MANHATTAN, Kansas – Kansas State looked to sweep the season series against West Virginia on Tuesday night at Bramlage Coliseum, but the Mountaineers pocketed a 75-66 win. The Wildcats have now lost three straight.
K-State (13-14, 5-11 Big 12) had four players in double figures led by sophomore forward Peyton Williams with 18 points, six rebounds, a career-high tying five steals and a blocked shot. Williams has 13 games this season with 15 or more points and five or more rebounds.
Junior guard Kayla Goth finished with 14 points, five assists and two steals. For the season, Goth has dished out 178 assists and ranks fifth in school history. She is the third player in program history to hand out 175 or more assists in a single season.
Also in double figures were senior forward Kaylee Page with 16 points, while freshman guard Rachel Ranke chipped in with 11 points.
West Virginia (20-8, 8-8) saw all five starters in double figures led by Teana Muldrow with 19 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals. Katrina King added 16 points and nine rebounds.
After Kansas State dashed out to a quick 5-0 lead, West Virginia responded with a 12-0 run to build a 12-5 lead with 5:16 remaining in the opening quarter. The Mountaineers built their lead on the back of 3 three-pointers.
K-State pulled back to within one, 12-11, as K-State used a 6-0 run to close the gap. Williams finished off a post move with a layup. Cymone Goodrich then used a right lane line drive to card a layup, and Goth then completed a layup of her own with 3:51 to play to bring K-State within one.
Goth’s layup would be the final points of the quarter for K-State, as the Wildcats would go scoreless for the final 3:50 of the quarter and West Virginia would hold a 17-11 lead at the end of one.
The Wildcats pulled back within two points on a pair of occasions in the second quarter, but West Virginia was able to rebuild its lead to five, 25-20, with 3:54 left following a banked in jumper from Muldrow.
Muldrow’s jumper helped West Virginia end the first half on a 7-4 run and hold a 30-24 lead at the break.
Kansas State shot 35.5 percent (11-of-31) from the field, but were held to a 1-of-9 effort from beyond the arc including seven straight misses to end the half. The Mountaineers shot 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from the floor.
West Virginia extended its lead to 10, 41-31, in the first four minutes of the third quarter. The Wildcats 3-point drought extended to 10 straight misses before Page knocked down a 3-pointer at 7:02 of the third quarter.
Page would knock down another three during a 7-2 K-State run to force a West Virginia timeout and pull K-State to within five, 43-38, with 4:59 remaining in the third stanza.
West Virginia would end the third quarter on an 8-3 run to hold a 51-41 lead entering the fourth quarter. King scored six of the Mountaineers’ eight points during the run.
The Mountaineers built a 15-point advantage, 59-44, with 7:34 left in the fourth quarter. An 8-3 run by K-State provided life, as the Wildcats pulled to within nine, 61-52 following a Page 3-pointer with 6:15 remaining.
K-State was able to narrow the game to six, 65-59, with 3:33 remaining. Ranke connected on a layup following a K-State timeout, then added her second 3-pointer of the night following a K-State defensive stop. Williams buried her only two free throws of the night to trim the deficit to six.
The Mountaineers didn’t allow K-State to gain any more ground, outscoring K-State 10-7 in the final 3:14 of the fourth quarter to secure the win.
West Virginia finished the night shooting 54.2 percent (26-of-48) including 60.0 percent or better in the final three quarters. K-State checked in with a 39.0 percent effort (23-of-59). For the 13th time this season, K-State recorded 10 or more steals, ending the night with 11.
Kansas State will conclude its 2017-18 regular season home schedule on Saturday, as the Wildcats host Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at 3 p.m. In a pregame ceremony at 2:45 p.m., of Saturday’s game, K-State will recognize members of the 1968-69 team, the first intercollegiate women’s basketball team in program history.
— K-State Athletics —