MANHATTAN, Kan., - Abilene Christian women's basketball lost 76-45 to Kansas State of the Big 12 Conference in the second game between these two teams in as many seasons Monday night at Bramlage Coliseum.
The loss was ACU's first of the season, dropping their record to 1-1 while K-State improved to 2-0.
ACU led 18-17 at the end of the first quarter thanks to three treys from
Alexis Mason, plus six points from
Sydney Shelstead and a 14-11 advantage on the boards. The lead switched hands seven times in the opening 10 minutes as neither side connected on consecutive field goals until Mason ended the first quarter with a 3-pointer and
Sierra Allen hit a jumper in the paint to begin the second.
ACU soon began to struggle, however, as the Wildcats only made three second-quarter field goals while forced into 10 turnovers after starting the game with three. K-State started to make its move offensively at the 8:48 mark with a 10-0 run that was all Megan Deines. The senior guard made four-consecutive baskets in less than a minute and was helped along the way by two ACU turnovers and a defensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer by Mason.
Deines tied the score at 20-20 on a trey, followed with a jumper in the paint, and went coast-to-coast for an uncontested layup after stealing the ball from
Paris Webb. She then banked in another jumper from close range and completed the 'and one' after being fouled by Allen, which put the home team ahead at 27-20.
K-State pushed its advantage out to 10 points (30-20) on a layup by Breanna Lewis and went ahead by 13 points on its following possession after Breanna Craig sank an off-balance 3-pointer. Mason scored ACU's third and final bucket of the half with 31 seconds remaining and Deines responded immediately by hitting her fifth basket of the quarter to put K-State up 37-25. With time expiring in the first half the Wildcats thought they hit a buzzer-beating three by
Sara Williamson that would have reduced ACU's deficit to single digits only to see it waved off the by the officials following a short review.
Lewis had 10 points at the half (19 for the game) and recorded three of her five blocks in the game-changing second quarter.
K-State started the third quarter with four straight points and held ACU without a field goal until the 6:42 mark (
Suzzy Dimba 3-pointer) of the second half despite the Wildcats pulling down with five offensive rebounds coming out of the break.
ACU won the rebounding battle tonight, 45-43, with 23 of those coming off the offensive glass, but had a very tough time overall connecting on their long-range attempts and finding room in the post for an easy layup. Four of K-State's five starters stood 6-foot-tall or higher in addition to three players coming off their bench.
ACU finished the game 14-66 (.212) from the floor led by Mason's 17 points on 5-15 shooting and posted the same percentage from 3-point range (7-33). The Wildcats also hit 10-of-15 free throws, the last two of which gave Shelstead her second double-double in as many games to start this year. The junior forward scored 11 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
By comparison, K-State shot .492 (29-59) for the contest and was 8-20 (.400) from 3-point range. Deines led all scorers tonight with 20 points.
The Wildcats return to action Saturday at Moody Coliseum for a 2 p.m. game vs. USTA that will kick off a three-game homestand. ACU also will play host to University of the Southwest next Monday and Missouri Valley College Thanksgiving Friday during this stretch.
The game vs. Southwest will be the 600th of head coach
Julie Goodenough's collegiate coaching career.
