Saturday, December 12
Manhattan, Kan.
1 p.m.
Kansas State University
4-2,0-0Big 12
66
vs
59
Omaha
1-3,0-0Summit League
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | 11 | 14 | 11 | 23 | 59 |
| Kansas St. | 18 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 66 |
K-State Pulls Away from Omaha on Saturday
Dec 12, 2020 | Women's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kansas – Kansas State needed a pair of late three-pointers and crucial free throws with under two minutes to play to hold off a furious fourth quarter rally from Omaha to secure a 66-59 win on Saturday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State (4-2) held a six-point lead entering the fourth quarter, but Omaha (1-3) would tie the game at 51 with 4:51 to play, using a 7-0 burst in two minutes and force a K-State timeout.
Following the timeout, K-State received back-to-back 3-pointers from Rachel Ranke and Christianna Carr to retake a six-point lead, 59-53, with 1:55 to play. Sydney Goodson then made five of her next six free throw attempts to push the Wildcats into a nine-point lead, 64-55.
Omaha would close to within five, 64-59 with eight seconds remaining, but Ayoka Lee ended any comeback hopes with two free throws.
"Credit to our group for winning the last five minutes of the game," said K-State head coach Jeff Mittie. "We are not efficient enough right now to run away from anybody. I think fatigue is a part of that in those stretches of games. That's just a part of it. I think that the bright spots of this were that late, we had some players make some big shots. We did some good things under a tight game. (Sydney) Goodson knocked some free throws down and that was good to see and the threes also went down. Chrissy and Rachel hit some big shots and we can build off of those things."
For the second straight game, K-State had three players reach double figures as Lee led all scorers with 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting and a 9-of-12 effort from the free throw line. Lee also tied her career-high with three steals and blocked two shots.
Joining Lee in double figures were Carr and Goodson. Carr registered her first career double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. Goodson reached double figures for the first time at K-State with 10 points and added three assists and two rebounds.
Omaha was led by Ella Ogier with 18 points, including 16 in the second half.
K-State turned a one-point lead into a 10-point advantage, 18-8, with a 12-3 run over a three-and a half minute stretch near the end of the first quarter. Lee scored four points during the run.
Lee scored K-State's first six points to begin the second quarter and keep the Wildcats in front, 24-18, with 4:55 remaining in the opening half.
After freshman Jada Moore connected on a 3-pointer with 3:48 remaining to give the Wildcats a 27-18 lead, Omaha narrowed the gap to two points with a 7-0 run. Moore finished the afternoon with seven points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench.
Lee ended the run by the Mavericks with three points to close the quarter and give the Wildcats a 30-25 lead at halftime. Lee notched 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and a 5-of-6 effort from the foul line in the first half.
K-State completed the afternoon with a 39.6 percent (19-of-48) effort from the field but were buoyed by a 20-of-30 (.667) performance from the free throw line. For the fifth time this season, K-State held an opponent to under 40.0 percent from the field as Omaha ended the day shooting 37.7 percent (23-of-61).
K-State ends its non-conference schedule on Monday night, as the Wildcats host Kansas City at 6:30 p.m. Monday's game will be limited to 15% capacity. A limited number of single-game tickets are available by calling (800) 221-CATS or online at kstatesports.com,
Monday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. The game will also be available on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.
What They Said
JEFF MITTIE, K-STATE HEAD COACH
On taking care of the basketball down the stretch...
"Yeah that was exciting for me. If we don't start taking care of the ball, it's going to be hard to score. I was pleased with that. It was interesting because they were packing it in more down the stretch. They did not want us to get the ball inside to Lee. Certainly a lot of our turnovers were self inflicted. Judgement decisions, on who to pass to and when to pass. We have to get better. You're right, that fourth quarter was key for us not to turn it over."
On Jada Moore's performance...
"The thing that I didn't like about Jada today that I want her to do better is to push the basketball more and put more pressure on the defense. I thought she was probably trying too hard to run the offense or run plays in the offense, than actually flow into it. What I like about this kid is her three offensive rebounds, three assists, seven points, four rebounds. There's some positive stuff going on there. I thought it was a solid performance by her again."
On the message to the team once Omaha tied it up...
"One, we were tired, normally I wouldn't take that timeout with the media coming, but just felt like I had all my timeouts left with that stretch. We just needed to calm down a little bit and execute. We were a little fatigued in that stretch. We did want to get the basketball inside. We also just wanted to move the ball quicker and move that defense a little more. My message was to play together, we still want to keep attacking. I liked our judgement in that stretch, it was much better. Things look better when the ball goes in the basket. We made a couple three's in that stretch. Our group had a good look in their eyes so I was pleased about that."
On the team's rebounding...
"You know, their offense pulls our centers away and that was a problem in the first half. You look up and you see that Ayoka only has one rebound in the first half. But she has pulled away so much. Their forwards and centers were five of ten from three. I was pleased with our guards and how they are doing a much better job. Chrissy gets nine defensive rebounds today, Ebert with five. We are getting better production but we are facing some teams right now that are really pulling Lee away from the basket. At times, that is frustrating Ayoka a little bit, because she just got back and is now having to chase shooters all over the floor. She's like, "jeez I just got back". It is definitely helping her conditioning but it is hurting our rebounding. So I do think our rebounding was very good when you look at those circumstances.
On the effort on the help defense…
"I thought Chrissy got a great steal late in the game, right there late and on the back side. I thought that was a nice awareness play by her, aggressive to go get it. They were getting way too much in the paint off the drive. They were getting us in that action, right in the middle of the floor, that towers action. We've got to take a look at film on this. That is also a stretch when our posts don't want to show much because they have been knocking shots down. We have to clean up that. Our guards needed to do a better job of shutting off the drive in that stretch and our posts need to do a better job of helping at the line of the screen."
On Lee being dominant at the post…
"It gives us a presence down there. The obvious thing is we think shots are going to go in more and more. Lee forces people to make a decision. As she gets her legs back under her better. She got tired, she did not have as good of a second half, we didn't get the ball to her. She's a factor, there isn't a doubt about it. Certainly for us to have her back, will make this offense much much better."
On the smaller lineup late in the game…
"I will say this. Lee was tired. It was strategic in the sense of wanting to switch all of that action. Once we got a six point lead and the clock was in our favor, we wanted to guard the arch really strong. You get in that position within a minute forty five or so and you can defend that arch well, you have a good shot if you handle things from there. She was tired so that was part of it as well. So a little bit of both. Today I look at her minutes and she played twenty four fourteen the other night. When we talked this morning, she felt she could go a little more. So I was happy with the minutes we could get her today. Now we will get some rest and get ready to play on Monday."
On Goodson knocking down free throws late in the game…
"It's critical. We are fortunate here that we have recruited point guards and guards who can make free throws down the stretch. Weison was talented at that, Kayla Goth was talented at that, Middlebrook was very good at that, we've had those kinds of players who have done that over time. Certainly in close games it's a factor."
AYOKA LEE, SOPHOMORE CENTER
On getting her conditioning level back…
"Definitely getting back into it. We had a conversation before the game. It's just something I have to keep working on, just being out a week and doing ankle rehab, I just have to get back into it."
On her comfort level in the post…
"I think it was something we all had to adjust to. Our guards with their passes at the beginning of the game, knowing when to wait and when to post up. As the game went on, we got more comfortable. Our guards got more comfortable with passing the ball around quick so we could get it inside before the help could come over or their defense could settle. I got more comfortable as the game went on."
On her presence inside creating open looks outside…
"Part of the scout was wanting to get the ball inside so those shots could be open. I think our guards did a great job of moving the ball just so that we'd have those open skips or kickouts to have those open shots."
On having so much traffic around her when catching the ball…
"It's not something I noticed right off the bat. A lot of the time, my teammates were reading it before I could even experience those people coming to crash. I don't think it was something I was completely frustrated with. That's something we're going to see as the season goes on. It's just something we have to get used to and play through."
CHRISSY CARR, JUNIOR GUARD
On her emphasis on rebounding…
"Honestly, yes. Since Peyton (Williams) is gone, we have to fill that void of her rebounding. She got a lot of rebounds for us last year. My goal has been that I want to expand my game. I didn't just want to be a 3-point shooter this year. I wanted to be able to do other things, and rebounding was definitely a focus for me. I want to be able to achieve my dreams of playing in the WNBA one day, and people that make it there do the hard work, the rebounds and all that fun stuff. It's been more of a point for me to do that this year so I can give myself a chance and help my team at the same time."
On fatigue after four games in seven days…
"It's definitely a quick turnaround. I would say that it's been a while since we played kind of an AAU style basketball setup, so I do think it's different playing in a game every other day. It's just the hand that we're dealt right now, and I feel like our girls are doing a good job of fighting through that. We're reaching the end of that stretch here and heading into conference play, so we'll be able to get a good couple of practices in, get some recovery next week and bounce back and be ready for conference."
On Jada Moore running the point…
"I've said it once and I'll say it 12 other times, I just love Jada's energy. The energy she brings to our team is just amazing. It's her aggressiveness. I can just tell her, 'Hey, fake the dribble handoff and go.' She'll say, 'Ok'. Her ability to finish over people is awesome. She handles pressure really well, so it's good to see that from a freshman point guard because that means they already have that instilled in them at a young age. I don't want to say young age because we're in college, but her opportunity to grow and the potential she has as a great point guard moving forward for K-State, she's going to be great when she's a senior and upperclassman, so I'm excited to see where that is, and the sky's the limit for her."
K-State (4-2) held a six-point lead entering the fourth quarter, but Omaha (1-3) would tie the game at 51 with 4:51 to play, using a 7-0 burst in two minutes and force a K-State timeout.
Following the timeout, K-State received back-to-back 3-pointers from Rachel Ranke and Christianna Carr to retake a six-point lead, 59-53, with 1:55 to play. Sydney Goodson then made five of her next six free throw attempts to push the Wildcats into a nine-point lead, 64-55.
Omaha would close to within five, 64-59 with eight seconds remaining, but Ayoka Lee ended any comeback hopes with two free throws.
"Credit to our group for winning the last five minutes of the game," said K-State head coach Jeff Mittie. "We are not efficient enough right now to run away from anybody. I think fatigue is a part of that in those stretches of games. That's just a part of it. I think that the bright spots of this were that late, we had some players make some big shots. We did some good things under a tight game. (Sydney) Goodson knocked some free throws down and that was good to see and the threes also went down. Chrissy and Rachel hit some big shots and we can build off of those things."
For the second straight game, K-State had three players reach double figures as Lee led all scorers with 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting and a 9-of-12 effort from the free throw line. Lee also tied her career-high with three steals and blocked two shots.
Joining Lee in double figures were Carr and Goodson. Carr registered her first career double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. Goodson reached double figures for the first time at K-State with 10 points and added three assists and two rebounds.
Omaha was led by Ella Ogier with 18 points, including 16 in the second half.
K-State turned a one-point lead into a 10-point advantage, 18-8, with a 12-3 run over a three-and a half minute stretch near the end of the first quarter. Lee scored four points during the run.
Lee scored K-State's first six points to begin the second quarter and keep the Wildcats in front, 24-18, with 4:55 remaining in the opening half.
After freshman Jada Moore connected on a 3-pointer with 3:48 remaining to give the Wildcats a 27-18 lead, Omaha narrowed the gap to two points with a 7-0 run. Moore finished the afternoon with seven points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench.
Lee ended the run by the Mavericks with three points to close the quarter and give the Wildcats a 30-25 lead at halftime. Lee notched 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and a 5-of-6 effort from the foul line in the first half.
K-State completed the afternoon with a 39.6 percent (19-of-48) effort from the field but were buoyed by a 20-of-30 (.667) performance from the free throw line. For the fifth time this season, K-State held an opponent to under 40.0 percent from the field as Omaha ended the day shooting 37.7 percent (23-of-61).
K-State ends its non-conference schedule on Monday night, as the Wildcats host Kansas City at 6:30 p.m. Monday's game will be limited to 15% capacity. A limited number of single-game tickets are available by calling (800) 221-CATS or online at kstatesports.com,
Monday's game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. The game will also be available on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.
What They Said
JEFF MITTIE, K-STATE HEAD COACH
On taking care of the basketball down the stretch...
"Yeah that was exciting for me. If we don't start taking care of the ball, it's going to be hard to score. I was pleased with that. It was interesting because they were packing it in more down the stretch. They did not want us to get the ball inside to Lee. Certainly a lot of our turnovers were self inflicted. Judgement decisions, on who to pass to and when to pass. We have to get better. You're right, that fourth quarter was key for us not to turn it over."
On Jada Moore's performance...
"The thing that I didn't like about Jada today that I want her to do better is to push the basketball more and put more pressure on the defense. I thought she was probably trying too hard to run the offense or run plays in the offense, than actually flow into it. What I like about this kid is her three offensive rebounds, three assists, seven points, four rebounds. There's some positive stuff going on there. I thought it was a solid performance by her again."
On the message to the team once Omaha tied it up...
"One, we were tired, normally I wouldn't take that timeout with the media coming, but just felt like I had all my timeouts left with that stretch. We just needed to calm down a little bit and execute. We were a little fatigued in that stretch. We did want to get the basketball inside. We also just wanted to move the ball quicker and move that defense a little more. My message was to play together, we still want to keep attacking. I liked our judgement in that stretch, it was much better. Things look better when the ball goes in the basket. We made a couple three's in that stretch. Our group had a good look in their eyes so I was pleased about that."
On the team's rebounding...
"You know, their offense pulls our centers away and that was a problem in the first half. You look up and you see that Ayoka only has one rebound in the first half. But she has pulled away so much. Their forwards and centers were five of ten from three. I was pleased with our guards and how they are doing a much better job. Chrissy gets nine defensive rebounds today, Ebert with five. We are getting better production but we are facing some teams right now that are really pulling Lee away from the basket. At times, that is frustrating Ayoka a little bit, because she just got back and is now having to chase shooters all over the floor. She's like, "jeez I just got back". It is definitely helping her conditioning but it is hurting our rebounding. So I do think our rebounding was very good when you look at those circumstances.
On the effort on the help defense…
"I thought Chrissy got a great steal late in the game, right there late and on the back side. I thought that was a nice awareness play by her, aggressive to go get it. They were getting way too much in the paint off the drive. They were getting us in that action, right in the middle of the floor, that towers action. We've got to take a look at film on this. That is also a stretch when our posts don't want to show much because they have been knocking shots down. We have to clean up that. Our guards needed to do a better job of shutting off the drive in that stretch and our posts need to do a better job of helping at the line of the screen."
On Lee being dominant at the post…
"It gives us a presence down there. The obvious thing is we think shots are going to go in more and more. Lee forces people to make a decision. As she gets her legs back under her better. She got tired, she did not have as good of a second half, we didn't get the ball to her. She's a factor, there isn't a doubt about it. Certainly for us to have her back, will make this offense much much better."
On the smaller lineup late in the game…
"I will say this. Lee was tired. It was strategic in the sense of wanting to switch all of that action. Once we got a six point lead and the clock was in our favor, we wanted to guard the arch really strong. You get in that position within a minute forty five or so and you can defend that arch well, you have a good shot if you handle things from there. She was tired so that was part of it as well. So a little bit of both. Today I look at her minutes and she played twenty four fourteen the other night. When we talked this morning, she felt she could go a little more. So I was happy with the minutes we could get her today. Now we will get some rest and get ready to play on Monday."
On Goodson knocking down free throws late in the game…
"It's critical. We are fortunate here that we have recruited point guards and guards who can make free throws down the stretch. Weison was talented at that, Kayla Goth was talented at that, Middlebrook was very good at that, we've had those kinds of players who have done that over time. Certainly in close games it's a factor."
AYOKA LEE, SOPHOMORE CENTER
On getting her conditioning level back…
"Definitely getting back into it. We had a conversation before the game. It's just something I have to keep working on, just being out a week and doing ankle rehab, I just have to get back into it."
On her comfort level in the post…
"I think it was something we all had to adjust to. Our guards with their passes at the beginning of the game, knowing when to wait and when to post up. As the game went on, we got more comfortable. Our guards got more comfortable with passing the ball around quick so we could get it inside before the help could come over or their defense could settle. I got more comfortable as the game went on."
On her presence inside creating open looks outside…
"Part of the scout was wanting to get the ball inside so those shots could be open. I think our guards did a great job of moving the ball just so that we'd have those open skips or kickouts to have those open shots."
On having so much traffic around her when catching the ball…
"It's not something I noticed right off the bat. A lot of the time, my teammates were reading it before I could even experience those people coming to crash. I don't think it was something I was completely frustrated with. That's something we're going to see as the season goes on. It's just something we have to get used to and play through."
CHRISSY CARR, JUNIOR GUARD
On her emphasis on rebounding…
"Honestly, yes. Since Peyton (Williams) is gone, we have to fill that void of her rebounding. She got a lot of rebounds for us last year. My goal has been that I want to expand my game. I didn't just want to be a 3-point shooter this year. I wanted to be able to do other things, and rebounding was definitely a focus for me. I want to be able to achieve my dreams of playing in the WNBA one day, and people that make it there do the hard work, the rebounds and all that fun stuff. It's been more of a point for me to do that this year so I can give myself a chance and help my team at the same time."
On fatigue after four games in seven days…
"It's definitely a quick turnaround. I would say that it's been a while since we played kind of an AAU style basketball setup, so I do think it's different playing in a game every other day. It's just the hand that we're dealt right now, and I feel like our girls are doing a good job of fighting through that. We're reaching the end of that stretch here and heading into conference play, so we'll be able to get a good couple of practices in, get some recovery next week and bounce back and be ready for conference."
On Jada Moore running the point…
"I've said it once and I'll say it 12 other times, I just love Jada's energy. The energy she brings to our team is just amazing. It's her aggressiveness. I can just tell her, 'Hey, fake the dribble handoff and go.' She'll say, 'Ok'. Her ability to finish over people is awesome. She handles pressure really well, so it's good to see that from a freshman point guard because that means they already have that instilled in them at a young age. I don't want to say young age because we're in college, but her opportunity to grow and the potential she has as a great point guard moving forward for K-State, she's going to be great when she's a senior and upperclassman, so I'm excited to see where that is, and the sky's the limit for her."
Cats Win!
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) December 12, 2020
K-State holds off Omaha behind a season-high 21 from Lee. Carr (11 points & 10 boards) & Goodson (10) were also in double figures for the Cats. #KStateWBB x Honor The Journey pic.twitter.com/T1DK02LXyp
Extra effort by Savvy Simmons to spark a 9-3 close to the quarter.
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) December 12, 2020
K-State limited Omaha to 4-of-14 shooting in the first. #KStateWBB 18
Omaha 11
End of Q1 pic.twitter.com/7AHDOImZ6V
Team Stats
UNO
KState
FG%
.377
.396
3FG%
.240
.296
FT%
.875
.667
RB
27
42
TO
10
17
STL
10
5
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
9
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
1
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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