K-State women travel to West Virginia Saturday

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State will play its final road game in the month of January, as the Wildcats visit West Virginia on Saturday at 3 p.m. (CT).

Saturday’s game will be available on the K-State Sports Network, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play) and Randy Peterson (analyst) will have the call.
K-State (13-6, 4-3 Big 12) won its third straight league game with a lockdown defensive effort against Oklahoma State with a 59-48 win. The three straight wins are the most consecutive Big 12 wins for the Wildcats since Feb. 18-27, 2017.
The Wildcats held the Cowgirls to 48 points, which were the fewest points K-State allowed in a Big 12 game since January 14, 2017, at Oklahoma State when K-State allowed 43 points.
Kansas State was led against Oklahoma State by junior forward Peyton Williams and senior guard Kayla Goth.
Williams, a 2019 Katrina McClain Award candidate, registered her ninth double-double of the season with a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. The product of Topeka, Kansas, is second in the Big 12 for double-doubles and ranks tied for 10th in program history for double-doubles in a season. She is the first Wildcat with nine or more double-doubles in a season since Breanna Lewis tallied nine in the 2016-17 season.
For the season, Williams leads K-State in scoring (15.7 ppg), field goal percentage (.553) and rebounding (9.6 rpg).
Goth, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, registered 11 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and a blocked shot.
A 2019 Nancy Lieberman Award candidate, Goth leads the Big 12 in total assists (124) and is second in assists per game (6.5 apg). She leads the team in steals (34; 1.8 spg) and is second on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg).

Number to Know — 554

#KStateWBB has scored 554 points in the paint this season (29.2 ppg).
The Wildcats have had the edge in points in the paint in 13 games this season (11-2).
In the last four games, K-State is averaging 31.0 points in the paint and hold a +30 advantage in scoring in the lane.
K-State owns a season-high of 44 points in the paint against UMKC on November 18. The 44 points were the most in the lane since K-State scored 50 against Texas Tech on February 7, 2018.

At a Glance: West Virginia

West Virginia (13-5, 4-3 Big 12) has won four of its last five games including a 68-65 win over Texas Tech on Wednesday night in Morgantown.
On the sideline, West Virginia is led by 18th-year head coach Mike Carey. In his time with the Mountaineers, Carey has achieved a record of 384-199 (.659) and captured a share of the 2014 Big 12 regular season title and the 2017 Big 12 tournament crown.
On the floor, West Virginia fis paced by redshirt junior Tynice Martin and senior Naomi Davenport.
Martin leads the Mountaineers with 17.4 points per game and is third on the team in rebounding with 5.9 per game. Against Texas Tech, Martin tallied a game-high 23 points and three assists.
Davenport is second on the team with 13.7 points and paces the program with 8.1 rebounds. Against the Lady Raiders, Davenport registered 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Preseason Poll Not the Final Verdict for Cats

K-State has a history of exceeding the expectations of the league’s coaches.
Kansas State was slotted for a eighth-place finish by the Big 12 coaches in the 2018-19 preseason poll. K-State ended the 2017-18 season tied for seventh in the league.
In its history, K-State leads the Big 12 in exceeding preseason predictions, finishing on average +1.35 positions higher than its preseason prediction in the 20 polls that have a preseason prediction and a final standing attached to it. The 1996-97 and 2017-18 seasons are not included in these calculations, as neither had a preseason poll.
The Wildcats have finished 15 of 20 seasons above its preseason prediction and owns the largest deviation in league history from its preseason prediction and its final place with a +7 by winning the Big 12 in 2007-08.

Wildcats’ Defense Forges Identity

K-State has continued to be a force on the defensive end during head coach Jeff Mittie’s five seasons on the bench.
In the 2018-19 season, the Wildcats have a scoring defense of 60.5 points per game allowed which ranks 89th in the nation. The Wildcats are 48th in the nation in field goal percentage at .364 allowed.
For the first time in the Mittie era and the first time since the 2011-12 season, Kansas State held its first two opponents of a season to 49 points or less. The Wildcats held Omaha to 46 points, then kept North Texas to 42 points.
The 42 points allowed to North Texas were the fewest surrendered by K-State since allowing 42 to Princeton on Dec. 18, 2016.
During the last 17 seasons, K-State is 110-3 (.973) when holding an opponent to 49 points or less including a 29-0 mark in the Mittie era.

K-State Cleaning the Glass; Results in Shiny Wins

Since the 2001-02 season, Kansas State owns a record of 219-28 (.887) when holding the edge on the glass.
K-State has held the edge on the boards in nine games this season (8-1).
K-State registered a +12.0 rebounding advantage against UMKC (50-38).
The 50 rebounds against UMKC were the most by a K-State team since pulling down 51 against Chicago State on Nov. 11, 2016.

K-State Attacking the Paint

Kansas State has converted in the paint at a high rate to begin the 2018-19 season.
The Wildcats have scored 554 points in the paint (29.2 ppg). The 554 points represents 44.9 percent of K-State’s overall point total this season.
K-State scored a season-high of 44 points in the paint against UMKC on November 18. The 44 points in the lane were the most since K-State notched 50 points in the paint against Texas Tech on February 7, 2018. The Wildcats have 11 games with 30 or more points in the paint this season.
Under head coach Jeff Mittie, Kansas State has scored 900 or more points in the paint in four straight seasons including a high of 1,064 points (31.3 ppg) during the 2016-17 season.

Double-Doubles Adding up for Williams

Peyton Williams is recording double-doubles at a high rate to begin the the 2018-19 season.
Williams has a career-high nine double-doubles in 18 games played this season. She is second in the Big 12 and ranks 22nd in the nation for double-doubles.
The product of Topeka, Kansas, ranks tied for 10th in program history for double-doubles in a season. She is the first Wildcat with nine or more double-doubles in a season since Breanna Lewis tallied nine in the 2016-17 season.
In games Williams has tallied a double-double this season, the Wildcats are 7-2. When she notches a double-double, Williams is averaging 16.8 points on a .575 field goal percentage, 11.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 blocks.
For her career, Williams owns 16 double-doubles and is tied for ninth in program history for career double-doubles.

– kstatesports.com –