After opening the 2010-11 season with two wins, including one against No. 14 St. John’s, the women’s basketball team will continue its season against the Indiana State Sycamores at 7 tonight in Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats hosted the Commerce Bank Wildcat Classic last weekend and won their fifth-straight championship at the tournament.
K-State got an opening round win over Grambling State before upsetting St. John’s 64-53 on Saturday.
Last season, the Wildcats suffered a 77-73 season-opening loss to Indiana State at Bramlage, and many of the women on the team saw action in that game. Though the Sycamores bested K-State that game, Wildcat fans have witnessed their team uphold an 86-9 record at home against nonconference teams under head coach Deb Patterson.
Led by junior forward Jalana Childs and sophomore guards Brittany Chambers and Mariah White, the team has played more consistently since its preseason contests. Many other key players have played roles in the games so far. The strong performances from the past weekend led to national recognition for the team, as the Wildcats received votes this week in the Associated Press poll.
Childs was named the MVP from the tournament, posting an average of 13 points and five rebounds per game. She scored a career-high 16 points against Grambling State. White was named the Big 12 Co-Player of the Week after averaging 10 points, 7.5 rebounds, and five assists per game. She scored a career-high 17 points and notched another career-high with nine rebounds in the championship match against St. John’s.
Chambers posted a new career-high with 21 points in the opener against Grambling State, and she followed that game with 12 points and seven rebounds against the Red Storm.
The Wildcats continue to use tough defense and accurate shooting to create victories. The team is shooting nearly 44 percent from the floor while holding its opponents to 26.4 percent. They have also held a plus-six rebounding margin over their opponents thus far. The Wildcats hauled in 53 rebounds against Grambling State, the most they have recorded since 2006.
The Sycamores have started their season 2-0 under coach Teri Moren, who is in her first season behind the bench at Indiana State. Junior guard and forward Deja Mattox, junior guard Brittany Schoen and sophomore guard Taylor Whitley have significantly contributed through the first two games.