No. 24 Kansas Drops Big 12 Opener to Kansas State, 59-35

Jan. 9, 2010

Final Stats | Notes |

MANHATTAN, Kan. –

In its first Big 12 game of the season, No. 24 Kansas fell to Kansas State, 59-35, Saturday afternoon in Bramlage Coliseum.

The Jayhawks drop to 10-4 to open the 2009-10 season and 0-1 in league play, while K-State improved to 9-6 overall, winning its first Big 12 contest.

KU was unable to generate any offense in the game, shooting a season-low 26.4 percent, with only four made field goals in the second half.

Sophomore forward Aishah Sutherland led the Jayhawks with 12 points, 10 of which came in the first period. Senior guard/forward Danielle McCray tallied her third double-double of the season, with 10 points and 12 rebounds, but the Olathe, Kan., native was held to a season-low 21 percent field goal percentage.

Junior center Krysten Boogaard tied her season-high in rebounds with 11, while also adding six points.

K-State senior forward Ashley Sweat led all scorers with 24 points, followed by sophomore Jalana Childs, who had 15 points and six rebounds.

Although the Jayhawks defended well in the first half, holding K-State to just 33 percent shooting, the Crimson and Blue struggled offensively, going 1-15 in the first eight minutes. The Wildcats led 14-3 at 10:52 when the Jayhawks finally began to chip away at the K-State lead. Sutherland and Boogaard combined for 16 points over the next seven minutes to eventually knot the score at 18-18.

The teams traded baskets through the final minutes of the first half, but two made free throws by Sweat with 31 seconds remaining gave K-State a two-point advantage heading into the locker room.

After the tough start, the Jayhawks went 9-for-15 to close out the first period, led by Sutherland, who tallied 10 points and four rebounds and Boogaard, who added six points, while corralling seven boards.

Kansas will continue Big 12 action when it hosts Oklahoma State on Tuesday, Jan. 12 in Allen Fieldhouse.