Kussow nets 15, No. 18 Minnesota women edge Kansas State 68-65
Natalie Kussow elevated her performance with 15 points and four blocks, contributing to No. 18 Minnesota's 68-65 victory over Kansas State in the MarketBeat Invitational. The Gophers, seeded at 18, demonstrated a well-rounded attack to secure the win. In the second game of the tournament, Kansas hosted Nebraska, with Kennedy Klick scoring a layup with 39 seconds remaining to push the Golden Gophers to a 66-65 lead.
Despite a miss by the Wildcats, Mara Braun secured the win for Minnesota with two free throws at 21 seconds. Shaila Nde struggled with a missed contested three-pointer for Kansas at the end of the game. Minnesota's Gracie Merkle contributed 13 points, Grace Grocholski added 11, and Braun had 10. Nastja Claessens led Kansas State with 20 points, while Taryn Sides scored 13, Gina Garcia 12, and Tzoana Tampakou 10.
The game saw 11 ties, with Kansas State leading 41-33 near the midpoint of the third quarter. Both teams' performances were uneven in the first quarter, with the Gophers trailing 12-10 and Kansas State shooting 4 of 14. Minnesota took a 29-27 halftime lead, with Nde hitting a three-pointer and Tampakou scoring for Kansas.
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