Cats beat Baylor!

Happy new year, #EMAW family!

Let’s get right to it. The women’s basketball team kicked off 2022 with a 68-59 upset win over #10 Baylor. This snapped a 36-game losing streak to the Bears, and was also the program’s first win over a Top 10 team since beating Texas Tech way back in 2012. The Wildcats are now 11-2 on the season, 9-0 at home

The win was keyed by a 28-point second half scoring avalanche from Ayoka Lee. She finished the night with 32 points off 11-of-16 shooting from the field. She also had 10 rebounds, her fourth game this season with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. Lee currently leads the nation in total points, blocks, and field goals made.

Serena Sundell was the only other Wildcat with double digit scoring. She had 10 points and six assists, also her fourth game this season with similar stats.

The Wildcats were also stifling on defense, holding Baylor to its lowest point total and the Bears’ third-lowest shooting performance this season.

The team is back in action on Wednesday, hitting the road for a matchup against Oklahoma State.

Meanwhile, the football team is gearing up for the TaxAct Texas Bowl against LSU, the final bowl game of the season. This is not the Wildcats’ first rodeo, as Kansas State played in the Texas Bowl to round out the 2016 season with a 33-28 win over Texas A&M.

Speaking of rodeos, LSU beat the Wildcats 4-3 in the Rodeo Bowl, one of several pre-bowl distractions for the two teams and their fans. Hopefully, this isn’t an omen for the actual game, as the winner of the rodeo has gone on to win the actual bowl game most of the time. Still, the Wildcats had a good time and aren’t letting the rodeo loss get to them too much.

The team also took the time to do some good while in Houston. The players participated in a variety of football drills at DePelchin Field Day, featuring children from DePelchin Children’s Center, a Texas-based foster care and adoption agency. If you need a smile today, just look at the photos from this event!

Given how the bowl season has gone so far, it’s a miracle that both teams made it to Houston and appear to be ready to take the field. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly from here on out.

As you all already know, Collin Klein is Kansas State’s interim offensive coordinator, and he is relishing the opportunity to call the game from upstairs. The team is excited about this too, especially as they already have a good rapport with the quiet but effective Klein. Plus, Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson is back and looking healthy and ready for his final game as a Wildcat.

Like many other programs, LSU is dealing with a roster depleted by Covid protocols, transfers and opt-outs. That has shaken up the depth chart, and interim head coach Brad Davis is playing his cards close to his chest. LSU has not named a starter at QB, which makes things more challenging for Kansas State’s defense.

DraftKings has K-State as a 4.5-point favorite for the game, with the total resting at 48. That implies a 27-22 win for the Cats. The line opened in quite the opposite fashion, with LSU being favored by a field goal, but the vagaries of the transfer portal have swung the pendulum the opposite way.

Odds/lines subject to change. Terms and conditions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.