How to Watch: Wildcats, Utes Women’s Basketball: Channel, Start Time, Stream
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Momentum meets tradition this Saturday in Manhattan as the Kansas State Wildcats return to the "Octagon of Doom" for a high-stakes Big 12 showdown. Two of the league’s most established programs collide at Bramlage Coliseum. Utah is arriving on a four-game road winning streak, and Kansas State is riding the emotion of a dramatic comeback victory earlier in the week.
Recent Form and Rising Confidence of Kansas State Wildcats
Both teams enter the weekend trending in the right direction after gritty midweek performances. Kansas State sits at 9-8 overall and 2-2 in Big 12 play after a wild 71-62 road win at Houston. The Wildcats erased an 11-point halftime deficit.
NEXT UP
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) January 8, 2026
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The Utes improved to 12-4 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 action with a 62-59 road victory over Kansas on Wednesday.
Bramlage Coliseum has long been a fortress for Jeff Mittie’s Wildcats. He has now collected 417 wins inside the building over its 38-season history. Kansas State has been especially dominant at home in recent years. They posted 33 victories in Manhattan over the past two seasons, the most home wins in any two-year span in program history.
Under Mittie, Kansas State has also been remarkably consistent against non-conference opponents at Bramlage, owning a 241-33 all-time record in those games. For Utah, this trip represents a significant test against a program that rarely gives ground on its home floor.
All eyes will be on senior guard Tess Heal, who is coming off one of the most memorable performances in recent program history. Heal scored 31 points in the win at Houston, including a school-record 21 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Kansas State has also seen milestones elsewhere in the backcourt. Guard Taryn Sides has reached rare company this season. She became just the seventh player in program history with at least 250 career assists and 150 made three-pointers.
Numbers That Shape the Matchup
Offensive efficiency continues to be a defining factor for Kansas State. Under Mittie, the Wildcats are 138-25 when scoring 70 or more points. This season, Kansas State is averaging 70.2 points per game, combining aggressive scoring with reliable execution at the free-throw line.
Freshman guards Gina Garcia and Jordan Speiser have been standout performers at the stripe. Garcia is shooting 89.7 percent, and Speiser is at 88.6 percent. That made Kansas State the only team in the nation with two freshmen shooting better than 88 percent on free throws with at least 25 attempts.
The all-time series between the programs is tied 4-4. This will be the fifth meeting in Manhattan and the first since the teams met in the 2018 Postseason WNIT.
Kansas State will also look to continue its success in January, the first month in program history to surpass 250 wins. The Wildcats own a 266-196 all-time record in January and have posted a .500 or better mark in the month 35 times.
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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.