WNIT First Round: Saint Louis at Kansas State
WHEN: Thursday, March 15, 2018 • 7 p.m. (CDT)
WHERE: Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, Kansas
RECORDS: SLU 17-15, Kansas State 16-15
SLU-KANSAS STATE SERIES: Kansas State leads 2-0
SLU-KANSAS STATE LAST MEETING: at Kansas State 94, SLU 54 (12/6/03)
BILLIKENS’ LAST GAME: Saint Joseph’s 58, SLU 49 (March 3) RECAP
WILDCATS’ LAST GAME: Baylor 83, Kansas State 54 (March 3) RECAP
LIVE AUDIO: A-10 Digital Network
LIVE VIDEO: K-StateHD.TV
LIVE STATS: SIDEARM
GAME NOTES: Saint Louis
GAME NOTES: Kansas State
STATISTICS: Saint Louis
STATISTICS: Kansas State
• Saint Louis begins its third consecutive Women’s National Invitation Tournament appearance Thursday, March 15, in a match-up against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas.
• The Billikens and Wildcats have followed the same win-loss pattern over the past seven games. Each team’s conference tournament loss was preceded by a three-game winning streak, which in turn was preceded by a three-game losing streak.
• SLU and K-State played two common opponents this season. Both teams defeated Little Rock at home (SLU 48-45, K-State 66-51) and were defeated at Missouri (SLU 70-58, K-State 73-59).
• Saint Louis features senior point guard Jackie Kemph, the most decorated player in program history. Kemph is a three-time selection to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference first team, a two-time A-10 Player of the Year, a 2016 Associated Press honorable mention All-American, and a two-time A-10 Championship All-Tournament choice.
• Jackie Kemph and Jenny Vliet are playing their school-record 132nd game in a SLU uniform Thursday night. Kemph and Vliet broke the previous mark of 129, set last year by Olivia Jakubicek and Sadie Stipanovich, in Saint Louis’ A-10 Championship quarterfinal game.
• Jackie Kemph enters Thursday night’s contest with 102 double-digit scoring games and 20 double-digit assist games in her career.
• Maddison Gits has a team-high 11 double-doubles and has been very close to the feat on several occasions. Gits has been one rebound short six times and a field goal shy once. She was one of only five players to average a double-double in A-10 games only (13.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg).
• Paige Rakers finished among the A-10’s top 10 in field goal percentage (seventh, .488) and 3-point field goal percentage (ninth, .420) against conference opponents.
• Jackie Kemph registered eight assists and did not commit a turnover in SLU’s first-round A-10 Championship win over Massachusetts. It was the 11th game this season in which Kemph notched at least seven assists and committed two or fewer turnovers.
• Saint Louis set a school mark for 3-pointers in each of the past three seasons, and the Billikens have a chance to make it four straight record-setting years. With 222 treys, they need just 10 to surpass last season’s record total of 231.
• The Billikens have a school-record 122 blocked shots this season.
• In conference games, SLU led the A-10 in free throw percentage (.783). The Billikens were 8-of-8 vs. Saint Joseph’s in the A-10 semifinals, the 12th time this season – eighth time in the last 10 games – they have shot 80 percent or higher.
• Saint Louis has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in five of the last nine games, including a season-low five vs. Massachusetts in the A-10 Championship first round.
• Sixth-year head coach Lisa Stone takes a 107-85 record at Saint Louis into the Kansas State game. Now in her 32nd season overall as a collegiate head coach, Stone owns a 610-322 career mark.
A LOOK AT KANSAS STATE
• The Wildcats bring a 16-15 record into their fourth straight postseason appearance (2015 WNIT, 2016 and 2017 NCAA Tournament). K-State tied Iowa State for seventh place in the Big 12 Conference with a 7-11 league record.
• Kansas State features junior guard Kayla Goth, a second-team All-Conference choice, and sophomore forward Peyton Williams, who made the Big 12 honorable mention list.
• Goth leads the Wildcats in scoring (17.0 ppg), assists (6.8 apg) and steals (1.9 spg). Williams is second on the team in scoring (14.1 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg) while leading K-State in field goal percentage (.538) and free throw percentage (.847).
• Freshman guard Rachel Ranke scores 11.8 points per game on the strength of a team-high 85 3-point field goals.
• Senior guard Shaelyn Martin leads K-State in rebounding (6.9 rpg) and averages 3.6 assists.
• Senior forward Kaylee Page has a 9.3 scoring average and 56 treys.
