Kennedy Klick's Layup With 39 Seconds Left Puts No. 18 Minnesota Ahead for Good in a 68-65 Win Over Kansas State
The fourth quarter had seven lead changes. Kennedy Klick scored go-ahead layups at 1:31 and 0:39, Natalie Kussow blocked a shot at 0:26, and Minnesota won the paint 44-30.
Photo: Minnesota Athletics. Kennedy Klick, Minnesota, official headshot. Card design: The Dyme.
No. 18 Minnesota beat Kansas State 68-65 on Saturday in the MarketBeat Invitational at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Kennedy Klick's layup with 39 seconds left put Minnesota ahead 66-65, and Mara Braun made two free throws at 0:21, per the ESPN play-by-play. Freshman Natalie Kussow led Minnesota with 15 points, four blocks and two steals, per the ESPN box score. Minnesota moved to 4-0. Kansas State fell to 4-1.
The last 2:56
Taryn Sides hit a 24-foot three at 2:56 to give Kansas State a 61-60 lead. Gracie Merkle answered with a layup at 2:29, and Tzoana Tampakou's tip-in at 1:58 put the Wildcats back up 63-62.
Klick drove for a layup at 1:31 to make it 64-63. Sides made two free throws at 0:55 for a 65-64 Kansas State lead. Klick scored again at 0:39 off a Merkle pass, Kussow blocked a shot at 0:26, and Braun made both free throws at 0:21. Shaila Nde missed a 24-foot three at 0:05, Nastja Claessens missed a 26-footer after an offensive rebound, and Merkle grabbed the last rebound.
By our count from the play-by-play, the lead changed hands seven times in the fourth quarter. Minnesota Athletics counts the same seven. ESPN lists 11 lead changes for the game.
How Minnesota got back in it
Minnesota shot 5 of 24 in the first quarter and still led 12-10, per the AP recap on ESPN. The Gophers led 29-27 at halftime. Tampakou's jumper at 6:28 of the third quarter gave Kansas State a 41-33 lead, the largest of the game for either team, per ESPN.
Minnesota outscored Kansas State 12-4 from there to a 45-45 tie on a Kussow three at 1:34, by our count from the play-by-play. Kansas State led 47-45 after three. Minnesota won the fourth quarter 23-18. Kussow scored 12 of her 15 in the second half, by our count from the play-by-play.
Paint and glass
Minnesota outrebounded Kansas State 41-31, with 16 offensive rebounds to eight, and outscored the Wildcats 44-30 in the paint, per ESPN. Minnesota shot 28 of 66 and made 5 of 12 threes. Kansas State shot 25 of 57 and made 8 of 21 threes.
The Minnesota bench scored 24, per Minnesota Athletics. Merkle had 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench, and Klick scored nine on 4-of-5 shooting. Grace Grocholski added 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and eight rebounds. Braun scored 10 with four assists.
Kansas State
Claessens led Kansas State with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 3 of 8 from three, per K-State Athletics. Sides scored 13 with six assists. Gina Garcia had 12 points and seven assists. Tampakou scored 10 with seven rebounds.
It was the first meeting between the programs since Minnesota won an NCAA Tournament game in 2004, per the AP recap. Kansas State hosts SMU on Tuesday.
The box score, side by side
Full-game team numbers, per the ESPN box score:
| Category | Minnesota | Kansas State |
|---|---|---|
| Field goals | 28-66 (42%) | 25-57 (44%) |
| 3-pointers | 5-12 | 8-21 |
| Free throws | 7-11 | 7-10 |
| Rebounds | 41 | 31 |
| Offensive rebounds | 16 | 8 |
| Assists | 11 | 17 |
| Turnovers | 12 | 15 |
| Steals | 6 | 3 |
| Blocks | 5 | 3 |
| Points in the paint | 44 | 30 |
| Points off turnovers | 12 | 13 |
| Fast-break points | 9 | 3 |
Quarter scoring, per the ESPN linescores:
| Quarter | Kansas State | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10 | 12 |
| 2nd | 17 | 17 |
| 3rd | 20 | 16 |
| 4th | 18 | 23 |
| Final | 65 | 68 |
Sources:
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