WOMENS BASKETBALL
Texas 61, Kansas State 54
JIM VERTUNO
ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN, Texas - Madison Booker scored 20 points and Taylor Jones added 13 points and eight rebounds as No. 12 Texas sent No. 2 Kansas State to its second straight loss with a 61-54 victory, knocking the Wildcats out of first place in the Big 12.
The Wildcats had tied their highest ranking in school history behind a 14-game win streak that included three victories after star forward Ayoka Lee was sidelined for a month with an ankle injury.
The Wildcats (20-3, 9-2) missed her Sunday as Texas (21-3, 8-3) exploited its size advantage near the basket. Jones had six points and a block in an 8-2 Texas run to open the third quarter, before Booker scored six in a row as the Longhorns built the lead as high as 19.
The Wildcats cut the deficit to 54-47 on Zyanna Walker’s three-point play with 2:26 to go, but Walker then missed an open 3-pointer, and Jones answered with a put-back layup on the other end.
Kansas State, which scored a season-low 19 points in the first half, shot just 36%. It was 3 of 21 on 3-pointers.
Booker had perhaps her worst half of the season when she shot 2 of 8, had five turnovers and got pulled in the second quarter when she didn’t hustle for an easy rebound. It was a reminder Booker is still a freshman who was thrust into a leading role when senior guard Rori Harmon was lost for the season with a knee injury in December.
BIG PICTURE
Kansas State: The Wildcats are counting the days until Lee’s return from surgery to repair a small ankle fracture on Jan. 19. Their Big 12 title hopes may depend on it. The 6-foot-6 senior from Minnesota is averaging 19.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots. Kansas State last won the Big 12 in 2008.
Texas: Last season’s Big 12 regular season co-champions remain two games out of the lead but picked up a key win for their title hopes. The Longhorns could still make a run for at least a share of a last league crown before they leave for the SEC next season.
February 4, 2024
