Holding a narrow 24-22 led at halftime, Kansas State came out firing in the
second half. The Wildcats used an early 14-4 run to take a 40-29 lead with
15:48 remaining. After Washburn cut the lead to four on a 3-pointer by
senior Karla Tailele with 12:35 left, K-State put the game out of reach with
a 16-3 run over the next eight minutes to take a commanding 56-39 lead with
4:20 left. The Lady Blues could get no closer, as the Wildcats won their
third exhibition game in the last four tries.
Junior forward Ashley Sweat led all scorers with a game-high 17 points on
8-of-16 shooting, while All-America candidate and senior Shalee Lehning
added 14 points on 7-of-10 field goals to go with a game-best nine assists,
six rebounds and two steals. Senior Marlies Gipson posted a game-high 15
rebounds to go with eight points, five blocks and four assists.
Senior forward Stanecia Graham was the only Washburn player in double
figures with a team-high 11 points on 5-of-22 shooting to go with six
rebounds. Senior guard Janice Bright chipped in six points and six
rebounds, while sophomore guard Hope Gregory added six points on a pair of
three-pointers.
K-State held a tight 24-22 advantage at the break, as both teams struggled
to shoot the ball. The Wildcats saw an early 12-6 vanish, as the Lady Blues
closed to within one on four occasions before tying it at 22-all with 3:21
left. Gipson's jumper with 1:35 remaining gave the Wildcats the lead at the
break.
Kansas State shot 43.9 percent for the game, including 51.5 percent in the
second half, while holding Washburn to just 30.5 percent, including 27.3
percent in the first half. The Wildcats also held the advantage on the
boards, 47-34, while turning the ball over just nine times.
Kansas State returns to action on Friday at Bramlage Coliseum, as the
Wildcats play host to their second exhibition game against Emporia State at
7 p.m.