March 22, 2006
Box Score
Notes
Tella's Tales- FINAL!
MANHATTAN, Kan.- Tierre Wilson's three-pointer at the buzzer was just off the mark and Kansas State survived a late charge to escape with a 64-61 victory over Fresno State in a second-round WNIT contest in front of 4,794 at Bramlage Coliseum.
Fresno State, which had won its first two WNIT games by double-digit margins, wraps up the best season in school history at 24-8 and 14-2 in the WAC. Kansas State improves to 21-10 and will host the winner of Nebraska-Wyoming in the quarterfinals.
In a game that was close throughout, the Wildcats outscored the Bulldogs 33-28 in the second half to earn the win. There were eight lead changes and three ties overall.
Fresno State was led by its senior duo of Mirenda Swearengin and Amy Parrish. Swearengin, who made a habit of posting gaudy stat lines all season long, finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 40 minutes of playing time. Parrish poured in 15 points (3-5 from three-point territory) and grabbed five boards despite operating in foul trouble for much of the game.
Kansas State was led by Twiggy McIntyre's 15 points and JoAnn Hamlin's nine points and 12 rebounds.
"I could not be more proud of how we played tonight," said head coach Adrian Wiggins, who has guided the Bulldogs to a 31-12 mark since taking over last February. "This was a great game and an unbelievable atmosphere tonight. I thought we matched their effort and intensity and was not surprised we were in a position to get the win. We've had a great season, the best in school history, and hope to continue to grow this program."
The Wildcats shot 42.6-percent overall, held a slim 36-33 rebounding edge and scored 26 points off turnovers. The Bulldogs shot 35.6-percent overall and hung close thanks to eight three-pointers and tight defense. A perfect example was
Jasmine Plummer's effort guarding Kansas State leading scorer Claire Coggins (4-16 shooting, 10 points).
Kansas State bolted out to an early 12-4 cushion, using its distinct height advantage to fuel a smothering defensive effort. Fresno State missed its first 11 shots from the field until Swearengin knocked down a long jumper with 11:19 on the clock.
Swearengin's breakthrough ignited a Bulldog scoring run, as back-to-back treys from Parrish and Wilson cut the lead to 16-14 with 8:47 remaining.
Fresno State continued to hang close thanks to sharp shooting from beyond the arc, knocking down three triples over the next five minutes to stay within 30-28 at the 2:34 mark.
Shalee Lehning connected on the first of two free throw attempts to make it 31-28, but Fresno State scored the final five points of the half. A lay-up from Swearengin made it 31-30 and a three-pointer from Parrish as time expired gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the game at 33-31 heading into the lockerroom.
Fresno State was successful on 6-10 three-point attempts in the first half, offsetting 35.5-percent shooting from the field.
Two free throws from Parrish gave the `Dogs a 35-31 lead to open the second half, only to see the Wildcats respond with a 14-2 surge.
Consecutive jumpers from Swearengin brought Fresno State back within 45-41 at the 11:52 mark. Kansas State took a brief four-point edge before back-to-back shots from Andrea Roberson (the second of which was her second triple of the year) put the `Dogs up 48-47.
Following lead changes on the next five possessions, Kansas State took a 56-54 lead after a runner from Swearengin at the 3:45 mark. But a tip-in by Plummer tied the score at 56-56.
Fresno State cut Kansas State's lead down to one twice in the final two minutes. Trailing 62-61, Lehning converted on both free throws to give Kansas State a 64-61 lead.
After the Bulldogs took a timeout with 4.9 seconds remaining, Wilson's game-tying three-point try was off the mark.
The Bulldogs are scheduled to arrive in Fresno tomorrow at approximately 1:40 p.m. The team will be arriving on Frontier flight 4292 and fans are invited to come out and greet the players and coaching staff.
