MANHATTAN, Kan. (Interstat) — The Kansas State Wildcats used a dominant second-quarter surge to pull away from the Lamar Lady Cardinals and secure an 89-61 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game Monday night at Bramlage Coliseum.

In front of an announced crowd of 3,204, the Wildcats remained undefeated on the young season, improving to 3-0, while the Lady Cardinals fell to 0-2.

The first quarter was a tightly contested affair, ending in a 20-20 deadlock. Lamar’s Shaila Forman, a guard from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was instrumental early, scoring seven of her team-high 19 points in the opening period. Kansas State’s offense, however, exploded in the second frame, outscoring Lamar 28-12 to take a commanding 48-32 lead into halftime.

The Wildcats’ separation was fueled by efficient offense and disruptive defense. They shot 33 of 64 from the field for the game, a 51.6 percent clip, while holding Lamar to 19 of 51 shooting, or 37.3 percent. Kansas State also forced 14 Lamar turnovers, converting them into 10 points, while committing only five turnovers of their own.

Taryn Sides, a 5-foot-6 guard from Phillipsburg, Kansas, led all scorers with 20 points for Kansas State. She added five assists and was a catalyst in the game-breaking second quarter. Teammate Izela Arenas, a 5-8 guard from Los Angeles, contributed 18 points, and Gina Garcia of Barcelona, Spain, chipped in seven points, four assists and four steals.

Beyond Forman’s 19 points, Lamar received 11 points from R’Mani Taylor of Houston. The Lady Cardinals struggled to generate consistent offense, finishing with just two total assists as a team. They were also outscored 48-20 in the paint, highlighting Kansas State’s interior dominance.

Kansas State maintained its double-digit advantage throughout the second half, outscoring Lamar 41-29 over the final two quarters to seal the victory. The Wildcats’ offensive rating of 121.2 points per 100 possessions dwarfed Lamar’s mark of 85.4, underscoring the efficiency gap between the two teams.

Lamar will look for its first win of the season when it travels to face Kansas on Wednesday. Kansas State’s next contest is at home against South Dakota on Thursday.