Kansas State Women’s Basketball Rallies Past Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament Thriller
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March basketball always promises drama, but on Thursday night in Kansas City, the madness arrived early. Inside the electric atmosphere of the T-Mobile Center, the Kansas State Wildcats women's basketball team delivered a stunning comeback. The one that turned a near-certain loss into one of the most memorable wins in recent Big 12 Conference tournament history.
Kansas State Stuns Texas Tech With Historic Fourth-Quarter Comeback
Trailing by 14 points late in the second half, Kansas State didn’t simply chip away at the deficit. Instead, the Wildcats erupted with a breathtaking 21–0 run. And that completely flipped the game and stunned the fifth-seeded Texas Tech Lady Raiders. When the final buzzer sounded, the Wildcats had secured a 58–51 victory in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament.
CATS WIN!!!#Big12WBB x #EMAW pic.twitter.com/h4uvdgxGzw
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) March 5, 2026
The comeback immediately earned its place in tournament history. By erasing a double-digit deficit, Kansas State recorded the third-largest comeback in Big 12 Tournament history and the biggest since 2021. Even more remarkably, the 12th-seeded Wildcats became the first team seeded that low to defeat a No. 5 seed in the tournament since the Missouri Tigers accomplished the feat in 2008.
For much of the game, the Wildcats looked like they were running out of time. With 7:42 left on the clock, Texas Tech guard Snudda Collins drove to the basket and converted a layup that pushed the Lady Raiders ahead 51–37. At that moment, Kansas State faced a daunting 14-point deficit and a ticking clock.
Head coach Jeff Mittie immediately called a timeout, and that brief pause turned out to be the turning point of the entire night.
The comeback started with a determined layup from Tess Heal, injecting life back into the Wildcats’ offense. Moments later, Aniya Foy delivered one of the most important plays of the game, converting an "old-fashioned" three-point play after battling through contact to finish at the rim and convert the free throw.
As the comeback gathered speed, Kansas State’s defense began suffocating the Lady Raiders. Guard Taryn Sides made a critical play in transition, grabbing a steal and pushing the ball ahead to Nastja Claessens for an easy layup that trimmed the deficit to single digits.
Soon after, Heal and Sides calmly stepped to the free-throw line and delivered under pressure. They even knocked down key shots that brought Kansas State within striking distance at 51–48.
The tension reached its peak with just over three minutes remaining. Claessens fought for an offensive rebound and was fouled while attempting a putback. She stepped to the line and drained both free throws, tying the game at 51–51 and sending the crowd into a frenzy. On the very next possession, Claessens returned to the free-throw line and made one of two attempts, giving Kansas State its first lead of the night at 52–51.
Texas Tech missed a jumper on its next trip down the floor. Heal then missed a layup for Kansas State. However, Claessens again came up huge, grabbing another offensive rebound. In the final 35 seconds, Heal and Sides calmly went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, sealing the upset.
Defensive Dominance Fuels Kansas State’s Stunning Victory
While the scoring run grabbed the headlines, the foundation of Kansas State’s comeback was its defense. Texas Tech managed just four points in the entire fourth quarter while shooting a staggering 12.5 percent from the field, going only 2-of-16 during the final period.
Those four points represented the fewest points Kansas State has allowed in a fourth quarter all season. Over the entire second half, the Lady Raiders were limited to just 17 points as the Wildcats tightened every defensive rotation and controlled the tempo.
Individually, several Wildcats delivered standout performances. Claessens led the team with 14 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and two blocks, recording her 18th double-figure scoring game of the season. Sides added 13 points and six rebounds while reaching an impressive career milestone. With her performance, she became just the ninth player in program history to surpass 400 career points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists.
Foy added valuable production off the bench with 12 points, including two three-pointers that helped energize the Wildcats during key stretches. Meanwhile, Heal showed her veteran presence, scoring eight of her 10 points in the final quarter. Her career scoring total now stands at 1,796 points.
The win also reinforced Kansas State’s dominance in the series. The Wildcats now lead the all-time matchup against Texas Tech 33–17 and have won 20 of the last 25 meetings between the two programs. Mittie’s personal record against the Lady Raiders now stands at 23–8, part of his impressive career mark of 689–394.
With the comeback victory secured, Kansas State now advances to the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament. That's where they will face the fourth-seeded Oklahoma State Cowgirls basketball. The Wildcats will once again take the floor at the T-Mobile Center, carrying the momentum of a remarkable 21–0 run and one of the most thrilling wins of their season.
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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.