The Wildcats are coming off of a huge victory over No. 21 Oklahoma, their first win against a ranked opponent this season. K-State will look to build momentum as it hosts in-state rival Kansas on Saturday.
K-State is coming into the matchup with a 15-8 overall record and a 5-7 record in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks are coming in with a 5-18 overall record and an 0-12 Big 12 record.
K-State won the first matchup 59-46 in Lawrence. K-State really controlled the first game throughout the whole matchup. This added to the Wildcats’ dominance in this series, as they hold a lead in the all-time series at 67-46.
Kansas has lost 14 straight and have not won on the road this season. The Wildcats will need to come out fast and not give the Jayhawks any hope right from the start.
The guards for the Jayhawks really carry the team on offense. They are led in scoring by sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge, who is averaging 10.4 points per game. She is also the leader in assists with an average of 2.1 per game. Freshman guard Kylee Kopatich averages 10 points per game. The two are the only players averaging double digits for Kansas.
K-State is led by junior Breanna Lewis. She is averaging 16 points and 2.5 blocks per game. Lewis will be a huge factor for the Wildcats because Kansas does not have a huge threat inside the paint.
Junior guard Kindred Wesemann will be the player to help slow down the Kansas guards. She is second for the Wildcats in points with 13.3 points per game, and she leads the Wildcats in steals with 1.8 per game.
With a victory, K-State can continue to make ground in the Big 12. As of right now, the Wildcats sit at sixth place in the standings.
A victory here can also help build the Wildcats’ tournament resume. While this would not be a marquee win for the tournament committee, it would be a bad loss on their resume, so if the Wildcats want to make the tournament they can’t lose a game like this at home.
Tipoff for the finale of the women’s basketball portion of the Sunflower Showdown will be at 7 p.m. on Saturday inside Bramlage Coliseum.
