As the number 12 seed, the Kansas State Wildcats went into the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament hungry and ready to compete. During the opening round, the Wildcats matched up against the 13-seed Cincinnati Bearcats and took the expected win, 91-66. Setting the tone for the tournament, K-State broke the Big 12 Tournament single-game record for three-pointers, along with the school record, with 17 made threes.
Going into the second round, though, K-State was up against a competitive number five seed Texas Tech, looking for revenge as the Wildcats gave the Red Raiders their first loss of the season in a 65-59 outcome. As the two teams met again — in a high-intensity environment — it was a dogfight to the last quarter and the final buzzer. The Wildcats trailed 34-29 at the break despite shooting at a quarter high 47.1% from the field goal.
The Wildcats came out of halftime slow, only scoring eight points the whole quarter, compared to Texas Tech, which had another 13-point quarter. Despite being down 14 points with 7:42 remaining in the fourth, K-State rallied back and went on a 21-0 run, upsetting the Red Raiders, in a close 58-51 matchup.
The Wildcats’ resilient scoring run would mark the third-largest comeback in a Big 12 Tournament game and the largest comeback in a Big 12 Tournament game since March 12, 2021, when Oklahoma State overcame a 15-point deficit against in-state rival Oklahoma. The Wildcats were also the first 12-seed to defeat a 5-seed since March 11, 2008, when 12-seed Missouri upset five-seed Oklahoma.
While K-State left the round in a celebratory state, they had a quick turnaround against four seed Oklahoma State. The Cowgirls were looking for revenge against the ‘Cats, just like the Red Raiders were. Previously matching up on Feb. 10, the Wildcats corralled the Oklahoma orange in a 70-61 battle.
Bent on vengeance, Oklahoma State was not going to make it easy on K-State. The Wildcats were able to go on two five-point spurts — one run being early and the other at the 3:55 mark. Knocking down a pair of threes, the Cowgirls were rolling on offense, tying the game at 17-17 to close out the first quarter.
Oklahoma State’s consistency poured into the second quarter as they started with a seven-point run. Two different Wildcats — Nastja Claessens and Taryn Sides — made a splash from beyond the arc. With 6:50 remaining, Claessens would hit the first of three three-pointers, cutting the deficit to three points, 24-21.
Sides would connect two shots from behind the arc, making the second shot with 58 seconds left. Even with K-State’s effort, the Cowgirls splashed a free throw to get their lead to a bucket, going into halftime up, 33-31.
Before hitting the 7:46 mark in the third, Oklahoma State went on a 9-2 run, extending its lead to 42-33. Getting in a hole, Jordan Speiser cut the deficit to two, 50-48, scoring 11 points for the Wildcats. Claessens would round out the third 10-minute quarter with a jump shot in the paint, putting K-State within one, 54-53.
Both teams stayed head-to-head before K-State went on a 9-0 run, including a reverse layup from Claessens and a splashed three-pointer from Anyia’ Foy, which gave the Wildcats a one-point edge, 66-65.
As the clock became an enemy of both teams, Oklahoma State went on a five-point run, hitting a three-pointer to tie the game at 73-73 with five seconds left on the clock. With the Cowgirls needing to stop the clock and get the possession back, they fouled Tess Heal, sending her to the stripe with one second remaining. Heal would clinch the win for K-State, 74-73, and upset another team in the Big 12 Tournament.
Four Wildcats reached double figures, including Speiser with a game-high 21 points with 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. Claessens contributed quite the stats with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. Foy added 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Sides wrapped up the lineup with 10 points, two assists and two steals.
Getting the win against Oklahoma State made K-State the first 12-seed to reach the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament. This is the second time in program history and the first time since 1997 that K-State has won three games in a Big 12 Tournament.
