Kansas State Wildcat Women: New Year’s Day Upset Win

The Kansas State Wildcat Women’s Basketball team celebrated the start of 2017 with a big upset victory on Sunday over a ranked team.

The Wildcats were coming off disappointing losses to Baylor in their Big 12 opener 87-57 and to Northern Iowa right before Christmas 67-59.

The Wildcats needed a big win and Jeff Mittie’s team responded.

The  86-71 upset win over 12th ranked West Virginia on Sunday at Bramlage Coliseum. snapped the Mountaineers’ 13-game win streak to open the season.

Two big reasons the ‘Cats won. Shooting percentage and bench scoring.

Kansas State shot a season-high 54.7 percent (35-of-64) from the field, which is the third time this season K-State has been over 50.0 percent from the field in a game and the first time since Nov. 14, 2016 against Tulsa.

K-State shot 61.1 percent (22-of-36) from the field in the first half, including a 63.2 percent effort in the second quarter.

“This was a great win,” said coach Mittie.

” I thought our group played hard and thought our group made plays. That is what I think the message coming out of Baylor was. We have to compete harder and we have to make more plays. We are not going to have opportunities in these games if we sit back and wait.”

Kansas State (11-3, 1-1 Big 12) had four players score in double figures led by Naismith Trophy candidate Breanna Lewis with 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting and nine rebounds. Lewis has led K-State in rebounding in 10 straight games.

Joining Lewis in double figures were senior guard Kindred Wesemann with 16 points and five assists and 10 points each from juniors Shaelyn Martin and Kaylee Page.

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Page’s 10 points were part of a 28-0 advantage in bench points for K-State on Sunday. Joining Page were freshman Eternati Willock with nine points and four rebounds, while sophomore Kayla Goth added five points and senior Jessica Sheble chipped in with four points and four rebounds.

Martin also dished out a game-high eight assists.

K-State returns to the road to face 24th ranked Oklahoma on January 4.