MANHATTAN – Kansas State held a one-point lead over visiting Omaha after the first quarter on Friday night, but the Wildcats outscored the Mavericks 41-15 over the next 20 minutes to capture the 10th straight season-opening win for K-State with a 73-48 decision in Bramlage Coliseum.
Kansas State (1-0) featured five players in double figures led by sophomore guard Christianna Carr with 15 points and five rebounds. Senior forward and All-America candidate Peyton Williams recorded the 22nd double-double of her career with 14 points and a career-high 19 rebounds.
Williams is the first Wildcat to grab 19 or more rebounds in a game since Shalee Lehning tied the school record with 20 rebounds against Louisiana Tech on December 6, 2005. This was Williams’s third career game with 15 or more rebounds.
Joining Carr and Williams in double figures were junior Rachel Ranke with 11 points and a game-high four assists. Senior Jasauen Beard added 11 points and redshirt freshman center Ayoka Lee saw her first regular season game action and tallied 11 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Omaha (0-2) was led by Elena Pilakouta with 11 points and Kia Wilson with 10 points and nine rebounds.
The teams exchanged the lead five times in the opening quarter, as the Wildcats held a 13-12 edge after the first 10 minutes. The Mavericks pulled to within two on a pair of occasions to begin the second quarter, including at 20-18 with 5:46 to play.
The Wildcats then found their offensive legs and closed the half on a 15-4 run to build a 35-22 lead at the break. Cymone Goodrich started the run with a layup. Beard, Lee and Ranke followed with layups of their own to force an Omaha timeout with 2:34 to play and K-State in front 28-21.
The run continued after the timeout, as Ranke and Carr each finished a three-point play to increase the advantage to 34-21. K-State would finish the second quarter shooting 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from the field and held the Mavericks to a 25.0 percent effort (4-of-16).
K-State continued its offensive success into the third quarter, as the Wildcats used a 10-1 run to build a 20-point lead, 45-25, with 4:56 remaining. Lee tallied six of the 10 points during the run.
The Wildcats would build the lead to 27 entering the fourth quarter, 54-27. K-State would increase its lead to 36, 73-37, following an Emma Chapman jumper with 2:18 remaining.
For the night, K-State shot 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the field and held Omaha to a 29.0 percent effort (18-of-62). The Wildcats outrebounded the Mavericks, 50-43. This marked the first 50-rebound game for K-State since Nov. 18, 2018, against Kansas City.
Kansas State will continue its four-game home stand to open the 2019-20 season on Monday night at 6:30 p.m., against UIC. For tickets, call (800) 221-CATS or visit kstatesports.com/tickets.
Monday night’s game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.
– kstatesports.com –