La Crosse, Wis. - Arizona State University, ranked 17th on this week's Associated Press (AP) Top-25 Women's Basketball Poll, earned a 65-51 win over Kansas State University Sunday afternoon in Mitchell Hall. The Sun Devils improve to 8-2 on the season while the Wildcats drop to 7-3. Arizona State now leads the all-time series, 3-1.
A crowd of 1,294 watched the game.
Each team shot over 50.0% in the first quarter as Arizona State led, 21-17. The Sun Devils shot 58.8% (10-of-17) from the field while the Wildcats were at 50.0% (eight-of-16). The teams combined for 17 points in the second quarter as Arizona State took a 29-26 halftime advantage. The teams combined to shoot 25.9% (seven-of-27) in the second quarter.
Arizona State never trailed in the second half, leading by as many as eight points in the third quarter at 40-32 with 5:05 left.
Robbi Ryan's jumper at the end of the third quarter gave the Sun Devils a 48-41 lead. Kansas State cut the lead to 52-48 with 5:27 left on a
Kayla Goth jumper, but Arizona State used a 13-1 run to lead 63-49 with 1:03 remaining.
Arizona State shot 43.3% from the field, including 11.1% (one-of-nine) from three-point range, and 80.0% (12-of-15) at the line.
Sophia Elenga led four players in double figures with 12 points while Ryan,
Reili Richardson and
Kianna Ibis each finished with 10. Ibis and
Charnea Johnson-Chapman each had a team-high eight rebounds.
Kansas State shot 35.3% from the field, including 9.1% (one-of-11) from three-point range, and 77.8% (14-of-18) at the line. Goth led the Wildcats with 19 points while Peyton Williams finished with 17 points and game-high 12 rebounds.
The game featured five student-athletes from Wisconsin and Minnesota and an associate head coach who graduated from UW-La Crosse.
Jamie Ruden of
Rochester, Minn. (John Marshall) and
Kiara Russell of
Minneapolis, Minn. (Osseo) are both juniors for Arizona State. Ruden played eight minutes in Sunday's win, finishing with three rebounds, while Russell played 11 minutes, recording two assists.
Senior
Kayla Goth of
DeForest, Wis. (H.S.) and sophomore
Rachel Ranke of Burnsville, Minn. (Eastview) both started for Kansas State Sunday. Groth played all 40 minutes while leading the Wildcats with 19 points and three blocks. She also had three rebounds and two assists. Ranke played 35 minutes, finishing with four points, three rebounds and one steal. Freshman
Ayoka Lee of Bryon, Minn. (H.S.) did not play Sunday.
Kansas State Associate Head Coach
Brian Ostermann earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from UW-La Crosse in 1988. He is his fifth season at Kansas State and 30th overall as a collegiate coach. Ostermann started his coaching career at La Crosse Central High School under legendary coach Ken Barrett. He coached 19 years as a men's college coach spanning every level. Ostermann completed his 10th season as an Associate Head Coach in women's basketball. Along with his coaching duties, Ostermann is responsible for scheduling, academic mentoring, recruiting evaluation and game plan preparation and development for the Wildcats.
A native of Good Thunder, Minnesota, Ostermann has also coached at Northwest Missouri State University (1989-91), Mercyhurst (Pa.) University (1991-92), Missouri Western University (1992-96), University of Missouri Kansas City (1996-99), Colby (Kan.) Community College (1999-2004), Missouri State – West Plains (2004-08) and Texas Christian University (2008-14).
