Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Struggling through a three-game losing streak and looking to get its season back on track, K-State’s women discovered they don’t always have to score points to win game. They just have to make their opponents equally bad offensively. And that’s exactly what the team did against the Virginia Cavaliers, upping its record to 3-3 in a 49-46 victory.
Virginia forward Sarah Imovbioh led all scorers with 20 points, while UVA’s Kelsey Wolfe had 18. Two of the team’s starters only contributed two points, and the fifth was held scoreless as the Wildcat defense successfully prevented much ball distribution. The Wildcats, however, were successful in doing so. Eight players contributed points and played at least nine minutes in a solid team effort.
Haley Texada – one of the bright spots in K-State’s surprising postseason run last year – played 35 of 40 minutes and led the team with 12 points. While she only shot 4/13 from the field, Texada kicked in three three pointers and grabbed an impressive five offensive rebounds (seven total). She also recorded two assists and one steal, but committed five turnovers. Two other Wildcats saw over 30 minutes of playing time, as forward Breanna Lewis (32 minutes, eight points) and guard Leticia Romero (34 minutes, seven points) played major roles in the victory.
The Wildcats now have over a week off, and take on Grambling State December 7th. The team also faces a tricky match against 6-1 North Carolina State on December 28th to finish nonconference play. Big 12 play begins January 2, and the schedule doesn’t ease the Wildcats into it. Annual force Baylor pays a visit to Manhattan to start league play, followed by a trip to Austin to take on Texas. Then six of the next eight games are against ranked Big 12 opponents. Of course, this is the Big 12. Every year, every spot, is a tough slog, and that’s why I love this league.