Fourth-seeded Kansas State look to face fifth-seeded Iowa State as they meet up in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinal round in the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City on Wednesday. This will be the third time the two teams meet up this season, with the Lady Cyclones snagging both victories in conference play. Iowa State comes off of a first-round tournament win over Nebraska on Tuesday, earning its trip to the quarterfinal round for the eight-consecutive year. The Lady Cats earned a first-round bye in the conference tournament this week after defeating the Kansas Jayhawks Saturday night in the finale game of the regular season.
The Last Time They Met…
Iowa State @ Kansas State on February 26, 2011 at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, KS
Not even two weeks ago the two familiar teams met up, with Iowa State snatching a regular season sweep with a 58-51 win against the Wildcats. Iowa State gave the Cats one out of their only two losses at home in Bramlage of the season. Iowa State’s Kelsey Bolte, who was just recently a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 first team, propelled the Cyclones to victory with the game-high 19 points, while teammate Lauren Mansfield added 14. The Cats struggled beyond the arc in the teams’ last meeting, just shooting 3-of-16. K-State was led by the efforts of Jalana Childs, who was named All-Big 12 second team by the league office on Monday, scoring 19 points in the match-up. Brittany Chambers, also a unanimous selection by the league’s coaches to the All-Big 12 first team, added 12 for the game.
Last Game Out…
Kansas State 56 Kansas 51 (Allen Fieldhouse – Lawrence, KS. 3/5/2011)
The Wildcats knocked off rival Kansas in a fight to the end Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse, 56-51 in the regular season finale for the two teams. Both teams came out fierce, not letting the other take control as the score was tied mid-way through the first half. K-State held on late as KU scored five straight with under minutes to go getting within three points, before Kansas State’s Taelor Karr sank in two free throws to seal the win down the stretch. Jalana Childs led a group of three Wildcats in double figures with 16 points, while Mariah White pitched in 14 and Taelor Karr added 12 points and eight rebounds. Carolyn Davis led Kansas with 15 points and 14 rebounds. She was recently picked for All-Big 12 first team.
Iowa State 69 Nebraska 61 (Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, MO. 3/8/2011)
Fifth-seeded Iowa State earned a 69-61 win over 12th-seeded Nebraska Tuesday. The Cyclones were led by the efforts of Lauren Mansfield who had a career-high 23 points and dished out five assists. Iowa State was hot beyond the arc, connecting on 13 3-point shots. The 13 3-pointers were just one shy of the all-time Big 12 Championship record. Iowa State’s rebounding dominated the game with a 46-32 edge and 16 offensive rebounds to Nebraska’s five. Iowa State’s Chelsea Poppens scored eight-straight down the stretch, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for the game. Kelsey Bolte added 15 points, which were all 3-point baskets.
Keys to Victory
K-State
Rebounding: Rebounding on both the defensive and offensive side will be crucial for the Cats. The Cyclone’s have a knack for snatching rebounds, which has helped them win several games, including its first-round tournament win over Nebraska. If the Cats can out-rebound Iowa State, it’ll create a better opportunity for them to score inside.
Shooting: Based off their last match-up with the Cyclones, one of K-State’s main problems was its shooting. For a team that relies a lot on their outside shooting, it’ll be imperative that they shoot with better accuracy this go around.
Wear them out: K-State already has an advantage given that they have fresh legs compared to Iowa State, who just came off a tough win against Nebraska. Applying intense pressure or a full-court press could help wear the Cyclones down.
Iowa State
Shut down K-State’s shooters: It’ll make it easier on the Cyclones if they don’t let shooters like Brittany Chambers and Taelor Karr go off. Last game, the Cats were cold beyond the arc and will be looking for redemption so Iowa State needs to be on their toes.
Continue to out-rebound: The ability to out rebound opponents is obviously working well for the Cyclones, and their rebounding mentality needs to continue to cap this game off.
Depth: Several times this season, K-State has had at least three players in double figures. Iowa State needs to match up and rely on several of their players to step up.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment