MANHATTAN, Kan. — In a decisive performance on Thursday night, Kansas State, ranked No. 13, secured an 82-56 victory against Belmont. Temira Poindexter and Kennedy Taylor were standout players for the Wildcats, with Poindexter leading the scoring charts with 23 points, while Taylor contributed 18 points.
Both players, who transferred to K-State from different schools, displayed exceptional shooting skills, finishing the night with a combined shooting stat of 15 for 26 from the field. Poindexter, who hails from Tulsa, had an impressive night from beyond the arc, making 5 out of 10 attempts from three-point range. Taylor, who joined from Missouri State, excelled at the free-throw line, converting 6 of 8 attempts. Additionally, Zyanna Walker added 14 points, and Jaelyn Glenn chipped in with 10 for the Wildcats, who now boast a record of 2-0.
On the other side, Kendall Holmes was the leading scorer for the Bears with 12 points. Teammates Tuti Jones, Emily La Chapell, and Jailyn Banks each contributed 10 points.
The game was highlighted by Poindexter’s astonishing performance in the second quarter, where she scored 13 of her points, including three three-pointers, finishing the first half with a total of 19 points. By halftime, Kansas State had established a strong lead, outpacing Belmont 42-24.
In the opening quarter, K-State surged ahead with a notable 13-point streak, fueled by two three-pointers from Poindexter and one from Glenn, which allowed them to take a nine-point lead. Though the Bears managed to close the gap by scoring the last six points of the quarter, they still trailed by a narrow margin of 19-16.
Poindexter continued to shine as the second quarter commenced, initiating a 12-0 run with a three-pointer and concluding it with another three. Over this stretch, she tallied eight points while Taylor added another four. Poindexter also capped off the half with the final five points.
Overall, Kansas State demonstrated their offensive prowess by making 6 out of 12 shots from beyond the three-point line, shooting 55% from the field. In contrast, Belmont struggled to find their rhythm, managing only 30% shooting efficiency. The Wildcats completed the game with a shooting percentage of 52%, hitting 31 of 50 attempts, including nine three-pointers. Belmont, for their part, managed just four three-pointers with a shooting rate of 31%.