Kansas State Women’s Basketball Erupts After Halftime to Blow Past Cincinnati
In this story:
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State women’s basketball closed the 2025 calendar year with authority by delivering a dominant second-half performance securing a 79–52 win over Cincinnati Wednesday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.
What began as a tightly contested game quickly turned into a statement victory. It is because the Wildcats exploded after halftime to break open a 28–28 tie and turn it into a convincing 27-point rout.
Kansas State Women's Basketball team's Third Quarter Turns the Game on Its Head
With the win, Kansas State improves to 8–7 overall and 1–1 in Big 12 play. The performance highlighted the Wildcats’ defensive identity, particularly as K-State's bench outscored Cincinnati’s reserves by a 39–18 margin. Once the momentum shifted, the Bearcats had no answers.
CATS WIN!!!#EMAW👌 pic.twitter.com/1cKsXnwvvo
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) December 31, 2025
The game’s defining moment came immediately after halftime. Kansas State stormed out of the locker room with a 15–0 run to open the third quarter. By the end of the period, the Wildcats had outscored Cincinnati 28–6, completely flipping the script.
K-State shot 56.3 percent in the third quarter and knocked down five three-pointers, while holding the Bearcats to just 16.7 percent shooting from the field.
Even when Cincinnati managed to trim the deficit to 16 in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats responded calmly, closing the game on an 18–7 run. Redshirt sophomore Mikayla Parks capped the surge by knocking down her first three-pointer of the season late in the contest.
Junior guard Taryn Sides delivered one of the most complete performances in program history. She finished with 14 points, nine assists, and a career-high six steals, stuffing the stat sheet on both ends of the floor.
Looking at The Home Success and What Comes Next
Senior guard Tess Heal led all scorers with 17 points, providing a steady veteran presence off the bench. Heal connected on a season-best three three-pointers and added four steals, pushing her career scoring total to 1,571 points.
Freshman guard Jordan Speiser continued her strong stretch of play. She recorded her fourth double-figure scoring effort in the last six games. She finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, making an impact on the glass and from long range.
Junior forward Nastja Claessens played a crucial role during the third-quarter surge. That made her score 12 of her 14 points in the second half, and she hit a career-high three three-pointers.
Kansas State forced 30 turnovers, including 15 steals, and held Cincinnati to 30.8 percent shooting for the game. Junior Jenessa Cotton anchored the interior with a career-high three blocks while also adding two steals.
The victory moved Kansas State to 4–0 all-time against Cincinnati and improved Jeff Mittie’s career record against the Bearcats to 8–1. It also marked the Wildcats’ first win at Bramlage Coliseum in 44 days and improved K-State’s all-time home record to 417–160 (.723).
The win secured a 3–2 December record and marked the program’s 50th season with a .500 or better record in the month, including 30 consecutive seasons.
Kansas State will open the 2026 calendar year at home on Sunday, January 4, when it hosts West Virginia at 1 p.m.
More from Kansas State On SI
Stay up to date with the Wildcats by bookmarking Kansas State On SI and follow us on Twitter.
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.