The Kansas State women’s basketball team has had a successful season so far, and coach Deb Patterson sees signs that the Wildcats can get even better.
Solid defense and rebounding have helped the Wildcats, 17-9 overall and 8-6 in the Big 12, good for fourth place. K-State can clinch at least a .500 conference mark for the season when it plays host to Oklahoma State tonight in Manhattan, Kan. (7 p.m., FSKC)Entering the game, The Wildcats are allowing opponents to score 55.1 points per game, second in the Big 12, and to shoot 27.8 percent from three-point range, third in the Big 12.K-State has allowed fewer than 50 points 11 times this season, the team’s best effort in that area since the 1975-76 season.Patterson said one of the reasons for the success on defense has been the play of senior guard Tasha Dickey, who had 18 points in Saturday’s 65-45 home win over Texas.“She is playing terrific on the defensive end of the floor,” Patterson said. “It is carrying over to her decisions offensively. I think she is doing a great job playing with her strengths and taking what the game is giving her in the frame of the system.”Kansas State dominated on the boards against Texas, outrebounding the Longhorns 43-30. Mariah White led the Wildcats with 10 rebounds and Brittany Chambers had nine.Sixteen of K-State’s rebounds against Texas came on the offensive glass, including five by Brandy Brown and four by Jalana Childs.“Brandy finds a way to get you those extra possessions, and that is critical especially when you take those threes, because those often lead to run-outs,” Patterson said. “We saw more than we were accustomed to from Jalana on the boards, more activity; and if she can continue to take that four rebound average and make it a six- or seven-rebound average, then that makes us all the better as well. “I think there are little things that we are doing individually that are going to make us a better basketball team as we go through this stretch run of February and March.”Read more Kansas State University
Posted on Tue, Feb. 21, 2012 07:41 PM
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1. The tipoff
Starting Five | Defense, rebounding spark K-State women
Solid defense, rebounding propelling Kansas State.
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Wichita State at Illinois State, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, and Missouri State at Illinois State, 2:05 p.m. Sunday. The Shockers and Bears are tied for first place in the conference with four games to play, and the league champion may be the team that can win at Illinois State. The Redbirds, who trail by just one game, have won 23 straight home games.
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Auburn women’s basketball coach Nell Fortner, who led the U.S. national team to an Olympic gold medal in 2000, said Tuesday that she is resigning after the season.
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Brynn Williamson, Iowa State. Williamson, from Staley High School, has appeared in 24 games, including seven starts, for the Cyclones, 16-9. She is averaging 6.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.
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“It means a lot to me for Penn State to have this experience, especially this year and all that our university community has gone through.”
| Penn State coach Coquese Washington after the Nittany Lions clinched a share of the Big Ten title with an 84-66 win Monday over Ohio State
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To reach Tom Smith, send email to tomsmith@kcstar.com.
