Fast Start Fuels Kansas State Women's Basketball in Statement Win Over UCF

The Kansas State women’s basketball team didn’t just win on Wednesday night. They made a statement. Inside Addition Financial Arena, the Wildcats delivered one of their sharpest performances. If cutouts are made more detailed, then they're at their most efficient performances of the season. That's how the team dismantled UCF 93-67 in a game that felt decided almost before it truly began.

Elite Shooting Powers Kansas State Women’s Basketball Past UCF

It marked K-State’s most prolific scoring output in a Big 12 Conference game. That too, since they carded 97 points against this same UCF squad almost exactly a year ago on Feb. 15, 2025.

CATS WIN!!!#EMAW pic.twitter.com/EAWtQ9HwgA
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) February 19, 2026

K-State (15-13, 8-7 Big 12) finished the night with a season-best 58.7% (37-of-63) from the field and a blistering 55.0% (11-of-20) from 3-point range. From the opening tip, it was clear that head coach Jeff Mittie’s squad was prepared to dominate the perimeter.

K-State staged a historic shooting clinic, making 12 straight field goals to start the first quarter. Think about that. Twelve in a row. By the time the buzzer sounded on the opening stanza, the Wildcats had tied their season high.

Especially for field goal percentage in a quarter at a staggering 81.3% (13-of-16), building a commanding 30-14 lead. This marked the team's fourth 30-point quarter of the season, immediately putting UCF (10-16, 2-13 Big 12) on its heels.

Four Wildcats reached double figures, led by senior guard Tess Heal. Heal poured in 19 points, marking her 88th career double-digit game and her 14th of the season. She knocked down three 3-pointers, bringing her career total to 1,730 points.

Nastja Claessens added 16 points, recording her 15th double-digit outing of the year. Jordan Speiser also notched 16 points. That marked her 14th game in double figures this season. She connected on three shots from beyond the arc, her 13th game this season with at least two made 3-pointers.

Gina Garcia tallied 10 points and seven assists. Garcia has now dished out 134 assists this season, the sixth-most by a freshman in program history. This marked her 14th game this season with five or more assists.

Taryn Sides provided additional playmaking with a game-high nine assists. Sides moved into 17th on the K-State career assists list with 303 total assists. It was her 26th career game and 11th this season with five or more assists.

Let's Have a Look At How They Responded to UCF’s Push

To their credit, UCF attempted to make things interesting in the second quarter. The Knights cut the lead to 38-26 with 3:51 remaining before halftime.

But the Wildcats did not panic. They answered with a composed 10-2 run to close the half and carried a 48-28 lead into the break. In the opening half alone, K-State shot 64.5% (20-of-31) from the field and 55.6% (5-of-9) from 3-point range.

The third quarter followed a similar script. K-State exploded for a 15-6 run in the first two and a half minutes, stretching the advantage to 63-34 with 7:32 remaining. The Wildcats won the high-scoring third quarter 29-28, shooting 64.7% (11-of-17) from the field and 62.5% (5-of-8) from beyond the arc.

They closed the game by winning the fourth quarter 16-11, sealing the 26-point road victory without drama.

K-State outscored UCF 44-32 in the paint, proving it is just as effective attacking the rim as it is stretching defenses from three. This was the 17th time this season the Wildcats scored 70 or more points, and they now hold an 11-6 record in those games. Since 2014-15, K-State has been 142-26 (.845) when reaching that mark.

Under Jeff Mittie, K-State is 185-22 (.894) when leading at halftime. That includes a 9-1 mark this season. Once the Wildcats get ahead, they tend to stay there.

The team has now recorded 38 quarters this season with 20 or more points and 40 quarters shooting 50.0% or better from the field, including the first and third quarters on Wednesday. The win extends K-State’s dominance in the series, as the Wildcats now lead the all-time matchup 4-0. Jeff Mittie remains a perfect 6-0 in his career against UCF.

Mittie’s overall career record now stands at 687-391 (.637), including a 233-156 (.599) mark at K-State. The 700-win milestone is within reach, and performances like this show his team is still evolving and improving.

Now the Wildcats head back to Manhattan with momentum on their side. On Saturday at 4 p.m., K-State hosts Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at Bramlage Coliseum.

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