Kansas State University Athletics
Wednesday, February 19
Manhattan, Kan.
6:30 p.m.
Kansas State University
12-12,6-7Big 12
52
vs
54
TCU
19-5,10-3Big 12
1
2
3
4
F
TCU
6
11
23
14
54
Kansas St.
12
12
17
11
52
Fourth Quarter Rally Falls Short for K-State
Feb 19, 2020 | Women's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kansas – After a strong defensive first half, K-State was still in need of a third straight fourth quarter rally on Wednesday night at Bramlage Coliseum. The comeback bid fell just shy, as TCU escaped with a 54-52 win.
"Well, hard fought loss. We didn't play as well the last three minutes," said K-State head coach Jeff Mittie. "We had opportunities. I thought we had chances in that stretch to make some plays, and we just didn't. At the end, we had our opportunities again. We did a pretty good job, that last minute, of continuing to give ourselves chances and opportunities. We just couldn't make one more play."
K-State (12-12, 6-7 Big 12) led 41-40 to begin the fourth quarter. The Horned Frogs would build a three-point advantage, 46-43, before a jumper from Jasauen Beard with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter brought the Wildcats within one, 46-45.
Beard then finished a pair of baskets, including an acrobatic layup, to give K-State a 49-46 lead with 3:05 remaining. Beard ended the night with 13 points, all in the second half including six in the fourth quarter.
TCU (19-5, 10-3) would respond with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to lead 53-49 with 55 seconds remaining. Senior and All-America candidate Peyton Williams, who notched nine points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two blocks, made a pair of free throws with 53 seconds left to bring K-State to within two, 53-51.
With her 13 rebounds, Williams moved into third on the K-State career rebounds list with 932 and passing Carlisa Thomas (923; 1984-87).
An offensive foul on the Horned Frogs, would give K-State possession with 32 seconds remaining. The Wildcats found Lee under the rim, but she was only able to make one of two free throws with 11 seconds left.
Redshirt freshman and All-America candidate Ayoka Lee notched her 15th double-double of the season and her fourth straight with 22 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks. This is her seventh game with a double-double and five or more blocks.
After a slow start to the first quarter for both teams, K-State closed out the frame with an 8-0 run to build a 12-6 lead. Lee scored 10 of the 12 points in the quarter, including all eight during the run. The Wildcat defense held the Horned Frogs to 2-of-19 shooting in the first stanza.
The six points allowed by the Wildcats in the opening quarter were the fewest surrendered since K-State held Oklahoma State to three points in the first quarter on January 23, 2019.
Lee continued her scoring run into the second quarter, as she registered the first four points of the frame and extending her scoring run to 12-0. Angela Harris finished a runner to give the Wildcats an 18-6 lead with 7:16 to play. Lee ended the first half with 16 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks.
TCU closed to within seven points twice including the halftime margin, as K-State held a 24-17 lead at the half. The Wildcats held the Horned Frogs to 16.7 percent shooting in the first half.
The 17 points were the fewest K-State allowed since January 14, 2017, when the Wildcats held Oklahoma State to 17 first half points.
Beard started the third quarter quickly for K-State with five points and push the Wildcats in front, 29-17. The Horned Frogs crept to within seven, 33-26, with 4:54 remaining in the frame.
TCU used a 16-8 run to end the third quarter, which included taking a brief lead 39-38, with 43 seconds to play before a Lee layup pushed the Wildcats back in front heading to the fourth quarter, 41-40.
For the night, K-State shot 36.1 percent (22-of-61) from the field but were held to 1-of-13 from beyond the arc. TCU carded a 29.5 percent (18-of-61) including a 2-of-14 performance from deep. The Horned Frogs were 16-of-23 from the foul line, while the Wildcats were 7-of-10.
K-State will be on the road again this weekend, as the Wildcats travel to Austin, Texas, to face the Longhorns on Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcast on Longhorn Network as well as on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.
What They Said
JEFF MITTIE, HEAD COACH
Opening statement...
"Well, hard fought loss. We didn't play as well the last three minutes. We had opportunities. I thought we had chances in that stretch to make some plays, and we just didn't. At the end, we had our opportunities again. We did a pretty good job, that last minute, of continuing to give ourselves chances and opportunities. We just couldn't make one more play."
On if he saw any changes from TCU in the second half...
"Obviously (Lauren) Heard was the player in the second half. She got downhill, got to the free throw line. I felt like she was just getting off that towers look to get to the basket, and we were having trouble there. They were running a shooter in there and you couldn't help off much. She was really getting to the free throw line and getting downhill against us."
On his thoughts of K-State's performance tonight…
"Defensively, I thought we were pretty good with the exception of the second half (Lauren) Heard, but we held them to 29 percent shooting. Our woes are still at the offensive end. You look up and you're one of 13 from three. That's a tough number. Only going to the free throw line 10 times. I didn't think we were tough enough in the middle of the floor. I didn't think we were aggressive enough in the middle of the floor to really draw fouls there. That would be an area that we've got to do better at. When we're not shooting the ball well, getting to the free throw line, that's critical. That was the difference in the ball game in the second half, the number of free throws they shot versus the number of free throws we shot."
On the reason for missing threes tonight…
"I thought our shot selection from three was fine tonight. I thought our shot selection was pretty good. It's not always going to be perfect, but it's not going to be perfect inside the two, either. I don't necessarily have an answer for that. Confidence. You've got to be able to shoot it with confidence. They're trained to do the right thing, all those things. It's just one of those things that one day it'll break out and you won't necessarily know why, but we'll break out of it and you won't know why. Hopefully it will be because we're working in the gym, getting shots and doing those things."
JASAUEN BEARD, SENIOR GUARD
On trying to stop Lauren Heard from attacking the rim…
"I think really the only thing that they gave us that gave us the most trouble was like you said, Heard, number 20. She started to realize that she has to get to the rim so she can get to the line because that's her game. And we just didn't keep her off the line like the game plan was."
AYOKA LEE, REDSHIRT FRESHMAN CENTER
On if the offense did anything different to get her the ball inside…
"I don't necessarily think so but I think the whole game was trying to get help. Throughout the game, we did a better job of moving the ball around and drawing their defenders in spots they were used to. I think that helped get me the ball inside, but I don't think they did anything different."
RAEGAN PEBLEY, TCU HEAD COACH
On overall performance…
"We have to give em all to God, but this is definitely one. I've said this multiple times, but I think Kansas State has been the most improved team from the beginning of year to the beginning of conference and through the first and second round. Ayoka Lee is a problem that a lot of people are going to have to figure out. She's phenomenal. I think our team just stays so connected, and when you have a first half like we had you can see teams let their offense affect the defense or they start to fragment. We didn't have that happen. That's just a culture thing, and the players deserve all the credit because they hold each other accountable."
On what changed after the first half...
"I don't think anything changed... definitely K-State deserves a lot of credit, but nothing changed. We maybe hit a few more shots than in the first half. My halftime speech was positive. I didn't shred anyone. I really loved everything I saw out of the team, and they proved me right."
What did the team do in the second half differently...
"They scored two more points than they did. I think they understood and trusted the game plan. They stayed composed. We probably finished a few more layups, and we improved so much more rebounding than we did last time we played them. I thought it was also big in the fourth quarter how we got to the free throw line and didn't foul them early. Again there wasn't any rocket science involved. God just fills in the gaps sometimes."
On their game plan for Ayoka Lee and Peyton Williams…
"Well we had the same plan in the first and second half. Maybe we just executed a little better. We had good congestion around her, and Beard made some tough shots. If Beard kept that up, it probably would have been a different outcome."
On the team only shooting 29% from the field…
"They've got great defense. We kinda just had some players that found some seams. They were a little more patient, and the post gave us some good second chance opportunities, and just other little plays like that."
"Well, hard fought loss. We didn't play as well the last three minutes," said K-State head coach Jeff Mittie. "We had opportunities. I thought we had chances in that stretch to make some plays, and we just didn't. At the end, we had our opportunities again. We did a pretty good job, that last minute, of continuing to give ourselves chances and opportunities. We just couldn't make one more play."
K-State (12-12, 6-7 Big 12) led 41-40 to begin the fourth quarter. The Horned Frogs would build a three-point advantage, 46-43, before a jumper from Jasauen Beard with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter brought the Wildcats within one, 46-45.
Beard then finished a pair of baskets, including an acrobatic layup, to give K-State a 49-46 lead with 3:05 remaining. Beard ended the night with 13 points, all in the second half including six in the fourth quarter.
TCU (19-5, 10-3) would respond with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to lead 53-49 with 55 seconds remaining. Senior and All-America candidate Peyton Williams, who notched nine points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two blocks, made a pair of free throws with 53 seconds left to bring K-State to within two, 53-51.
With her 13 rebounds, Williams moved into third on the K-State career rebounds list with 932 and passing Carlisa Thomas (923; 1984-87).
An offensive foul on the Horned Frogs, would give K-State possession with 32 seconds remaining. The Wildcats found Lee under the rim, but she was only able to make one of two free throws with 11 seconds left.
Redshirt freshman and All-America candidate Ayoka Lee notched her 15th double-double of the season and her fourth straight with 22 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks. This is her seventh game with a double-double and five or more blocks.
After a slow start to the first quarter for both teams, K-State closed out the frame with an 8-0 run to build a 12-6 lead. Lee scored 10 of the 12 points in the quarter, including all eight during the run. The Wildcat defense held the Horned Frogs to 2-of-19 shooting in the first stanza.
The six points allowed by the Wildcats in the opening quarter were the fewest surrendered since K-State held Oklahoma State to three points in the first quarter on January 23, 2019.
Lee continued her scoring run into the second quarter, as she registered the first four points of the frame and extending her scoring run to 12-0. Angela Harris finished a runner to give the Wildcats an 18-6 lead with 7:16 to play. Lee ended the first half with 16 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks.
TCU closed to within seven points twice including the halftime margin, as K-State held a 24-17 lead at the half. The Wildcats held the Horned Frogs to 16.7 percent shooting in the first half.
The 17 points were the fewest K-State allowed since January 14, 2017, when the Wildcats held Oklahoma State to 17 first half points.
Beard started the third quarter quickly for K-State with five points and push the Wildcats in front, 29-17. The Horned Frogs crept to within seven, 33-26, with 4:54 remaining in the frame.
TCU used a 16-8 run to end the third quarter, which included taking a brief lead 39-38, with 43 seconds to play before a Lee layup pushed the Wildcats back in front heading to the fourth quarter, 41-40.
For the night, K-State shot 36.1 percent (22-of-61) from the field but were held to 1-of-13 from beyond the arc. TCU carded a 29.5 percent (18-of-61) including a 2-of-14 performance from deep. The Horned Frogs were 16-of-23 from the foul line, while the Wildcats were 7-of-10.
K-State will be on the road again this weekend, as the Wildcats travel to Austin, Texas, to face the Longhorns on Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcast on Longhorn Network as well as on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.
What They Said
JEFF MITTIE, HEAD COACH
Opening statement...
"Well, hard fought loss. We didn't play as well the last three minutes. We had opportunities. I thought we had chances in that stretch to make some plays, and we just didn't. At the end, we had our opportunities again. We did a pretty good job, that last minute, of continuing to give ourselves chances and opportunities. We just couldn't make one more play."
On if he saw any changes from TCU in the second half...
"Obviously (Lauren) Heard was the player in the second half. She got downhill, got to the free throw line. I felt like she was just getting off that towers look to get to the basket, and we were having trouble there. They were running a shooter in there and you couldn't help off much. She was really getting to the free throw line and getting downhill against us."
On his thoughts of K-State's performance tonight…
"Defensively, I thought we were pretty good with the exception of the second half (Lauren) Heard, but we held them to 29 percent shooting. Our woes are still at the offensive end. You look up and you're one of 13 from three. That's a tough number. Only going to the free throw line 10 times. I didn't think we were tough enough in the middle of the floor. I didn't think we were aggressive enough in the middle of the floor to really draw fouls there. That would be an area that we've got to do better at. When we're not shooting the ball well, getting to the free throw line, that's critical. That was the difference in the ball game in the second half, the number of free throws they shot versus the number of free throws we shot."
On the reason for missing threes tonight…
"I thought our shot selection from three was fine tonight. I thought our shot selection was pretty good. It's not always going to be perfect, but it's not going to be perfect inside the two, either. I don't necessarily have an answer for that. Confidence. You've got to be able to shoot it with confidence. They're trained to do the right thing, all those things. It's just one of those things that one day it'll break out and you won't necessarily know why, but we'll break out of it and you won't know why. Hopefully it will be because we're working in the gym, getting shots and doing those things."
JASAUEN BEARD, SENIOR GUARD
On trying to stop Lauren Heard from attacking the rim…
"I think really the only thing that they gave us that gave us the most trouble was like you said, Heard, number 20. She started to realize that she has to get to the rim so she can get to the line because that's her game. And we just didn't keep her off the line like the game plan was."
AYOKA LEE, REDSHIRT FRESHMAN CENTER
On if the offense did anything different to get her the ball inside…
"I don't necessarily think so but I think the whole game was trying to get help. Throughout the game, we did a better job of moving the ball around and drawing their defenders in spots they were used to. I think that helped get me the ball inside, but I don't think they did anything different."
RAEGAN PEBLEY, TCU HEAD COACH
On overall performance…
"We have to give em all to God, but this is definitely one. I've said this multiple times, but I think Kansas State has been the most improved team from the beginning of year to the beginning of conference and through the first and second round. Ayoka Lee is a problem that a lot of people are going to have to figure out. She's phenomenal. I think our team just stays so connected, and when you have a first half like we had you can see teams let their offense affect the defense or they start to fragment. We didn't have that happen. That's just a culture thing, and the players deserve all the credit because they hold each other accountable."
On what changed after the first half...
"I don't think anything changed... definitely K-State deserves a lot of credit, but nothing changed. We maybe hit a few more shots than in the first half. My halftime speech was positive. I didn't shred anyone. I really loved everything I saw out of the team, and they proved me right."
What did the team do in the second half differently...
"They scored two more points than they did. I think they understood and trusted the game plan. They stayed composed. We probably finished a few more layups, and we improved so much more rebounding than we did last time we played them. I thought it was also big in the fourth quarter how we got to the free throw line and didn't foul them early. Again there wasn't any rocket science involved. God just fills in the gaps sometimes."
On their game plan for Ayoka Lee and Peyton Williams…
"Well we had the same plan in the first and second half. Maybe we just executed a little better. We had good congestion around her, and Beard made some tough shots. If Beard kept that up, it probably would have been a different outcome."
On the team only shooting 29% from the field…
"They've got great defense. We kinda just had some players that found some seams. They were a little more patient, and the post gave us some good second chance opportunities, and just other little plays like that."
Team Stats
TCU
KState
FG%
.295
.361
3FG%
.143
.077
FT%
.696
.700
RB
42
42
TO
11
14
STL
9
2
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
4
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
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