Kansas State Women’s Basketball Mounts Comeback, Falls to Kansas
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Rivalry games rarely disappoint, and Saturday night inside Bramlage Coliseum delivered another unforgettable chapter in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. The Kansas State Wildcats women's basketball and the Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball squared off in a high-stakes battle for state bragging rights. What unfolded was a heavyweight fight packed with momentum swings, clutch plays, and one furious comeback that ultimately came up short.
Free Throws From Kansas State Wildcats Prove the Difference
In the end, Kansas walked away with a 75-68 victory, leaning on precision at the free-throw line to close the door. For K-State, the loss stung, but the fight and fire were unmistakable.
Final pic.twitter.com/aKzSCyDvfs
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) February 21, 2026
The Jayhawks finished 18-of-21 from the free-throw line, an impressive .857 clip. The fourth quarter was especially decisive. Kansas calmly knocked down 9-of-10 free throws in the final frame, extinguishing each Wildcat push before it could fully ignite.
S’Mya Nichols led Kansas with 17 points and four assists, showing control in key moments. Jaliya Davis anchored the paint with 16 points and nine rebounds. During a crucial 8-1 run late in the game, Kansas turned poise into points, stretching a narrow lead into a cushion that proved just large enough.
For much of the first half, it looked like Kansas was ready to run away with it. The Jayhawks built a 14-point lead at 33-19 with 3:06 remaining in the second quarter. Bramlage Coliseum grew tense as the Wildcats searched for a spark. Then the building came alive.
K-State closed the half on a stunning 14-0 run, completely erasing the deficit. Senior Tess Heal fueled the surge with nine points during that stretch. That includes the final seven of the quarter in the last minute and a half. Shot after shot fell, the defense tightened, and the energy shifted dramatically.
By halftime, the scoreboard read 33-33. The third quarter featured five ties as neither team could seize full control. Kansas managed just two field goals over the final eight minutes of the period, but the Jayhawks made up for it at the free-throw line.
Brandie Harrod paced K-State in the quarter with six points, battling inside and attacking the rim. Still, Kansas entered the fourth quarter with a narrow 48-47 edge.
The Final Minutes Come Down to Inches
Kansas opened the fourth quarter with urgency, building a 53-47 lead with 8:33 remaining. Jordan Speiser answered quickly, drilling a three-pointer to trim the margin to 53-50 with 8:09 left. Speiser connected on two three-pointers in the contest, marking her 14th game this season with two or more makes from long range.
The Wildcats kept clawing back. With 4:05 remaining, Harrod sank two free throws to pull K-State within one at 62-61. But Kansas responded with composure. An 8-1 run pushed the lead to 70-62 with 2:33 remaining. Nichols extended it to 73-64 with 1:46 left.
From there, the Jayhawks finished 9-of-10 from the stripe in the fourth quarter to secure the 75-68 win. Despite the setback, several Wildcats delivered memorable performances.
Tess Heal led K-State with 19 points, including 13 in the first half. She added seven assists and four rebounds. The performance marked her 89th career game in double figures, and she now owns 1,749 career points. Nastja Claessens contributed 13 points and four rebounds, registering her 16th double-figure scoring effort of the season.
Harrod recorded a career-high 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting. She added four rebounds and tied her career high with four steals. Harrod now has six games this season with two or more steals, showcasing her defensive growth.
K-State shot 42.9 percent from the field, going 24-of-56 overall. From beyond the arc, however, the Wildcats were held to 21.1 percent, connecting on just 4-of-19 attempts.
Since the adoption of the quarter system in 2015-16, K-State has held a 173-74 record when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter. This season, the Wildcats are 13-9 in such games and have recorded 39 quarters with at least 20 points.
In the fourth quarter against Kansas, K-State shot an efficient 53.8 percent. The Wildcats now have 41 quarters this season, shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field.
Historically, K-State leads the all-time series 82-53 and is 41-13 over the last 54 meetings. The Wildcats are 40-17 in games played in Manhattan.
Now 15-14 overall and 8-8 in Big 12 play, K-State will close out the road portion of its conference schedule Monday at 7 p.m. against Baylor in Waco. The game will air on ESPN2 and can be heard online via SI Tickets and on Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.