Kansas State Women’s Basketball Falls at Arizona as Road Sweep Attempt Ends
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Kansas State women’s basketball came into Wednesday night with a chance to complete a valuable Big 12 road sweep. Instead, the Wildcats ran into a determined Arizona team at the McKale Center, where the home side snapped a six-game losing streak with a 72–62 victory. The loss dropped Kansas State to 12–12 overall and 5–6 in Big 12 play.
Strong Individual Efforts for the Kansas State Women's Basketball Team
For K-State, it marked the program’s first-ever visit to Tucson as a conference opponent.
Final pic.twitter.com/xNh8EgVRAk
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) February 5, 2026
Tess Heal made her return to the rotation count in a big way, leading Kansas State with 18 points while pulling down a season-high nine rebounds. Her night added another milestone to an already impressive career, pushing her total to 1,688 career points.
Taryn Sides provided consistent offensive energy, finishing with 13 points and knocking down three shots from beyond the arc. Off the bench, Ivona Scekic turned in one of her most productive outings of the season. She posted a career-high eight points and four rebounds in a physical, high-effort performance.
Arizona came out aggressive and efficient, building a 27–11 lead in the first quarter while shooting 61.1 percent from the field. Kansas State struggled to find rhythm during that stretch, digging a hole that would loom large later.
To their credit, the Wildcats responded before halftime. Defensive adjustments sparked a 16–2 run that cut the deficit to just four points.
Just when Kansas State appeared poised to flip the script, Arizona delivered the decisive blow. Late in the third quarter, the home Wildcats rattled off a 10–2 run to stretch the lead back to 16. Arizona entered the fourth quarter ahead 53–42.
Kansas State made one final push, trimming the margin to eight points with under four minutes remaining. However, Arizona quickly answered with six straight points, effectively sealing the outcome and halting the comeback attempt.
After Third-Quarter Surge, It Was the Numbers That Told the Story
Statistically, the game reflected effort on both sides but highlighted where separation occurred. Kansas State edged Arizona on the glass 36–34 and dominated bench scoring by a 27–13 margin.
Kansas State finished the night shooting 38.3 percent from the field and went 4-of-17 from three-point range, while Arizona shot a crisp 48.0 percent overall. Wednesday also marked the first time this season that head coach Jeff Mittie started a lineup of Gina Garcia, Tess Heal, Taryn Sides, Nastja Claessens, and Ramiya White.
The contest was the 10th meeting between the programs, leaving the all-time series tied at 1–1. Mittie entered the night with 684 career wins, continuing his place among the most accomplished active coaches in women’s basketball.
Kansas State now returns home to Bramlage Coliseum to host BYU on Saturday at 4 p.m. The game will double as the Wildcats’ National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebration and will feature a halftime performance by Red Panda. Fans can catch the action live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ as K-State looks to regroup and refocus for the stretch run of Big 12 play.
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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.