Oklahoma State Cowgirls at Kansas State Wildcats

Sundell hits go-ahead layup with 26 seconds left, No. 8 K-State holds off Oklahoma State 69-68

Sundell finished with 17 points and seven assists, while Gabby Gregory had 11 points and Zyanna Walker 10 for the Wildcats (21-3, 10-2 Big 12), who were coming off back-to-back road losses and picked up their 15th consecutive win at home.

“Our players have been resilient all year,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “We're in a little funk where we're wanting things to happen a little easier than they are and we have to get out of that quick, because that's not how you win games.”

Oklahoma State (11-12, 4-8) led by as many as seven in the second half before the Wildcats came charging back, trimming their deficit to 68-67 with less than a minute to go. Anna Gret Asi missed a jumper with a chance to extend the Cowgirls' lead, and at the other end, Sundell drove baseline against Hannah Gusters and got the tough layup.

The Cowgirls played for the final shot, but Gusters got flummoxed as time ticked away and missed badly from about 10 feet.

Quincy Noble had 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Oklahoma State. Stailee Heard added 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Lior Garzon finished with 14 points and Gusters had 13.

The Wildcats were coming off back-to-back losses at Oklahoma and No. 12 Texas in which the absence of All-American center Ayoka Lee was particularly evident. She hurt her ankle against UCF on Jan. 6, played through wins at home over the Sooners and Longhorns, then had a procedure following an MRI exam on Jan. 18 to repair a small fracture.

Mittie said recently that Lee is on track to return to the team sometime in February.

What makes the 6-foot-6 forward invaluable is her ability to get a basket when the Wildcats are struggling, and that was the case for much of Saturday. They started 1 for 12 from the 3-point arc and weren't much better from inside it.

Kansas State finally got some baskets in transition to take a 33-25 lead at the break.

Oklahoma State came out on fire, though, using an 11-2 run to take the lead in the second half, and a 10-0 run gave the Cowgirls a 49-43 lead. They hit nine of their first 10 shots, including five 3-pointers, during their third-quarter charge.

They maintained control until midway through the fourth quarter, when Kansas State mounted its comeback.

OKLAHOMA STATE INJURY

The Cowgirls hoped for a happy homecoming for Emilee Ebert, a Kansas prep star who played four years for the Wildcats. But after transferring at the semester, she was hurt just seconds into her first offensive possession and did not return.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma State visits Texas Tech on Wednesday night.

Kansas State travels to Iowa State on Wednesday night.

How can I watch Cowgirls vs. Wildcats?

• TV Channel: Cowgirls vs Wildcats 2021 College Basketball, week 14, is broadcasted on BIG12|ESPN+.
• Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Location: Manhattan, KS
Attendance: 6,848 | Capacity: