| Junior Ashleigh Franklin had her fifth double-double of the year on Monday. |
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Kansas State used a balanced attack and scored a 59-55 win against the UTSA women’s basketball team in Monday's fourth-place game of the Duel in the Desert.
The Roadrunners saw their record fall to 5-5 on the season, while the Wildcats evened their mark at 6-6 on the year.
Sophomore Whitney York, who was coming off an 18-point game on Sunday against Arkansas, once again paced UTSA’s offense with a game-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the free throw line and she also dished out a game-high six assists. York also was named to the Duel in the Desert All-Tournament Team. Junior Ashleigh Franklin posted her fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Kelsey Ansley scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds.
K-State had four players in double-figures led by Ashley Sweat’s 14 points. Jalana Childs and Branshea Brown added a dozen apiece, while Kari Kincaid chipped in with 11.
Childs’ back-to-back buckets upped Kansas State’s lead to nine (40-31) within the first four minutes of the second half. UTSA then used a 7-0 run for the 46-44 lead with 9:31 to go. York highlighted the spurt with five of the seven points netted.
The Wildcats responded with their own 9-0 run to make the score 53-46 with five minutes and change left. Shalin Spani gave Kansas State a 57-50 lead with just over two minutes to play, but York converted a three-point play and put back lay up by Ansley cut the deficit to two points (57-55) with 38 seconds showing on the clock.
After a UTSA timeout, Kincaid drove to the basket and was foul with 11 ticks remaining. Kincaid then knocked down a pair of freebies that gave the Wildcats a four-point cushion and held off for the win.
Kansas State jumped to the 6-2 lead on Chambers’ free throws with 17:20 to go in the first half, but UTSA took its first lead (8-6) of game on Franklin’s lay up a minute later.
Junior Amber Gregg’s second 3-pointer of the frame highlighted a 7-0 run that gave the Roadrunners the 15-9 advantage at the 12-minute mark. The Wildcats then went on a 10-0 run over the next four minute to make the score 19-15.
Freshman Whitney Wright made good on a lay up to tie the game at 27-all, but KSU closed out the stanza on a 6-2 run to make the score 33-29 at the half.
UTSA returns to San Antonio for its annual New Year’s Classic on Dec. 29-30 at the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners open play against Maine at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 29.