K-State dominates Wichita State in in-state WNIT battle

MANHATTAN, Kan. (KWCH) - Recap from Wichita State Athletics:

Curtessia Dean scored a career high 22 points, but Wichita State fell in the first round of the WNIT at Kansas State, 90-56, Thursday night in Bramlage Coliseum.

Wichita State saw its season come to an end, finishing 18-15 overall and making its first postseason appearance since 2015. Dean poured in a career-high tying 22 points in her collegiate finale. She was 9-for-21 from the floor to go with seven rebounds. Trajata Colbert closed out her Shocker career with four points and six rebounds.

Wichita State shot a season-worst 27.8 percent from the field, and just 5-of-28 from beyond the arc. K-State hit 11 of three-pointers and finished just under 50 percent from the field. Wichita State trailed 19-12 after 10 minutes, behind a cold start from the field.

The Shockers were just 5-of-18 in the first quarter. K-State shot just below 50 percent, and connected on a trio of three-pointers. The Shockers went the final 2:49 of the opening quarter without a point. K-State pushed the margin to double digits on back-to-back possessions to begin the second quarter, forcing a Keitha Adams timeout just 1:16 into the period.

Things didn’t get much better the remaining 8:44, as the Wildcats went on to outscore Wichita State, 24-11, in the second quarter. K-State went into the locker room with a 43-23 lead. Dean was the lone bright spot, scoring 13 of the team’s 23 points. While Dean was 6-for-12 from the floor, the rest of the team was a combined 4-for-20.

Wichita State finished the half shooting 31 percent, compared to 47 percent for K-State. The Wildcats were also 6-of-16 from beyond the arc. Seven of Wichita State’s nine first half turnovers also came in that second quarter when K-State pushed its margin to as many as 21. K-State effectively put the game away in the third quarter behind an 18-2 run covering more than 5:00 minutes. The Wildcats led by as many as 47 in the second half.

K-State moves on to play the winner of Wyoming vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the second round of the WNIT.