BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Kansas State guard Shalee Lehning converted a three-point play with 1:08 to Sunday that put the Wildcats up four and over the top in a 69-59 win over the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
The fifth seed in the New Orleans Region, Kansas State advanced to the second round and with face either fourth-seeded Louisville or 13-seed Miami (Ohio) on Tuesday. The loss snapped the 12th-seeded Lady Mocs’ 24-game win streak and dropped UTC to 1-10 all-time in the NCAA tournament.
In a game with few offensive fireworks for either side, especially in the first half, Laura Hall paced UTC with 19 points and Brooke Hand provided a spark with five 3-pointers and 15 points.
Kelsey Nelson led Kansas State with 20 points, scoring 13 in the second half.
The teams traded leads, and missed shots, in the first half and the Wildcats led 25-24 at the break. The two teams, both regular-season champions of their conferences, were a combined 17-for-54 from the floor in the first 20 minutes.
E-mail John Frierson at jfrierson@timesfreepress.com.
John Frierson is in his fifth year at the Times Free Press and fifth year covering University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletics. The bulk of his time is spent covering Mocs football, but he also writes about women’s basketball and the big-picture issues and news involving the athletic department. A native of Athens, Ga., John grew up a few hundred yards from the University of Georgia campus. Instead of becoming a Bulldog he attended Ole ...
