Entering the Wildcats’ second consecutive road match of the season, senior guard Shalee Lehning was already in the top-10 in several career categories at K-State.
With 3:50 left in the second half and K-State trailing 44-50, Lehning dished to fellow senior Marlies Gipson for a layup. The assist was her seventh of the night, tying her with Megan Mahoney as the all-time assist leader in school history.
The two-point basket by Gipson was part of K-State’s game-ending 12-2 run that propelled the Wildcats past Northwestern, 57-52.
Neither team seemed to have an advantage in the first half, which featured a total of seven lead changes. Northwestern jumped out to a 21-13 lead midway through the half, but a 12-5 run by K-State cut the deficit to one point at the halftime buzzer.
Northwestern opened the second half with a 7-0 run to extend its lead to 32-25, but K-State responded with a 10-2 run to briefly take a one-point lead with just under 13 minutes to play in the game. A three-pointer by Erin Dickerson nearly two minutes later reclaimed the lead for the Northwestern Wildcats – which they wouldn’t relinquish until a Lehning three-pointer put K-State up 51-50 with just under two minutes remaining. A series of late free throws by Gipson solidified the win as K-State improved to 2-0 on the season.
Northwestern’s Amy Jaeschke and K-State’s Ashley Sweat led all scorers with 19 points apiece. Jaeschke, a senior center, also contributed nine rebounds while Sweat, a junior forward, tallied seven. Four other scorers registered double-figures on the night. Gipson and Lehning had solid outings for K-State, as they recorded 18 and 12 points, respectively, while Northwestern’s Meshia Reed and Kristin Cartwright added 14 and 11. Northwestern won the battle of the boards as they out-rebounded K-State 28-25.
K-State will return to action when it takes on the University of Texas at San Antonio on Sunday in Bramlage Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Members of the 2007-08 Big 12 Conference Championship team will receive their rings in a pregame ceremony.