Kansas State Women’s Basketball Dominates Cincinnati with 17 Three-Pointers
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The atmosphere at the T-Mobile Center crackled with energy on Wednesday. It is because the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament officially tipped off. Instead of grinding out a close battle, the Wildcats delivered an offensive showcase. Especially the one that left fans buzzing and Cincinnati scrambling for answers.
Kansas State Wildcats Rewrite Big 12 Tournament Record Books
By the final buzzer, Kansas State had rolled to a commanding 91–66 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats. They advanced to the next round while putting together one of the most memorable shooting displays in tournament history.
CATS WIN!!!#Big12WBB x #EMAW pic.twitter.com/o348u92hGu
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) March 4, 2026
The Wildcats buried an eye-popping 17 shots from beyond the arc. It was a barrage that overwhelmed Cincinnati’s defense.
Kansas State’s shooting clinic from long distance will be remembered as one of the defining performances in Big 12 Tournament history. The Wildcats connected on 17 three-pointers, setting a new single-game record for the Big 12 Tournament.
The Wildcats finished the game shooting a blistering 53.1 percent from beyond the arc, hitting 17 of their 32 attempts. That level of efficiency represented the program’s most effective tournament shooting performance since March 10, 2004.
The 17 made threes also tied the all-time Kansas State program record for any game. That's a match of the mark the Wildcats set earlier this season against Columbia in Cancun on November 27, 2025.
Kansas State’s long-range fireworks were fueled by an incredible trio of shooters. The one who achieved something no group of Wildcats had ever accomplished before. For the first time in program history, three Kansas State players each knocked down at least five three-pointers in the same game.
Jordan Speiser led the charge with a sensational shooting night, connecting on 6 of her 8 attempts from three-point range. The performance not only marked a career-high for Speiser but also tied the Kansas State school record for three-pointers made in a Big 12 Tournament game. That matches the six hit by Laurie Koehn against Baylor in 2003.
Nastja Claessens proved just as dangerous, drilling 5 of her 7 attempts from deep. Her five three-pointers represented a career high as well, and she finished the night with 18 points and eight rebounds.
Taryn Sides also joined the long-range party, hitting 5 of her 11 shots from beyond the arc. The outing marked her fourth game this season with five or more three-pointers. Speiser and Sides each finished with 20 points to lead the Wildcats in scoring, while Claessens’ 18-point performance completed a trio that drove Kansas State’s offensive explosion.
Since the 1999–2000 season, the Wildcats have become just the 11th team in the country. Not just that, they also became the first in Big 12 history to feature three players making at least five three-pointers in the same game.
Quarter-by-Quarter Control and Complete Team Effort
Taryn Sides came out firing, scoring 11 of the Wildcats’ first 14 points as the offense. Kansas State closed the opening quarter with a 14–2 run, building a 25–14 lead that immediately put Cincinnati on the defensive.
The Bearcats briefly fought back in the second quarter, trimming the lead to six points midway through the period. Kansas State responded quickly with a 10–2 run sparked by an Aniya Foy corner three-pointer, pushing the Wildcats ahead 40–29 by halftime.
The third quarter was where the game truly slipped away from Cincinnati. Kansas State opened the half with a 7–0 run before Jordan Speiser took center stage, knocking down three quick three-pointers to stretch the lead to 62–38. When Nastja Claessens connected on her fifth three-pointer late in the quarter, the Wildcats had officially secured the new Big 12 Tournament record.
Kansas State entered the fourth quarter comfortably ahead 67–42. Although both teams traded baskets during a 24–24 final period, the outcome was never in doubt as the Wildcats sealed the dominant 25-point victory.
While the three-pointers grabbed the headlines, Kansas State’s overall efficiency was just as impressive. The Wildcats shot 50.8 percent from the field overall and elevated their performance in the second half by hitting 61.3 percent of their shots.
Freshman guard Gina Garcia added another impressive performance, tying her career-high with 10 assists. She now ranks third in program history for assists in a freshman season with 161 and holds the Kansas State record for assists in a season by an international player.
Brandie Harrod contributed nine points, seven rebounds, four steals, and two blocks while also becoming just the third freshman in program history to record 70 or more offensive rebounds in a single season. Tess Heal chipped in nine points, pushing her collegiate career total to 1,786 points.
Kansas State advances to face the fifth-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second round at the T-Mobile Center on Thursday.
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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.