<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Manhattan, Kan. ? Kelsey Griffin scored 17 points, including the game-tying runner with 45 seconds left, but No. 21 Kansas State scored the game’s final four points in the last 23 seconds to claim a 69-65 win over the Nebraska women’s basketball team at Bramlage Coliseum on Wednesday night.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
With the loss, Nebraska slipped to 18-10 overall and 7-7 in the Big 12, while KansasState improved to 19-8 overall and 11-3 in the league. It was the second last-minute loss for the Huskers to KansasState this season, joining a 77-75 setback to the Wildcats in Lincoln on Jan. 30, a game that was not decided until NU missed a pair of shots in the final five seconds that could have sent the game to overtime. Each of NU’s last five losses have been by 11 points or less, including two to the Wildcats and a one-point loss at Kansas on Feb. 17.
Griffin, who added a team-high eight rebounds for the Huskers, capped an 8-0 NU run in a span of 1:18, after Kansas State took an eight-point on Kari Kincaid’s three-pointer with 2:03 left. NU’s final surge started with a pair of Dominique Kelley free throws, and included a free throw and three-pointer by Yvonne Turner. Those were Turner’s only points of the game, but she did add a career-high nine assists while also matching her career-best with seven rebounds. Kelley finished the night with 10 points and five boards for the Huskers.
After Griffin’s game-tying shot, KSU’s Shalee Lehning hit a runner with 23 seconds left to give the Wildcats the lead. Nebraska responded with a drive from Griffin, who dished across the lane to Danielle Page. The senior forward bobbled the ball and then went up on the left block in a double-team, only to have her shot blocked by Kimberly Dietz. The Huskers were forced to foul Dietz, who connect on both free throws with 5.8 seconds left to seal the win. Page finished the game with 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for the Huskers.
Dietz, a senior guard, led the Wildcats with a game-high 19 points, while Lehning added 11 points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Ashley Sweat added 12 points and four blocks for KSU, while Marlies Gipson pitched in 10 points, five boards and three steals in the winning effort.
Nebraska fell despite hitting 50 percent (25-50) of its shots from the field, including 5-of-8 three-pointers. The Huskers also outrebounded KSU, 35-29, but committed 20 turnovers, including 11 in the second half. KSU managed just 12 turnovers, including eight in the second half, while hitting 27-of-59 (45.8 percent) of its shots from the floor. The Wildcats connected on just 5-of-20 three-point attempts, but hit 10-of-14 free throws. NU hit 10-of-17 free throws on the night.
“I thought we played extremely hard again tonight,” Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. “We just gave away too many possessions and you can’t do that in this league. We can’t turn the ball over 20 times and expect to beat a team like KansasState.”
The Huskers battled back in the second half after trailing 37-30 at halftime. The Wildcats used a 13-0 run late in the first half to surge to a 35-25 lead before Nicole Neals knocked down a transition three-pointer to stop the run. Griffin led the Huskers with eight first-half points, while Cory Montgomery pitched in seven of her nine points for the game in the opening period. Turner contributed six assists and six boards in the opening period, while Page added five points and five rebounds. The Huskers hit 12-of-23 shots from the field, including both of their three-point attempts. They also outrebounded KSU, 17-15, but committed nine turnovers while forcing just four by the Wildcats.
Sweat led KSU’s first-half effort with nine points and four boards, while Dietz added eight points. Lehning also organized the Wildcat attack with nine first-half assists to go along with five points. KansasState hit 15-of-33 shots in the opening half, including 4-of-13 three-pointers.
Nebraska returns home to take on Colorado on Sunday afternoon at the BobDevaneySportsCenter. Tip-off is set for 2:05 p.m. with live radio coverage provided by the Husker Sports Network. A live Internet audio broadcast will also be available for free on Huskers.com.
Official Basketball Box Score Official Basketball Box Score Nebraska vs Kansas State 2/27/08 7 p.m. at Manhattan, Kan. (Bramlage Coliseum)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: Nebraska 18-10, 7-7 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 23 GRIFFIN, Kelsey..... f 7-12 1-1 2-4 1 7 8 3 17 0 2 1 1 33 52 PAGE, Danielle...... f 5-10 1-2 1-2 2 5 7 3 12 0 7 3 0 26 22 TURNER, Yvonne...... g 1-7 1-3 1-4 0 7 7 1 4 9 4 0 2 32 24 KELLEY, Dominique... g 2-6 0-0 6-7 1 4 5 3 10 1 2 0 0 23 32 HESTER, Tay......... g 3-5 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 3 6 0 2 0 0 26 05 BURKE, Kaitlyn...... 2-3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 16 11 NEALS, Nicole....... 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 3 0 2 0 1 11 13 KUHLMANN, Kala...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 5 0 0 0 14 40 MONTGOMERY, Cory.... 4-6 1-1 0-0 1 1 2 0 9 0 1 0 0 17 42 BOBER, Nikki........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 TEAM................ 1 1 2 Totals.............. 25-50 5-8 10-17 6 29 35 15 65 15 20 4 4 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-23 52.2% 2nd Half: 13-27 48.1% Game: 50.0% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-2 100 % 2nd Half: 3-6 50.0% Game: 62.5% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 4-8 50.0% 2nd Half: 6-9 66.7% Game: 58.8% 3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: Kansas State 19-8, 11-3 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 04 Sweat, Ashley....... f 4-9 0-2 4-5 1 3 4 1 12 0 0 4 0 28 51 Gipson, Marlies..... f 5-10 0-0 0-0 2 3 5 2 10 2 2 1 3 26 05 Lehning, Shalee..... g 5-10 1-5 0-0 0 5 5 3 11 12 4 0 3 32 13 Dietz, Kimberly..... g 6-15 2-6 5-6 0 3 3 0 19 2 2 2 2 39 41 Kincaid, Kari....... g 3-6 1-4 0-0 0 1 1 3 7 1 1 0 0 19 23 Spani, Shalin....... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 25 Zanotti, Danielle... 1-3 0-1 0-0 1 3 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 18 30 Wheeler, Shana...... 2-4 0-0 0-1 0 1 1 1 4 1 2 1 1 13 44 McCullough, Carolyn. 1-1 1-1 1-2 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 18 TEAM................ 2 3 5 1 Totals.............. 27-59 5-20 10-14 6 23 29 13 69 18 12 8 9 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 15-33 45.5% 2nd Half: 12-26 46.2% Game: 45.8% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 4-13 30.8% 2nd Half: 1-7 14.3% Game: 25.0% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 3-4 75.0% 2nd Half: 7-10 70.0% Game: 71.4% 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Officials: Bob Trammell, Dee Kantner, Lisa Jones Technical fouls: Nebraska-None. Kansas State-None. Attendance: 4260 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total Nebraska...................... 30 35 - 65 Kansas State.................. 37 32 - 69