We all know threes are harder to make than twos, but the Kansas State Wildcats didn’t care Sunday night at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, attemping 20 threes to just eight twos in the first half and making eight of their threes and just one of their twos. Their success from beyond the arc in the opening two frames, led by Gabby Gregory (3-of-5) and Sarah Shematsi (3-of-9), kept them in a game that their rivals, the Kansas Jayhawks, were otherwise dominating.
The Jayhawks won points in the paint 24-2 in the first half, with star center Taiyanna Jackson going for 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
The Wildcats trailed by just 10 at the break because of their threes. They then cut it to two early in the third and to one early in the fourth. But Kansas led by at least five over the final 6:47 of the contest and held on to win 85-72.
The Jayhawks (14-5, 4-4 Big 12) are hoping to still have a say in the Big 12 and national picture after losing four of their last five entering Sunday. The losses were to four of the five teams ahead of them in the Big 12 standings: Iowa State (No. 4 seed in ESPN’s Jan. 27 Bracketology), Oklahoma (No. 5 seed), Baylor (No. 6 seed) and Texas (No. 7 seed). Kansas itself was a No. 8 seed in the Jan. 27 Bracketology.
So…
