Kansas State takes on 2011 Big 12 regular season champion and No. 1 seeded Baylor in the semifinals of the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship. This will be the first appearance K-State has made in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament since the 2004-05 season. The Wildcats have solid momentum coming into the game off of a three-game winning streak, including a big victory at home over No. 5 Texas A&M on March 2. Top-ranked Baylor is having a stellar season, earning 15 Big 12 wins for the first time in school history after defeating the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday in Boulder. The Lady Bears have won nine straight against K-State making for a 14-9 series lead. K-State’s last win over Baylor came in 2004. This will be the second time the two teams will meet up this season.
Last Time They Met
Baylor 75 K-State 48 (February 23, 2011- Ferrell Center in Waco, TX.)
Baylor gave a solid performance in their 75-48 win over K-State on Feb. 23, as they shot 54-percent from the field and out-rebounded K-State 38-21. Baylor held a firm lead throughout the contest, putting the game away early in the second half after a 15-3 run. Jalana Childs led K-State with 22 points, but Brittney Griner propelled the Lady Bears with 26 points. Brittney Chambers became the first sophomore since the 2002-03 season to score 400 or more points this game, adding 15 points to go along with Childs’ 22.
Last Game Out
K-State 56 Iowa State 53 (March 9, 2011- Quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament)
After losing twice to Iowa State during the regular season, K-State defeated fifth-seeded Iowa State 56-53 in quarterfinal action of the Phillips 66 Women’s Basketball Championship. The game came down to the final seconds; with K-State securing the win after two Iowa State 3-point attempts came up short. In a recent article Coach Deb Patterson, who earned her 300th win as head coach with the victory, described it as a “classic, gritty, possession-by-possession Big 12 basketball game,” making this a great win for the Cats. First Team All-Big 12 player Brittany Chambers scored a game-high 20 points while teammate and all-conference pick Jalana Childs added 14. Iowa State’s Hallie Christofferson had a team-high of 18 points, while Kelsey Bolte added 10.
Baylor 86 Kansas 51 (March 9, 2011-Quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament)
Blowing up the stat sheet with eight points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and four steals, Baylor’s Melissa Jones gave an all-around performance that helped Baylor to a 86-51 victory over Kansas at the Big 12 tournament. Kansas had a 7-5 lead early on, but it was all Baylor the rest of the game, shutting down the Jayhawks’ All-Big 12 player Carolyn Davis to six points on 2-of-8 shooting. Baylor’s Destiny Williams scored a career-high 21 points and Brittney Griner added 19 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Monica Engleman led the Jayhawks with 16 points, including four 3-pointers.
Keys to Victory
K-State
Limit turnovers: In the two team’s latest contest, K-State committed 18 turnovers. Baylor’s tenacious defense and quick hands are hard to come by, but K-State needs to make a conscious effort to take care of the ball.
Defensive rebounding: If Baylor doesn’t score on their first attempt, chances are they will on their second. It is key for K-State to find a body and block out.
Take away Jones: Melissa Jones seems to be the glue that holds Baylor together. Running a box and one or somehow limiting Jones’s ball touches will make it harder on Baylor to execute.
Baylor
Work the high-low: With a 6-foot-8 presence inside, guards need to look into the Brittney Griner to score easy bunnies.
Defensive close-outs: the Cats’ versatility on offense tend to hurt opponents. They can hit the three’s and score off the dribble drive, so Baylor has to close out to shooters and make it so its hard to both shoot and drive.
Play up-tempo: If K-State utilizes its quickness to its full potential, Baylor will have to make an effort to keep up with that pace. Running a quick offense will also work in their favor.
--Kylee Nacarrato, Wildcat 91.9 Sports Staff
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