Kansas State’s 21-0 finish stuns No. 21 Texas Tech at Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament
Kansas State ended the game on a 21-0 run to beat No. 21 Texas Tech 58-51 on Thursday, a rally that sent the No. 12 seed into the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament and set up a Friday meeting with No. 4 seed Oklahoma State.
Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament — Kansas State closes on 21-0 run
Nastja Claessens finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and a crucial block in the closing seconds as the Wildcats erased a 51-37 deficit with 7: 43 left after Texas Tech’s 10-0 spurt. Tess Heal drove for the go-ahead layup at 52. 7 seconds, Claessens blocked a putback with 36. 1 seconds on the clock, and Taryn Sides sealed the win with two free throws after calling a timeout following the block.
Kansas State converted the final stretch into a 21-0 run while Texas Tech missed 13 straight shots in the fourth quarter and did not attempt a free throw in that period. Sides finished with 13 points, Aniya Foy had 12 and Heal scored 10; the Wildcats were 5 of 25 from 3-point range and shot 34% overall in the game.
Late defense and a decisive block
Texas Tech’s Snudda Collins was the lone double-digit scorer for the fifth-seeded Lady Raiders with 14 points in the 58-51 loss. After Kansas State’s comeback began, the Lady Raiders were held scoreless down the stretch, and an offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer gave Claessens the chance to block the potential tying putback before securing the ball and calling the timeout with 36. 1 seconds remaining.
Hot start carried into a second-round shock
Kansas State entered the second round off a blistering opener in the tournament, breaking an 18-year Big 12 women’s tournament record and tying the school mark by sinking 17 3-pointers in a 91-66 win over Cincinnati. The Wildcats’ season record stood at 17-16 after the Texas Tech victory, and they had beaten Oklahoma State 70-61 in the only regular-season meeting on Feb. 10.
Texas Tech arrived at the matchup with a 25-7 record and had earlier seen its undefeated streak end at 19-0 on Jan. 17 in a 65-59 loss to Kansas State; the Lady Raiders are aiming for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013.
Kansas State will face No. 4 seed Oklahoma State in the Big 12 quarterfinals on Friday, the next confirmed game on the Wildcats’ schedule.
