Kussow nets 15, No. 18 Minnesota women edge Kansas State 68-65

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Natalie Kussow scored 15 points with four blocks to lead a balanced attack and No. 18 Minnesota edged Kansas State 68-65 on Saturday in the MarketBeat Invitational.

No. 25 Nebraska faced Kansas in the second game.

Kennedy Klick’s layup with 39 seconds left put the Golden Gophers on top 66-65 and after a miss by the Wildcats (4-1), Mara Braun made a pair of free throws at 21 seconds. Shaila Nde missed on a contested 3-pointers for K-State in the closing seconds.

The game featured 11 ties and the largest lead was 41-33 for the Wildcats near the mid-point of the third quarter.

Gracie Merkle had 13 points for Minnesota, Grace Grocholski added 11 and Braun had 10.

Nastja Claessens scored 20 points for the Wildcats with Taryn Sides adding 13, Gina Garcia 12 and Tzoana Tampakou had 10.

Both teams got off to a sluggish chart in their first meeting since the Gophers won a NCAA Tournament game in 2004. Minnesota was 5 of 24 in the first quarter for a 12-10 lead as K-State shot 4 of 14. Both teams made at least half their shots in the second quarter and the Gophers led 29-27 at halftime.

Nde hit a 3-pointer and Tampakou scored for a 41-33 K-State lead at 6:28 of the third.

Up next

Minnesota: At Kansas on Wednesday.

Kansas State: Home against SMU on Tuesday.