MANHATTAN, Kan. – (13/12) K-State held off a late third quarter and early fourth quarter rally by Cincinnati in the Big 12 opener on Sunday afternoon to secure a 76-59 win at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State improved its record to 13-1 for the second time under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie. This is the second straight season K-State has opened with a 13-1 record. In its history, K-State has opened a season 13-1 or better six times.
The Wildcats saw four players reach double figures on Sunday, led by senior guard/forward Temira Poindexter with a game-high 23 points, including 19 in the second half, on 9-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-7 from long range. The product of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, added four rebounds and three assists to her final line.
Senior guard Jaelyn Glenn paced the Wildcats in the first half with 11 points and tallied three rebounds, two assists and two steals. With her effort on Sunday, Glenn improved her career points total to 997. With three points, Glenn will become the fifth player in program history and first since 2009 (Shalee Lehning) with 1,000 or more points, 500 or more rebounds, 250 or more assists and 225 or more steals.
Senior guard and All-America candidate Serena Sundell tallied her fourth double-double this season and the sixth of her career as she carded 11 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and a blocked shot. This was her 53rd career game with 10 or more points and five or more assists.
Senior center Ayoka Lee added 10 points, six rebounds and a season-high five blocked shots. With her five blocks, Lee moved into sole possession of fourth on the Big 12 career blocks list.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- K-State (13-1, 1-0 Big 12) used an 11-2 run to close out the first quarter with a 14-8 lead. Glenn started the run with a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Kennedy Taylor then added a layup and was followed by a Taryn Sides baseline drive and layup. Eliza Maupin capped the quarter with four points.
- The Wildcats continued its run into the second quarter, as Glenn tallied five of K-State’s first nine points in the second quarter including a 3-pointer on a fastbreak to force a Bearcats’ timeout with 7:25 remaining in the second frame.
- Cincinnati (8-3, 0-1) closed to within eight, 28-20, with 2:56 remaining in the second quarter but Glenn knocked down her third 3-pointer of the first half and was followed by three free throws from Sundell and a buzzer beating hook shot from Lee to give the Wildcats a 36-24 lead at halftime.
- K-State raced out of halftime with a 19-1 run to build a 55-25 lead with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter. Poindexter tallied 10 points during the run.
- After going without a field goal for the first eight minutes of the quarter, Cincinnati piled up 13 points on five made field goals in the last two minutes to pull within 19, 57-38, entering the fourth quarter.
- The Bearcats scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to pull within 11, 57-46, and force a K-State timeout with 8:08 remaining. Poindexter and Lee would outscore the Bearcats by themselves over the next four minutes, 12-3, to increase the K-State lead back to 20, 69-49, and keeping Cincinnati at arm’s length the rest of the way.
