Kansas State inched close to the Colorado Buffaloes — even leading by three points in the second quarter — but couldn’t deliver, resulting in a 56-47 loss. Declining momentum, too many turnovers and getting outrebounded were ultimately the main causes of K-State’s defeat.
“We just let the momentum really just fall out of our hands,” Jordan Speiser said.
The Buffaloes got a 5-0 start against the Wildcats, keeping their lead throughout the first quarter and into the second until the duo of Speiser and Gina Garcia went on a 6-0 run.
With 8:49 remaining in the half, Garcia knocked down a 15-footer, pushing K-State within one, 13-12.
Speiser added a boost of energy as well, making a pair of free throws and a layup to take the lead from the Buffaloes.
The Wildcats, however, would struggle to score for more than three minutes, while Colorado went on a 7-0 run over 2:43 before the buzzer sounded. A fast-paced and physical first half left K-State behind 22-18 at the break.
“I think the story of the game for us early was we weren’t tough enough at the rim,” K-State head coach Jeff Mittie said. “I thought we had opportunities at the rim in the first half. I thought we were pretty soft in that stretch.”
The low-scoring second quarter left Speiser leading the way with six points, four rebounds and one assist. Garcia added four points, three rebounds and one assist.
With 4:19 remaining in the third quarter, Mittie showed a lot of emotion after a foul was called on Nastja Claessens while challenging a Buffaloes shot. Claessens, being aggressive throughout her 27 minutes, would end up fouling out with 4:32 remaining in the game.
Trying to create some motivation, Taryn Sides splashed a three-pointer from the right wing, cutting Colorado’s lead to 33-31.
At the end of the third quarter, the Buffaloes led 37-33 despite both teams scoring 15 points each.
Claessens would start the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run with a made three-pointer. Two other Wildcats would feed off the momentum, including a pair of free throws by Speiser, tying the game at 38-38, and a three-point play converted by Harrod, giving K-State a three-point advantage on Colorado.
The Buffaloes didn’t back down, though, going on an 11-1 run over 3:57.
“They got some big ones [points] in that last six minutes, but last seven minutes maybe,” Mittie said. “But I thought our defense was good. I thought we made good decisions defensively for the most part. I liked our awareness of where their shooters were.”
The Wildcats would struggle to find their rhythm on shots, going without any field goals across the last 2:51 of the game. With two sets of free throws, along with a made bucket from the arc, Colorado would seal the win, 56-47.
Speiser would end the night with 12 points, five rebounds and one assist. Garcia and Harrod would have a combined 16 points for K-State, along with Claessens, who added seven.
“We were trying to find some different things, but obviously we just couldn’t find enough offense there,” Mittie said. “I thought our defense played well enough to win the game, and offensively, we struggled all night long.”
K-State’s next matchup is on the road at 3 p.m. Feb. 1 against Arizona State.
