McCarty has big third, No. 6 Texas beats Kansas State

AUSTIN, Texas -- Brooke McCarty doesn't shoot 3-pointers with the accuracy she once had, but the Texas guard tries to provide other skills.

McCarty scored 13 of her 17 points in the pivotal third quarter and No. 6 Texas beat Kansas State 76-54 on Saturday night.

McCarty, a senior and reigning Big 12 player of the year, scored 10 points in a 1:49 span. She made one 3-pointer during that stretch, her only one during the game in four attempts.

"I'm just trying to do what I can," McCarty said.

McCarty converted 43.9 percent of her 3-pointers in 10 non-conference games before Big 12 competition began. She has hit just 25 percent since, including one non-conference game against Connecticut.

Asked if she is still confident shooting 3-pointers, McCarty laughed and said, "It's a process."

Texas (20-4, 11-2 Big 12) led by 11 when McCarty began her surge. The Longhorns were ahead by 19 when she finished and well on their way to a seventh straight victory against Kansas State.

Joyner Holmes had 11 points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes for Texas. Jordan Hosey added 10 points and eight rebounds in 14 minutes.

"The first time we played them (a 75-64 Texas victory) they probably weren't playing with the same energy that they seem to be playing with now," Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said.

Peyton Williams led Kansas State (13-12, 5-9) with 13 points, one more than Kayla Goth.

Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said Texas has improved since it defeated his team 75-64 on Jan. 7.

"They probably weren't playing with the same energy that they seem to be playing with now," Mittie said.

Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau, a 6-foot-4 forward, produced eight points, three steals and two blocks for Texas in the half. But Caron-Goudreau sustained an injured left wrist with 34 seconds left in the half and did not return to the game. She will be evaluated on Sunday.

If Caron-Goudreau is lost to the team, the 6-3 Holmes could replace her in the starting lineup. Holmes, an all-Big 12 player last season as a freshman, has been a backup since returning in late December from a semester-long suspension for violating an unspecified university rule.

Holmes, who fancies herself a perimeter player, has not flourished this season, but coach Karen Aston detects progress.

"The last few games, Joyner has started to assert herself and do some of the little things we need her to do," Aston said. "More than anything, she's asserting herself one foot from the bucket."

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: The Wildcats are the best team in the Big 12 at taking care of the ball, averaging just 12 turnovers a game. They committed 13 by midway through the second quarter against Texas, 10 on steals by the Longhorns, who turned them into 12 points. Kansas State finished with 25 turnovers, eight by Goth. Texas scored converted the turnovers into 25 points.

Texas: Sug Sutton, the sophomore reserve point guard for Texas, struggled last season after missing most of her senior year of high school with a knee injury that required surgery. She has played much better this season. Against Kansas State, Sutton showed a glimpse of why she is the presumptive replacement for McCarty. Sutton made a 3-point shot to beat the buzzer at the end of the first quarter. Then she made a basket from just inside the 3-point line as the first half ended to give Texas a 39-30 lead.

REBOUNDING EDGE

Texas ranks second nationally in rebounding margin with plus-12.5 Kansas State ranks 332nd at minus-7.7. So the result Saturday night was predictable. The Longhorns had a 43-29 advantage on the boards. They converted 18 offensive rebounds into 18 second-chance points. Hosey grabbed six offensive rebounds.

The Wildcats were outrebounded by Texas 47-26 during the defeat in Manhattan on Jan. 7. Texas turned 19 offensive rebounds into 24 second-chance points in that game.

UP NEXT

Kansas State hosts TCU on Feb. 17. The Horned Frogs defeated Kansas State 68-63 on Jan. 24 in Manhattan.

Texas hosts Texas Tech on Wednesday. The Longhorns have won nine straight against Tech, including a 90-39 victory in Lubbock on Jan. 20. The 51-point margin of victory was their largest ever in a Big 12 game.