By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
For the second year in a row, the Kansas State women's basketball team overcame a slow first half, to take a win back to Manhattan in the Bill Snyder Women's Basketball Classic, hosted by the St. Joseph Sports Commission, winning 74-48.
After being outscored 26-25 in the first half, Kansas State ran away with the game in the second half, outscoring the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 49-22.
Center Ayoka Lee says in the second half the team played better together
"Like I think we got it inside a little earlier, so that helped, I think we had a little bit more movement so it was harder for them to get help inside, we were knocking it down so that also makes it hard, you kind of have to pick what you want to guard," Lee tells reporters during the postgame press conference. "So yeah, I thought we just played more cohesively and that helped a lot."
Lee led the Wildcats with 16 points in the win as Kansas State improved to 2-0 in the Bill Snyder Classic. Forward Temira Poindexter and guard Jaelynn Glynn each scored 15 points.
Maryville's Serena Sundell said after the game she wishes this event would have happened all four years she's been in Manhattan, but to come back the last two is special
"I've played so much basketball here, so just to see so many familiar faces in the crowd and being swarmed after the game, you feel like a little celebrity, so it's really cool," Sundell says. "This is a great event, hopefully next year I can come back and be in the stands cheering on my teammates, but yeah it's a really special moment for someone who's from around this area."
Sundell scored just five points in the win but tallied 11 assists with no turnovers.
Kansas State head coach Jeff Mittie, a former coach at Missouri Western, applauded St. Joseph Sports Commission Director Brett Esely for his work putting on this event
"Brett and his staff do a great job representing St. Joe," Mittie points out. "And for me, went to school here, played here, started my coaching career here, Shannon and I started our family here, this is always going to be a special place, so we do like coming back, I don't get back enough, but this is a good event and we certainly like it."
Kansas State is now 11-1 on the season.
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More photos from the matchup