MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team embarks on its final road trip of the 2021-22 regular season on Wednesday, March 2, as the Mountaineers travel to Manhattan, Kansas, to square off against Kansas State.
 
Tipoff against the Wildcats is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, inside Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. Wednesday's contest will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Brian Smoller, Missy Heidrick and Katherine Benhardt on the call. Additionally, fans can listen to the game on the WVU Gameday App, WVUsports.com or on the Mountaineer Sports Network, including 100.9 WZST-FM, with Dan Zangrilli on the call. Live stats will be available on WVUsports.com.
 
West Virginia (13-13, 6-10 Big 12) and Kansas State (18-10, 8-8 Big 12) meet for the 23rd time on Wednesday. WVU holds a 15-7 all-time advantage over K-State and is 6-3 against the Wildcats when playing in Manhattan.
 
The Mountaineers have taken three of the last four meetings against the Wildcats. Additionally, WVU has won the last two meetings against KSU in Manhattan.
 
In the first meeting between the two teams this season, Kansas State defeated West Virginia, 71-61, on Jan. 8, in Morgantown.
 
West Virginia's scoring efforts were led by junior guard KK Deans, who tallied a team-best 17 points. Senior guard Madisen Smith netted 13 points to also finish in double figures. Fifth-year senior center Blessing Ejiofor tallied a team-high eight rebounds to pace WVU on the glass.
 
Kansas State enters Wednesday's contest on a two-game losing streak, after falling to Oklahoma, 72-69, in Norman on Feb. 26. Additionally, K-State has dropped four of its last five contests, dating back to Feb. 9 at Baylor (95-50).
 
Since Feb. 9, the Wildcats have averaged 55.4 points per game and have only eclipsed 60 points once.
 
KSU is led by junior center Ayoka Lee, who paces the team in points (22.7 per game) and rebounding (10.3 per game). In 28 games this season, Lee has 14 games of 20 or more points, eight of 30 or more points and two of 40 or more.
 
Lee is joined in double-figure scoring by freshman guard Serena Sundell, who is averaging 10.2 points per game.
 
West Virginia is coming off a 60-56 win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 27, inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown. With the win, WVU has now won two Big 12 Conference games in a row.
 
The Mountaineers scored 30 of its 60 points against the Cowgirls in the paint, good for 50%, and went 4-of-8 from 3-point range. WVU also blocked 10 shots in the game, two shy of its season high (12 at Oklahoma State - Jan. 22).
 
West Virginia's offense was powered by senior forward Kari Niblack, who finished with a game-high 15 points, and was one of three Mountaineers to finish the game in double figures. The Leesburg, Florida, native was joined in double-figure scoring by junior forward Esmery Martinez and freshman guard JJ Quinerly, who tallied 12 points apiece.
 
Martinez hauled in a game-high 14 rebounds to lead WVU on the glass and tally her eighth double-double of the season. She now has 23 in her Mountaineer career, which is tied for No. 6 in program history.
 
Over the last eight games, senior guard Madisen Smith has served as West Virginia's leading scorer and is averaging a team-best 13.4 points per game. The Greenville, South Carolina, native has tallied 10 points or more in six of those games, including 18 points or more four times.
 
Additionally, Quinerly (12.8) and Niblack (11.3) also are averaging double figures during that eight-game span.