MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Breanna Lewis had 23 points and nine rebounds, Kindred Wesemann made four 3-pointers and scored 16 points, and Kansas State knocked off previously unbeaten No. 12 West Virginia 86-71 on Sunday.

West Virginia entered with the nation’s best field-goal percentage defense at 29 percent but Lewis was 10-of-15 shooting and the Wildcats made 54.7 percent overall.

Kansas State used a 13-2 run to build a 17-point lead with 4:09 left in the third quarter and the Wildcats’ lead didn’t drop below 14 the rest of the way.

Shaelyn Martin and Kaylee Page each added 10 points for Kansas State (11-3, 1-1 Big 12), which had a season-high point total in beating West Virginia for the second time in 10 tries.

Chania Ray made six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 23 points with seven assists for West Virginia (13-1, 1-1), which had its fifth-longest winning streak in program history snapped. Teana Muldrow added five 3s and 15 points and Tynice Martin hit three 3s and had 14 points and six assists. The Mountaineers hit 14 of 29 from distance.

— Associated Press —

WACO, Texas (AP) — Kalani Brown had 22 points and 12 rebounds to help No. 3 Baylor open Big 12 Conference play Thursday night with an 87-57 victory over Kansas State.

The Lady Bears (12-1, 1-0) outrebounded Kansas State 56-28, and that turned into a 25-5 edge in second-chance points. Baylor also outscored the Wildcats 31-10 off the bench.

Brown had four blocks, and Alexis Prince and Nina Davis both added 14 points for Baylor. Nina Davis and Lauren Cox scored 12 apiece.

Alexis Jones, the Lady Bears’ leading scorer who missed the previous two games to rest, tied Kristy Wallace for the team lead in assists with eight.

Kindred Wesemann led Kansas State (10-3, 0-1) with 16 points.

HOUSTON (AP) — Kansas State was unbeatable against teams from Texas in the regular season, and that didn’t change on Wednesday night in the Texas Bowl.

Jesse Ertz threw for 195 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores in Kansas State’s 33-28 victory over Texas A&M. He had 67 yards rushing to give him 1,012 this season.

The victory improved the Wildcats to 5-0 against teams from the Lone Star State this season after they downed Texas Tech, Texas, Baylor and TCU earlier this year.

“I think that’s a really cool thing to accomplish,” said Ertz, who was named MVP. “It gives the fans some bragging rights.”

Ertz had a 79-yard touchdown pass and scoring runs of 1 and 5 yards to help give Kansas State its fourth straight win and first bowl victory since the 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.

HOUSTON (AP) — Texas A&M is entering the Texas Bowl as the favorite, yet the Kansas State Wildcats are looking to improve their winning streak to four games in the matchup of old Big 12 foes.

The Aggies, meanwhile, are also looking to cap the season on a positive note after losing four of their last six games following a 6-0 start. Kansas State is in its seventh straight bowl game and the Aggies are appearing in a bowl for a school-record eighth straight season.

The key matchup pits Aggies star defensive end Myles Garrett against the Wildcats’ offensive line. This will likely be the final college game for Garrett, the junior consensus All-American who some predict will be the top overall pick in 2017 draft.

Garrett struggled with injuries this season but still managed to pile up 8 and a half sacks and 15 tackles for losses.

For Kansas State, defensive end Jordan Willis is considered key. The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year led the conference in sacks with 11 and a half, which tied a school record.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – For the first time since the 2011-12 season, Kansas State entered a game ranked among the Associated Press top-25 poll. K-State stumbled in the final non-conference game of 2016, falling at Northern Iowa on Thursday night, 67-59.

Kansas State (10-2) was led by junior guard Karyla Middlebrook with a K-State career-high 19 points and six assists. Senior guard Kindred Wesemann added 11 points and senior center Breanna Lewis chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Northern Iowa (7-4) was paced by senior Madison Weekly with 20 points. Hannah Schonhardt added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

UNI finished the night shooting 43.8 percent (21-of-48) from the field, while K-State was held to a 38.6 percent (22-of-57) effort. The shooting performance by the Panthers was boosted by a 13-of-32 effort from beyond the arc.

The Panthers outrebounded K-State, 36-35. The Wildcats forced 15 Northern Iowa turnovers, which resulted in a 21-4 advantage in points off turnovers.

K-State built a 12-5 lead in the first quarter, as Wesemann buried a three-pointer from the corner to force a Northern Iowa timeout with 2:35 left. UNI answered with a 7-0 burst to even the game at 12-12 with 0:38 left. Peyton Williams pulled down an offensive board with 10 seconds left and knocked down the short jumper to give K-State a 14-12 lead at the end of the first period.

Middlebrook helped K-State take a 22-17 lead with 5:08 to play in the second quarter. She opened the quarter by knocking down her second 3-pointer of the game, then finished a 3-point play on a layup and free throw.

UNI ended the second quarter on a 9-4 run to even the game at the half, 26-26. A Schonhardt three-pointer started the rally and Madison Weekly continued the run with her second 3-pointer of the quarter.

Kansas State shot 31.0 percent (9-of-29) in the opening half and held UNI to a 35.7 percent (10-of-28) effort. K-State registered eight second chance points on four offensive rebounds, but the Panthers held a 21-18 edge on the glass in the opening half.

After Lewis registered her first field goal of the game to begin the third quarter, UNI went on a 13-4 run to build a 39-32 lead with 3:18 left in the frame. Schonhardt made layups on consecutive possessions and Mikaela Morgan buried a 3-pointer to force the K-State timeout. Schonhardt then added a 3-pointer of her own to increase the lead to seven.

K-State used a 7-1 run to open the fourth quarter to tie the game at 43. Middlebrook made a pair of free throws to start the rally. Kayla Goth followed with a backdoor layup and Wesemann knocked down her second 3-pointer of the night to even the game.

The Wildcats were unable to pull in front, as UNI made four 3-pointers in the final five minutes of the game to keep K-State at a distance to the end.

Following a break for the holidays, Kansas State will open Big 12 action on Thursday, Dec. 29 at (3/4) Baylor. Game time is 7 p.m.

— K-State Athletics —

MANHATTAN, Kansas (AP) — Kansas State point guard Kamau Stokes limped off the floor early in the first half with an injury to the same knee he had hurt a year ago. Coach Bruce Weber had worried that he might’ve had another serious injury for the second-straight season.

This time though, Stokes returned to the game and helped spark the Wildcats to victory.

Stokes scored a season-high 18 points and Kansas State used a 19-1 run late in the first-half to defeat Gardner-Webb 67-54 on Wednesday night.

“We just had to pick up our defense,” Stokes said. “Coach got on us about that. We were playing lazy. Teams do that sometimes and we’ve got to stop that whenever it happens.”

While Kansas State (11-1) was 5 of 7 from the field during that late first-half stretch, Gardner-Webb (7-6) struggled from the field as they missed all 11 shot attempts in the final 7:02 of the first half.

Stokes and DJ Johnson were the only Wildcats to score in double figures on the night. Johnson scored 16 points and was a perfect 8 for 8 from the field in the victory.

This was the final game for the Wildcats before they venture into Big 12 conference play.

“I feel like we are prepared,” Stokes said. We are ready to go into conference play. We missed out on a lot of close games that we should’ve pulled out.”

Gardner-Webb scored the first eight points of the second half but once again struggled as they shot 10 for 25 from the field.

Jamaal Robateau scored 17 points and Tyrell Nelson 14 to lead the Runnin’ Bulldogs.

BIG PICTURE

Gardner-Webb: The loss by Gardner-Webb breaks the Runnin’ Bulldogs two game winning streak and brings their record to 4-2 in the month of December.

Kansas State: Kansas State wraps up their non-conference slate with a 7-0 record at home.

STAT OF THE NIGHT: Kansas State’s DJ Johnson was the first Wildcat to be a perfect 8-8 from the field since Luis Colon shot 9 for 9 in a 2009 game against Southern Mississippi.

HE SAID IT: DJ Johnson on Kamau Stokes:

“This is my buddy. He passes me the ball and I screen for him. I make sure he does not get his head knocked off on screens. We are best friends on the court. He’s going to help us in conference play. We were missing a true point for last year. Carlbe (Ervin) stepped up, but he did not play that position in practice. We have a true point guard going into conference play.”

UP NEXT

Gardner-Webb: The Runnin’ Bulldogs next game is their conference opener as they host High Point on December 29.

Kansas State: Kansas State will host Texas in the first game of Big 12 Conference play on December 30.

— Associated Press —

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 —

DENVER (AP) — Kansas State found strength in numbers.

D.J. Johnson had 19 points to lead six Wildcats scoring in double figures, and Kansas State pulled away in the second half to beat Colorado State 89-70 Saturday.

Barry Brown had 14 points and Xavier Sneed added 12 for Kansas State (10-1), which won its fifth in a row since its loss to Maryland on Nov. 26.

Johnson, who fouled out with just under two minutes remaining, also had 10 rebounds for his third career double-double.

“You get six guys in double figures, assists to turnovers of 17 to 9, and our rebounding was a huge thing,” said Kansas State coach Bruce Weber. “We got some timely offensive rebounds and a great start to the second half that broke their spirits.”

Prentiss Nixon had 30 points to lead Colorado State (8-3).

Up by seven at the break, Kansas State stretched its lead 58-41 with a 14-4 run to open the second half. The surge featured two 3-pointers by Kamau Stokes and Johnson’ rim-rattling, one-handed dunk off an offensive rebound.

By the time Johnson converted a 3-point play with 9:33 left, the Wildcats were up by 20 points, and the Rams could make little headway the rest of the way.

“I feel we have not peaked, but I feel we are in a good place,” Brown said. “We got a lot of guys involved. A lot of guys in double figures. The bench really picked us up and gave us a lot of energy in the first half and we carried it over to the second half.”

Nixon said a lackluster defensive effort was at the center of the Rams’ double-digit loss.

“We weren’t guarding anybody,” Nixon said. “They were getting open looks. We played terribly.”

Kansas State led 44-37 at halftime, using a 9-0 run to surge in front after Nixon’s 3-pointer had pulled the Rams to within a point.

Brown capped the burst by converting a 3-point play.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: A Wildcats’ strength this season has been their balanced scoring and it was once again on display in their latest victory. The game marked the eighth time this season that at least four Wildcats had scored in double figures.

Colorado State: Nixon led all scorers with his 30-point game but it wasn’t enough to keep up against the diversified offensive display by the Wildcats. The Rams were hurt by turnovers (14) and defensive breakdowns that saw Colorado State allow a season high in points.

ONGOING UPSIDE

Their strong start notwithstanding, Johnson said he continues to see an upside for the Wildcats. “I think we played well as we have,” he said. “I thought our defense lagged a little bit in the first half. There is always room for improvement.”

UP NEXT

Kansas State: Rounds out its non-conference schedule by hosting Gardner-Webb on Wednesday night.

Colorado State: Finishes a five-game home stand by returning to Moby Arena on the Fort Collins campus and hosting Loyola Marymount.

— Associated Press —