No. 18 Kansas St. 56, Kansas 52

2/9/2008 3:25 PM

By JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -Marlies Gipson had 20 points and 14 rebounds on Saturday, helping No. 18 Kansas State overcome a ragged first half for a 64-58 win over rival Kansas.

Kimberly Dietz scored 12 of her 15 points on 3-pointers in the first half and Ashley Sweat added 12 points for Kansas State (16-6, 8-1), off to its best Big 12 start since going 14-1 in 2002-03. Gipson also had four assists and blocked three shots.

Kansas State did its best to collapse on Kansas center Krysten Boogaard, but the 6-foot-5 freshman was just too much to handle down low. Though she barely jumped at times, Boogaard shot and snared rebounds right over the top of the smaller Wildcats, finishing with 20 points and 14 rebounds.

Boogaard got the Jayhawks within two with 3 1/2 minutes left on a three-point play inside, then found LaChelda Jacobs underneath with 90 seconds left to keep Kansas within 56-54.

Gipson answered at the other end with a tough leaner over Boogaard, then blocked a shot by Jacobs at the other end. Gipson was fouled and hit two free throws to put the Wildcats up 60-54 with just under a minute left, then sealed it with 26 seconds left, dropping two more free throws that made it 63-56.

Jacobs finished with 12 points and Danielle McCray added 11 for Kansas (13-9, 2-7), which has lost 13 of 14 against Kansas State.

It was an ugly game, filled with bad passes, worse shots and plenty of fouls.

Kansas, playing without point guard Chakeitha Weldon after she sustained a torn ACL in practice on Tuesday, had nine turnovers in the first eight minutes, many on forced passes into Boogaard in the post. The Jayhawks didn't exactly shoot well, either, failing to get a field goal until Boogaard scored inside 4 1/2 minutes into the game, shooting 38 percent for the game - 0-for-6 on 3-pointers.

Kansas State couldn't get much of a rhythm going on offense, particularly in the first half, when the guards spent most of the time dribbling around to create shots instead of setting picks and working the ball around for open looks. The Wildcats also shot 38 percent and were dismal from the free throw line as well, hitting just 14-of-22.

Kansas never let Kansas State run away with it, making several short runs to get close. Each time the Jayhawks did, Dietz or Gipson had an answer.

Dietz did it with her shooting in the first half, hitting 4-of-5 from 3-point range, including one from straightaway at the buzzer that put the Wildcats up 30-24. The shots weren't falling so readily for Dietz in the second half - 1-for-10 - so she turned to the pass, driving and dishing to Gipson twice after Kansas pulled within four.