournament chances.
"Staying focused on the task at hand is important," Goth said. "Everyone knows the goal is the NCAA Tournament, so it's about staying focused, knowing what we need to do to get there and preparing the right way."
K-State's Tipoff for TP Continues to Help Community
Before Saturday's two games in Bramlage Coliseum, student-athletes from many different Wildcat teams will be on the concourse with bins to collect items for K-State SAAC's annual Tipoff for TP drive.
Fans are encouraged to bring toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags and any cleaning supplies to donate. The items will be taken to the Manhattan Emergency Shelter, which then passes them along to the more than 500 community members it houses annually.
"These in-kind donations save us from spending money on items that we need at the shelter. At one point we estimated it was about $5,000," Dene' Kaster, MESI's grants and finance officer, said. "That way we can provide these items for people when they're at the shelter."
The goal, obviously, is to donate more and up that total. Still, Kaster said any and all donations are appreciated.
"The K-State family has always been a big support to the shelter. We rely heavily on the community to provide these in-kind donations for us on an annual basis," she said. "Tipoff for TP is just a catchy event that provides necessary items that aren't fun to buy, but it helps us out a lot and saves us a lot of money."
It'll be a busy Saturday in Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State women's basketball will celebrate its two seniors in their home finale, while trying to add to the team's NCAA Tournament resume, in Saturday's battle with Texas Tech at 1 p.m. The Wildcat men look to stay atop the Big 12 standings when they host Baylor Saturday at 7 p.m. K-State SAAC's annual Tipoff for TP drive will also take place during the two basketball games.
Here's a look at each game and what it means.
Goth, Jones Enter Senior Day with Home Finale Aspect Out of Mind
The expectation has always been the NCAA Tournament.
That was Kayla Goth and Kali Jones' message in the summer, preseason, non-conference and Big 12 play. Regardless of their current record, of highs and lows, K-State's seniors have kept the end goal in mind for their team.
"That was the consistent message," Goth said, as K-State (18-10, 9-7) looks to secure 10 wins in conference play for the first time since she was a sophomore, also the team's last NCAA Tournament appearance. "We were just trying to stay consistent, stay consistent with the message, what we were saying to them."
The message has stayed the same going into the two seniors' last game in Bramlage Coliseum, to themselves and their teammates.
"I'm trying not to think about it, really," Goth said of Senior Day. "A win on Senior Day would be great but it would also mean we're one step closer to getting into the NCAA. It's about staying consistent, staying focused."
K-State head coach Jeff Mittie said while Goth and Jones play very different roles on the floor, both seniors have provided essential leadership for a team that needed it. Since February 2, the Wildcats went from a 13-9 record and 4-6 Big 12 mark to winning five of their last six games, including four straight victories on the road.
"In terms of leadership with our team and helping the young players, they've taken that role very seriously, that they need to be leaders by example, steady, come to work every day, show the team. Then, when we've had the ups and downs of the season, they've taken it upon themselves to help correct things, whether it be confidence or better practices," Mittie said of Goth and Jones. "I think stable leadership is critical for your young players to watch how the veterans handle things, and they've both been very good."
Freshman Laura Macke agreed.
"Their leadership," she said of what she's taken away from the seniors. "I feel like every time we come into a timeout, (Goth) always has something to say to make us better before Coach (Mittie) comes in and tells us something. KJ, she's always working hard in there in the post.
"Work ethic and leadership, I feel like, is important to those two."
As the team's floor general, Goth is a go-to scorer when needed — like Wednesday's 30-point performance against West Virginia — as well as a prolific distributor who leads the Big 12 in assists per game (6.6). Jones provides more energy than points, though the junior college transfer has nearly doubled her scoring average from last season, from 3.4 to 6.4.
Each senior overcame quite a lot to get here, too.
Goth battled through an ACL recovery in her first season and a shoulder injury her sophomore year. She was thrust unexpectedly into the point guard role last season and handled it, by her own account, poorly. Now, she's recognized as an elite leader.
"She's understood her ability to influence better," Mittie said. "Her words are impactful; her actions are impactful."
Jones, who started her career at UC Santa Barbara, went through a trying time after she was diagnosed with alopecia in 2016. Last season, she decided to shave her head and be a beacon of bravery for any other women with the disease. Jones even met with a young girl from the Kansas City area with alopecia after a game this season.
"They all like Kali, so they all respect Kali," Mittie said of his team. "You look at some of the things that Kali has gone through, personally, and they have a tremendous amount of respect for the way she's handled that, and that certainly gives her a voice with anybody in that locker room."
Going into Saturday, each senior voice has been echoing the same message as before: A win would help the team's NCAA Tournament chances.
"Staying focused on the task at hand is important," Goth said. "Everyone knows the goal is the NCAA Tournament, so it's about staying focused, knowing what we need to do to get there and preparing the right way."
K-State's Tipoff for TP Continues to Help Community
Before Saturday's two games in Bramlage Coliseum, student-athletes from many different Wildcat teams will be on the concourse with bins to collect items for K-State SAAC's annual Tipoff for TP drive.
Fans are encouraged to bring toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags and any cleaning supplies to donate. The items will be taken to the Manhattan Emergency Shelter, which then passes them along to the more than 500 community members it houses annually.
"These in-kind donations save us from spending money on items that we need at the shelter. At one point we estimated it was about $5,000," Dene' Kaster, MESI's grants and finance officer, said. "That way we can provide these items for people when they're at the shelter."
The goal, obviously, is to donate more and up that total. Still, Kaster said any and all donations are appreciated.
"The K-State family has always been a big support to the shelter. We rely heavily on the community to provide these in-kind donations for us on an annual basis," she said. "Tipoff for TP is just a catchy event that provides necessary items that aren't fun to buy, but it helps us out a lot and saves us a lot of money."
Players Mentioned
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