MANHATTAN, Kansas – After a sluggish first half, Kansas State used a strong second half defensive performance to outscore Princeton, 38-17, in the second half on the way to a 60-42 win on Sunday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.
The 17 points surrendered by K-State in the second half were the fewest points K-State has allowed since the NCAA switched to four quarters prior to the start of the 2015-16 season. The Wildcats entered Sunday ranked 17th in the nation in scoring defense and eighth in the country in field goal percentage defense.
With the win, Kansas State improved to 10-1 on the season. This is the third straight season, all under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State has opened a season with 10 wins in the first 11 games of a season. Mittie is the only coach in program history to begin three straight seasons with a 10-1 record.
K-State was led by senior guard Kindred Wesemann with a game-high 15 points while adding five rebounds and three steals to her final stat line. This was Wesemann’s 10th game this season in double figures.
Joining Wesemann in double figures was junior forward Kaylee Page with 12 points off the bench. Page also hauled in a personal season-high seven rebounds.
Princeton (4-6) was paced by Gabrielle Rush with 12 points.
K-State shot 34.6 percent (18-of-52) from the field for the game, boosted by a 60.0 percent effort in the third quarter. Princeton stumbled to a 25.9 percent (15-of-58) effort, including a 19.2 percent (5-of-26) performance from beyond the arc.
The Tigers held a 43-40 edge on the boards, but K-State forced 23 turnovers including 14 by way of Wildcat steals.
After trailing by three at the half, K-State started the third quarter with an 8-3 run to secure a 30-28 lead with 6:28 remaining in the frame. It was the first lead for the Wildcats since 6:13 of the first quarter.
Page started the run with a three-pointer from the corner, followed by Wesemann burying her third 3-pointer of the afternoon. Karyla Middlebrook put K-State in front with a fastbreak layup which featured a spin move in the lane before finishing the attempt. Middlebrook finished the day with eight points, four assists and three steals.
After Princeton regained a 32-30 lead, Shaelyn Martin scored four quick points to start a 12-0 run for the Wildcats and push K-State into a 42-32 lead with under a minute to play in the third quarter. Martin drained a free throw line jumper and followed with two free throws. Page then added five straight points, including her second 3-pointer of the quarter. Kayla Goth capped the run with a steal and fastbreak layup. K-State outscored Princeton 20-9 in the quarter.
In the final quarter, K-State registered seven of its first 11 points from the foul line to increase its lead to 53-39 with 3:28 to play. Princeton was unable to close any closer than 13 points for the remainder of the game, as K-State outscored the Tigers 18-8 in the final frame.
Neither team played a game over the last week and the first five minutes numbers showed the effects, as the teams combined for a 5-of-15 performance from the field, including a 2-of-9 start by the Wildcats. K-State would end the quarter down 13-8, shooting 2-of-12 from the floor with five turnovers. This was the second straight game K-State scored eight points in the first quarter.
K-State’s offensive struggles continued into the second quarter, as Princeton secured a 16-10 lead with 7:03 remaining in the half forcing a K-State timeout. The Wildcats opened the first 3 minutes of the second quarter shooting 1-of-5 from the floor.
The Wildcats responded with a 12-6 run to tie the game at 22 with under a minute remaining. Princeton was able to end the period with two offensive rebounds before Rush connected on her third 3-pointer of the half to give the Tigers a 25-22 lead at the half.
In the opening half, K-State shot 24.1 percent (7-of-29) from the field, while Princeton carded a 33.3 percent (10-of-30) effort. The 22 first half points were the fewest in an opening half since K-State scored 22 against George Washington in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
Kansas State will close out its regular season non-conference schedule on Thursday, Dec. 22, at Northern Iowa. Game time is 7 p.m.
— K-State Athletics —