Records rarely matter in a rivalry game, and that sentiment held true Saturday afternoon as Kansas (13-9, 2-7) gave No. 18 Kansas State (16-6, 8-1) everything it could handle before finally bowing out, 64-58.

“Our kids battled and showed some toughness to make it a game,” coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “We just didn’t make enough plays on the offensive end and the defensive end to get out of here with a ‘W.’”

Kansas got off to a disastrous start — six turnovers in the first five minutes — before settling into its game.

“We tried to force some things early, picked up our dribble and just didn’t play with much rhythm,” Henrickson added.

The Wildcats also struggled to get points early, until senior guard Kimberly Dietz started firing up three-pointers.

She made three straight treys and finished the half 4-of-5, which included a last-second heave from the top of the key to put Kansas State up 30-24 at halftime.

Still, Henrickson was pleased with the way her team overcame the early turnovers and the production from her bench. Senior forward Jamie Boyd, who’s played just more than 27 minutes this season, drove the lane and made a short jumper just before Dietz answered with her buzzer-beater.

“Kids off the bench were great,” Henrickson said. “Jamie Boyd’s poise and composure to knock that thing down in the middle of the lane, that’s big. It’s only one play but it ended up being a one or two possession game there at the end.”

Dietz made a layup to start the second half but she missed all nine of her remaining shots. To compensate, junior forward Marlies Gipson took her game to another level, recording 14 points and 11 rebounds in the second half despite giving up five inches to her Kansas counterpart, freshman Krysten Boogaard.

“She’s very quick and she has a good vertical which was a little difficult,” Boogaard said of Gipson. “She made some good plays, and I couldn’t really keep her off the glass tonight.”

Boogaard couldn’t stop Gipson, but neither could Gipson stop Boogaard, as the Kansas center recorded her second straight double-double with 20 points and a career high 14 rebounds.

Photo Gallery

Kansas Women's Basketball vs. Kansas State

Photo gallery of Kansas women's basketball game at Kansas State.

With 3:33 left, Boogaard converted a three-point play from the free-throw line to pull Kansas within two. However, sophomore guard LaChelda Jacobs committed a turnover with a chance to tie, then after two Wildcat free throws, sophomore guard Danielle McCray was whistled for a charge.

Despite the adversity Kansas continued to fight and Jacobs made a couple of late layups to finish with 12 points.

“We didn’t get frustrated and hang our head,” Henrickson said. “I thought emotionally we grew up a little here and tried to battle and stay a little tougher.”

Gipson hit four late free throws to keep the Jayhawks at a distance and get the Wildcats out with a victory.

“We’re just trying to get back on that ladder and keep fighting,” said McCray, who finished with 11 points and six rebounds. “We know that we’re a good team and we can’t think anything less.”

Kansas will again try and climb the ladder Wednesday night when it plays host to Colorado at 7 p.m.

— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird