No. 4 Kansas State vs BYU | Big 12 | 1.27.24

MANHATTAN, Kansas – https://linktr.ee/womensbasketballall... No. 4 K-State used a second half comeback, late fourth quarter free throws and a final defensive stand to down a scrappy BYU squad, 67-65, at Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday evening. This was K-State's 14th straight victory, tying the second-longest winning streak in program history with the 2008-09 team which won 14 consecutive games to begin the season. K-State improved its overall record to 20-1 for the first time in program history. This is the 27th time in program history K-State has won 20 or more games in a season. K-State and Gonzaga are the only two teams in the nation to have won 20 games so far this season. The Wildcats completed the first half of its Big 12 schedule at 9-0 for the first time since the league expanded to an 18-game schedule in 2012-13. This is the first time since the formation of the league in 1996-97 that K-State won its first nine in conference action and the first team in the league since Baylor in 2019-20 to win its first nine Big 12 games. This is the third time and first since 2003-04 that K-State won nine consecutive Big 12 games at any point of its league slate. K-State had three players reach double figures on Saturday and were led by sophomore forward Gisela Sanchez with a career-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting including a career-high 3-of-5 from long range. She also added three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Junior guard and All-American candidate Serena Sundell approached a triple-double with 14 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Senior Gabby Gregory notched 10 points, all in the third quarter to spark a 25-point frame by the Wildcats and capture a second half lead. BYU (12-9, 2-6) was led by Lauren Gustin with 25 points and 21 rebounds. Gustin's 21 rebounds set the opponent Bramlage Coliseum record, breaking the mark of 20 previously set by Kristy Ryan of Sacramento State on March 3, 1994. HOW IT HAPPENED K-State trailed by three at halftime, 26-23, after scoring a season-low seven points in the second quarter on 2-of-16 shooting in the frame. The Wildcats captured a 31-30 lead with 6:51 remaining in the third quarter, as Gregory connected on her first 3-pointer of the day. Gregory would give the Wildcats its largest lead since the first quarter, 35-31, with her second 3-pointer with 6:04 to play. The Cougars would go on a 6-0 run, finding Gustin on three straight trips for baskets and to push BYU into a 40-36 lead with 3:55 remaining in the third stanza. The Wildcats would claw back into the lead, 46-42, with a 10-2 run as Jaelyn Glenn capped the run with her third 3-pointer of the day with 1:20 to play. After a 3-pointer by BYU to narrow the game to one, 46-45, Zyanna Walker beat the buzzer with a baseline jumper to send K-State into the fourth frame with a 48-45 lead. K-State would build a six-point advantage, 62-56, on Sanchez's third 3-pointer of the evening with 4:35 remaining in the fourth quarter. This would be K-State's final made field goal of the game. BYU squared the game at 62 with 2:52 to play on the strength of a 6-0 run, with Gustin scoring the four of the six points. Brylee Glenn would be fouled by a BYU player as she hauled in an offensive rebound with 57 seconds left. Glenn made one of two free throws for a 63-62 lead. BYU's Amari Whiting would make a pair of free throws after a K-State foul with 44 seconds left to push the Cougars into a 64-63 lead. A hard drive from Sundell resulted in a foul on BYU with 37 seconds remaining. Sundell made both free throws to put the Wildcats back in front by one, 65-64. After a defensive stop by the Wildcats, Walker was fouled with 24 seconds left and made one of two free throws for a 66-64 K-State lead. On Walker's second attempt, Emma Calvert was fouled by K-State on the rebound attempt. Calvert would make one of two free throws to bring BYU to within one, 66-65. Sundell was fouled with 18 seconds left and made one of two free throws. BYU called its final timeout and advance the ball. The Cougars attempted to find Calvert, but her layup was blocked out of bounds by Walker with 4.4 seconds remaining. A layup attempt from Kailey Woolston rolled off and went off a Wildcat out of bounds with two seconds to play. A jumper from Kaylee Smiler missed and BYU tapped the rebound out of bounds with two-tenths of a second remaining. The game saw 12 ties and eight lead changes, with K-State leading for just over 22 minutes of the contest. K-State shot 36.1 percent (22-of-61) from the field for the game and were 10-of-27 from long range. QUICK FACTS K-State leads the series with BYU, 4-0. The Wildcats are 2-0 in games played in Manhattan. The Wildcats are 228-237 (.490) in Big 12 games. Head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 638-363 (.637) in 32 seasons as a head coach and is 184-128 (.590) during his 10-seasons at K-State.