Payton Lee
Forward Kennedy Taylor (12) and Temira Poindexter (2) celebrate during the third quarter against Baylor on February 25th. Taylor finished with 16 points in the 79-62 loss against the Bears.
No. 5 K-State (28-7)
After its Round of 32 victory against Kentucky, Kansas State advanced to the second weekend for the first time since 2002. Similar performances from the Wildcats’ star players are needed to continue their March Madness run.
Forward Temira Poindexter hit eight threes in the Kentucky win, hitting multiple big shots down the stretch of the fourth and in overtime. Poindexter became the first player to record six blocks and six threes in an NCAA tournament game. Her shotmaking ability helps spread the floor for All-American seniors Ayoka Lee and Serena Sundell to score inside.
Sundell had an outstanding performance in the win over Kentucky as well. She played in all 45 minutes of game action, scoring 19 points and dishing out 14 assists, propelling her way to the top spot in program history for career assists.
No. 1 USC (30-3)
Top-seeded USC was dominant in its Round of 32 matchup over No. 9 seed Mississippi State. However, in the win it lost All-American guard JuJu Watkins to an ACL tear. Watkins is one of the best women’s basketball players in the nation, so others on USC will need to step up big to fill her shoes.
Forward Kiki Iriafen scored 36 points in the win over Mississippi State. Iriafen is a great player in her own right, as she averages nearly 19 points per game. Iriafen will be the Wildcats’ biggest threat and slowing down her scoring will be important for the K-State forwards.
Guard Avery Howell stepped up massively after the loss of Watkins, making her a possible addition to the starting lineup on Saturday. Howell is just a freshman, but averages a solid seven points per contest. In the win against Mississippi State, Howell tied her season high in points with 18, including making four three point attempts.
Who to Watch:
K-State: F Temira Poindexter, G Serena Sundell
USC: F Kiki Iriafen, G Avery Howell
K-State stats:
3-point percent: 38.8%
Opp. 3-point percent: 28.3%
Blocks per game: 5.7
USC stats:
3-point percent: 32.2%
Opp. 3-point percent: 28.6%
Blocks per game: 7
Mar. 29 @ 7:00 p.m. on ESPN
Prediction: Kansas State 74-72