Kansas State Women's Basketball Falls Just Short of Comeback Against North Carolina

The Kansas State Wildcats walked off the court in Cancun knowing they had delivered a fight worthy of the moment. Even though the scoreboard showed an 85–73 loss to the No. 12/10 North Carolina Tar Heels in the Mayan Division of the 2025 Cancun Challenge.

And that performance offered plenty of firepower, grit, and late-game determination. The matchup was billed as a big test for the Wildcats, and despite the early hole, they made sure the Tar Heels worked for every final second.

Kansas State's Offensive Bright Spots and Double Breakthrough

North Carolina came out blazing and built a massive 50–32 halftime lead behind an electric second quarter, shooting 66.7 percent in the frame. Those 50 points were the most K-State has allowed in an opening half since at least the 2017–18 season. It was the type of early punch that forces teams to either fold or fight back, and K-State chose the second option.

Final pic.twitter.com/573MCWfibR
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) November 28, 2025

Even with UNC’s fast start, the Wildcats showcased offensive depth that kept them within striking distance. Four Wildcats reached double figures, led by sophomore guard Izela Arenas. She poured in 15 points on a highly efficient 6-of-8 shooting and went 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.

The milestone moment of the day belonged to sophomore forward Jenessa Cotton. She recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. That marked her first time grabbing double-digit boards. Cotton’s energy in the paint gave the Wildcats stability when they needed it most, especially during their late comeback push.

Junior forward Nastja Claessens and junior guard Taryn Sides each added 13 points. Sides recently became just the fifth Big 12 player since 2009–10 to hit 30+ points, 8+ threes, and 5+ assists in a single game. She remained sharp from deep by going 2-of-2 from long range.

North Carolina countered with powerful bench production, as Nyla Brooks and Nyla Harris each scored 14 points. The Tar Heels finished with 35 bench points. Meanwhile, K-State delivered 26 of its own, marking the eighth game this season with 20 or more points from the reserves.

A Fourth-Quarter Rally That Nearly Flipped the Script

K-State actually struck the first blow, carrying their hot shooting from the previous day into the opening frame. They shot 75 percent from three and held a 15–12 lead before UNC responded with a 10–0 run to close the quarter. The Wildcats stumbled in the second quarter with seven turnovers, opening the door for the Tar Heels to stretch the lead.

Down by as many as 21 in the second half, K-State refused to back down. Sides, Cotton, and Claessens fueled a comeback that trimmed the deficit to 13 early in the fourth quarter. UNC briefly rebuilt the margin with a 9–1 run. However, the Wildcats punched back with a strong 17–6 finish.

K-State shot an incredible 77.8 percent in the fourth quarter, their best single-quarter mark of the season, and outscored UNC 22–15 in the frame. The Wildcats also finished the game shooting 56.3 percent overall and 53.8 percent from three. But free throws proved costly, as they went just 12-of-24 at the line.

Even in defeat, K-State extended a key program trend by shooting 50 percent or better in all four quarters. That improves their historical mark to 58–7 since 2014–15 when hitting that threshold.

The Wildcats now shift focus to the final game of the Mayan Division of the 2025 Cancun Challenge, a Saturday morning showdown with South Dakota State at 10 a.m. CT. Fans can watch on FloCollege or listen on the K-State Sports Network as K-State looks to finish strong in Mexico.

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