Kansas State Women’s Basketball Shows Grit as Jeff Mittie’s Message Pays Off
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On a crowd-filled day inside United Supermarkets Arena, the Wildcats stunned No. 17 Texas Tech with a gritty 65–59 victory. They did it by snapping the Lady Raiders’ 19-game winning streak in front of a loud crowd of 9,261. It was a result that reshaped the Big 12 picture and showcased just how dangerous this young Kansas State team can be.
Jeff Mittie’s Kansas State Wildcats Take Center Stage
Texas Tech entered the matchup unbeaten, riding a winning streak that matched a program record set during its 1992–93 national championship season. The Lady Raiders had not lost at home all year and were perfect in Big 12 play. By the time the final seconds ticked away, Kansas State had handed them their first home loss of the season and their first conference defeat.
CATS WIN!!!#EMAW👌 pic.twitter.com/DvIDrm8Fyr
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) January 17, 2026
In his 12th season at the helm, head coach Jeff Mittie delivered a clear message before tipoff. The coach asked them to play with toughness and poise.
Texas Tech came in with six core returners and nine seniors, boasting an experienced roster that had been outscoring opponents by more than 21 points per game. Kansas State, on the other hand, is one of the youngest teams in the country.
Ten of the Wildcats’ 13 players are freshmen or sophomores, and ten had never worn a K-State uniform before this season. Junior guard Taryn Sides was the only player on the roster who had scored a point for Kansas State prior to the year.
Freshman guard Gina Garcia leads Big 12 freshmen and ranks second nationally among freshmen with 89 assists. She scored 11 points while calmly navigating Texas Tech’s pressure. Jordan Speiser, one of the top high school prospects in the Class of 2025. Brandie Harrod helped Kansas State dominate the glass in a stunning 46–20 rebounding advantage that set the tone for the entire afternoon.
How Kansas State Closed the Door
The game itself was a back-and-forth battle. Kansas State used a 14–3 run in the second quarter to take a 30–25 lead into halftime. Texas Tech responded with an 11–0 surge in the fourth quarter, grabbing a six-point lead with 8:17 remaining.
Instead, the Wildcats stayed composed. Locking in defensively, Kansas State allowed just one three-pointer over the final 2:24 and closed the game on an 8–1 run. The Wildcats outscored Texas Tech 28–14 in the paint and turned that dominance into a 14–3 edge in second-chance points.
Tess Heal led with 12 points, while Gina Garcia, Taryn Sides, and Jordan Speiser each added 11. Speiser’s all-around impact stood out, as she also recorded seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block in just 17 minutes.
The win marked Kansas State’s second victory over an AP Top 25 opponent this season, following a 61–60 win over then-No. 13 Ole Miss on December 7. Now 10–9 overall and 3–3 in Big 12 play, the Wildcats head back to Manhattan with momentum and belief.
Kansas State will look to build on that confidence when it returns home to Bramlage Coliseum to face the Houston Cougars on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
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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.