After two home wins, K-State played its third of four home games to start the season. On the other side of the court was the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
In both wins, the Wildcats scored 61 points, outscoring their opponents by 20. They did so in their season opener against Wichita State on Monday, Nov. 2, winning 61-41, and in a 61-47 win over Southern Indiana last Thursday, Nov. 5. On Nov. 8, K-State dominated from the get-go.
Junior center Tzona Tampakou opened the scoring with a quick jump shot to put the ‘Cats on the board first. With a combination of great ball movement and freshman forward Shaila Nde starting the game red hot, the ‘Cats jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the first three minutes — six of those ten points being courtesy of Nde. K-State ended the first quarter leading UTRGV 18-10, keeping the game firmly in their control.
The second quarter saw another Wildcat take the scoring helm as sophomore guard Gina Garcia gave a pair of assists to senior forward Nastja Claessens, who scored with ease. Claessens quickly amassed 9 points and two assists. Then, with just under three minutes remaining in the first half, Claessens drained a three from the left corner, and K-State extended its lead to 29-17, allowing only 7 points in the half. K-State tacked on 5 more points before halftime to hold a 17-point lead with a score of 34-17.
The third quarter brought more of the same old K-State dominance. In the first two minutes of the third, the Wildcats jumped out to a 21-point lead with a score of 41-20. Then the ‘Cats went on a 7-0 run over the last three minutes of the quarter to put themselves at 49 points on the day.
The fourth quarter not only brought K-State dominance, but it also included one player making history. Early in the quarter, senior guard Taryn Sides took a deep 3-point attempt, marking her 200th 3-pointer and putting her ninth all-time in 3-pointers made.
The Wildcats put up 19 points in the fourth to finish 68-39 and take a dominant 29-point win over UTRGV.
“The most growth from our team has just occurred in how sound we’ve gotten,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “We’ve gotten more sound in each game, more disciplined each game, a better understanding, better trust. That has been the biggest improvement.”
The Wildcats play their last opening-stretch home game at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, against Montana.
