Kansas State Women's Basketball Begins Big 12 Journey with Tough Road Loss at TCU

Kansas State Women’s Basketball Falls Against TCU

Kansas State Women's Basketball | James Snook-Imagn Images

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The journey through the 30th season of Big 12 women’s basketball began for Kansas State with one of the steepest challenges on the schedule.

Stepping into the hostile environment of Schollmaier Arena on Saturday evening, the Wildcats faced a nationally ranked TCU squad. However, the 77-55 final score favored the Horned Frogs.

Kansas State Opens Big 12 Play on the Road

Opening Big 12 action on the road is never a simple task, especially against a TCU team riding a 34-game home winning streak. Despite the daunting atmosphere, the Wildcats leaned on a core group of leaders.

Junior guard Taryn Sides and sophomore forward Jenessa Cotton emerged as the primary offensive engines, each contributing 10 points apiece.

Final from Fort Worth pic.twitter.com/mF3pmOPqJr

— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) December 20, 2025

TCU was powered by graduate transfer guard Olivia Miles. She delivered a game-high 29 points to anchor the Horned Frogs’ offensive efficiency throughout the evening.

The consistency shown by its starting five of Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Taryn Sides, Jenessa Cotton, and Nastja Claessens was a central storyline.

K-State was able to control stretches of the initial frame, holding the lead for 4:39. Jenessa Cotton was particularly effective early, pacing the team with six points in the quarter.

The run pushed the Horned Frogs’ lead to 29-17 following a three-pointer from Marta Suarez, forcing Kansas State to regroup.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats showed flashes of resilience. It was because freshman Aniya Foy put in a layup to cut the deficit to seven, and Brandie Harrod’s acrobatic buzzer-beating layup to end the half.

The halftime numbers provided a statistical explanation for the 39-26 deficit. Kansas State was held to 32.3 percent shooting in the first half, while the Horned Frogs shot a blistering 56.7 percent.

A HUGE three from @taryn_sides 🔥 pic.twitter.com/L2cfmxc1pG

— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) December 20, 2025

The third quarter proved to be the decisive turning point. K-State’s offensive flow stagnated as they were limited to just 27.8 percent shooting in the frame, allowing TCU to stretch the margin to 59-37.

For the evening, the Wildcats checked in at 33.3% of its attempts from the field and were held to 17.4% from three. Sides reached double figures for the 27th time in her career.

Meanwhile, Harrod hauled in seven rebounds, leading the team in that category for the fifth time this season. Playmaker Gina Garcia also registered seven assists, her eighth career game with at least five or more.

Wildcats Show Fight Entering Home Opener

Despite the scoring gap, the Wildcats showed significant fight in the fourth quarter. K-State split the final period 18-18 with the Horned Frogs, and improved their shooting efficiency to 42.9% from the field.

The Wildcats pulled within 17 points three times midway through the stanza before a late 7-1 TCU run restored a comfortable cushion.

This late-game execution serves as a platform for growth as the program looks to improve upon its historical Big 12 record of 245-248.

Kansas State returns to Bramlage Coliseum for its home Big 12 opener against Cincinnati on Wednesday, Dec. 31 with tipoff set for 1 p.m.

Fans can take advantage of a New Year’s Eve ticket and concession special, and the first 500 fans will receive a free hand fan. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+ and broadcast via the K-State Sports Network.

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