MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Flory Bidunga had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Elmarko Jackson added 19 points, and No. 19 Kansas overcame the absence of standout guard Darryn Peterson with a big finishing kick for an 86-62 win over Kansas State on Saturday night.

Melvin Council Jr. contributed 17 points and Bryson Tiller had 16 for the Jayhawks (15-5, 5-2 Big 12), who ended the game on a 27-7 run in the return to the sideline for coach Bill Self, who had missed their previous game because of a health-related issue.

Peterson, one of the nation's best freshmen, had been on a tear after finally overcoming a series of cramping issues. But the Jayhawks' high-scoring guard was sidelined against Kansas State after spraining his ankle in Tuesday night's win over Colorado.

P.J. Haggerty had 18 of his 23 points in the second half to lead the Wildcats (10-10, 1-6). Andrej Kostic added 12 points.

Kansas State was short-handed, too. Khamari McGriff and fellow forward Mobi Ikegwuruka have been out with injuries, while starting guard Abdi Bashir remains sidelined after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot.

Kostic was among those pressed into more minutes. And the freshman from Serbia delivered right away, hitting four 3-pointers in a span of about four minutes in the first half, helping to keep the Wildcats within 37-35 at the break.

Kansas was still clinging to a 59-55 lead after Haggerty's 3-pointer with 7:50 to go, but Bidunga proceeded to score seven points during a 15-3 run. It was highlighted by a rim-rattling ally-oop dunk by Bidunga that helped to put the game away.

The Jayhawks won their fourth straight game while snapping a three-game skid against Kansas State in Manhattan. They also have won 16 of the past 20 overall in the second-longest active rivalry played in Division I men's basketball.

Kansas plays No. 13 BYU at Allen Fieldhouse next Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769310979047.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Flory Bidunga had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Elmarko Jackson added 19 points, and No. 19 Kansas overcame the absence of standout guard Darryn Peterson with a big finishing kick for an 86-62 win over Kansas State on Saturday night.Melvin Council Jr. contributed 17 points and Bryson Tiller had 16 for the Jayhawks (15-5, 5-2 Big 12), who ended the game on a 27-7 run in the return to the sideline for coach Bill Self, who had missed their previous game because of a health-related issue.Peterson, one of the nation's best freshmen, had been on a tear after finally overcoming a series of cramping issues. But the Jayhawks' high-scoring guard was sidelined against Kansas State after spraining his ankle in Tuesday night's win over Colorado.P.J. Haggerty had 18 of his 23 points in the second half to lead the Wildcats (10-10, 1-6). Andrej Kostic added 12 points.Kansas State was short-handed, too. Khamari McGriff and fellow forward Mobi Ikegwuruka have been out with injuries, while starting guard Abdi Bashir remains sidelined after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot.Kostic was among those pressed into more minutes. And the freshman from Serbia delivered right away, hitting four 3-pointers in a span of about four minutes in the first half, helping to keep the Wildcats within 37-35 at the break.Kansas was still clinging to a 59-55 lead after Haggerty's 3-pointer with 7:50 to go, but Bidunga proceeded to score seven points during a 15-3 run. It was highlighted by a rim-rattling ally-oop dunk by Bidunga that helped to put the game away.The Jayhawks won their fourth straight game while snapping a three-game skid against Kansas State in Manhattan. They also have won 16 of the past 20 overall in the second-longest active rivalry played in Division I men's basketball.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas plays No. 13 BYU at Allen Fieldhouse next Saturday.

🏀 Sunflower Showdown: KU finishes on 27-7 run to beat K- State 

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Southeast of Saline girls’ basketball program brought home a Sterling Invitational Tournament title on Friday, defeating Hugoton 43-21 in the championship game.

A first-place finish at Sterling is one of the few feats that had eluded the Lady Trojans for years, but no longer.

Southeast dominated all week long, defeating Hutch Trinity 79-28 on Tuesday, and Scott City 45-23 on Thursday, before sealing the deal against Hugoton on Friday night.

In that three-game stretch, the Lady Trojans outscored their opponents by 95 points, winning by over 30 on average throughout the tournament

Kyiah Samuelson and Aba Pearson were named to the All-Tournament team, with Pearson also being selected as the tournament’s Most Inspirational Player.

On Tuesday, three different Lady Trojans notched double digits, with Kyiah Samuelson (17), Vada Durfee (14), and Taryn Goetz (14) leading Southeast to a rout of Hutch Trinity.

Samuelson was excellent again on Thursday, dropping 12 points alongside a 13-point night from Aba Pearson as the Lady Trojans forced 17 Scott City turnovers and allowed just four Lady Beavers to score.

While both of those wins were impressive, SES saved their best for last, and on Friday night it quickly became apparent that Hugoton never stood a chance.

Southeast held the Lady Eagles, a team that entered the night 8-5, to just seven total points in the first half, and 21 for the entire night.

Seven different Lady Trojans scored in a win that also saw the Southeast defense generate 21 turnovers, one to match each Hugoton point in a championship game.

Samuelson continued her stellar play, leading Southeast with 12 points, this time aided by her sophomore partner in crime Reese Heinrich (10).

At long last, the tournament title that always felt just out of reach now belongs to the Lady Trojans, who will need this momentum as they enter the home stretch of their season.

Southeast of Saline resumes regular-season play on Tuesday, January 27 when they travel to Belleville for a rematch with Republic County.

You can watch Southeast of Saline’s victory on demand below.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769217489134.jpeg" alt="The Lady Trojans stand tall with a Sterling Tournament title in hand" />
 <figcaption>The Lady Trojans stand tall with a Sterling Tournament title in hand</figcaption>
 </figure>By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline girls’ basketball program brought home a Sterling Invitational Tournament title on Friday, defeating Hugoton 43-21 in the championship game.A first-place finish at Sterling is one of the few feats that had eluded the Lady Trojans for years, but no longer.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765031258309.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Southeast dominated all week long, defeating Hutch Trinity 79-28 on Tuesday, and Scott City 45-23 on Thursday, before sealing the deal against Hugoton on Friday night.In that three-game stretch, the Lady Trojans outscored their opponents by 95 points, winning by over 30 on average throughout the tournamentKyiah Samuelson and Aba Pearson were named to the All-Tournament team, with Pearson also being selected as the tournament’s Most Inspirational Player.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769217585702.jpeg" alt="Aba Pearson (33) and Kyiah Samuelson (4) wearing their all-tournament medals." />
 <figcaption>Aba Pearson (33) and Kyiah Samuelson (4) wearing their all-tournament medals.</figcaption>
 </figure>On Tuesday, three different Lady Trojans notched double digits, with Kyiah Samuelson (17), Vada Durfee (14), and Taryn Goetz (14) leading Southeast to a rout of Hutch Trinity.Samuelson was excellent again on Thursday, dropping 12 points alongside a 13-point night from Aba Pearson as the Lady Trojans forced 17 Scott City turnovers and allowed just four Lady Beavers to score.While both of those wins were impressive, SES saved their best for last, and on Friday night it quickly became apparent that Hugoton never stood a chance.Southeast held the Lady Eagles, a team that entered the night 8-5, to just seven total points in the first half, and 21 for the entire night.Seven different Lady Trojans scored in a win that also saw the Southeast defense generate 21 turnovers, one to match each Hugoton point in a championship game.Samuelson continued her stellar play, leading Southeast with 12 points, this time aided by her sophomore partner in crime Reese Heinrich (10).At long last, the tournament title that always felt just out of reach now belongs to the Lady Trojans, who will need this momentum as they enter the home stretch of their season.Southeast of Saline resumes regular-season play on Tuesday, January 27 when they travel to Belleville for a rematch with Republic County.You can watch Southeast of Saline’s victory on demand below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/glIwtWsZAEw"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

🏀 Lady Trojans capture first-ever Sterling Tournament title with win over Hugoton

The Salina Invitational Tournament is officially underway and our boys and girls teams from Salina South, Salina Central, and Abilene are all competing for a spot atop the SIT field.

Below you can find matchups and results from all three rounds of the tournament.

WEATHER UPDATE: Due to incoming snowfalls the final round of the SIT will be played on Monday 1/26

Championship Game Wamego vs. Wichita East

3rd-Place Game Salina South vs. Salina Central

7th-Place Game Abilene vs. Junction City

Championship Game Salina South vs. Great Bend

3rd-Place Game Salina Central vs. Buhler

7th-Place Game Abilene vs. Wichita South

----------------------------------------------------

Wichita East 59 Salina South 22

Salina South 58 Salina Central 53

Salina South 64 Wichita South 53

The Salina Invitational Tournament is officially underway and our boys and girls teams from Salina South, Salina Central, and Abilene are all competing for a spot atop the SIT field.Below you can find matchups and results from all three rounds of the tournament.WEATHER UPDATE: Due to incoming snowfalls the final round of the SIT will be played on Monday 1/26Monday Girls MatchupsChampionship Game Wamego vs. Wichita East3rd-Place Game Salina South vs. Salina Central5th-Place Game Buhler vs. Great Bend7th-Place Game Abilene vs. Junction CityMonday Boys MatchupsChampionship Game Salina South vs. Great Bend3rd-Place Game Salina Central vs. Buhler5th-Place Game De Soto vs. Wamego7th-Place Game Abilene vs. Wichita South----------------------------------------------------Friday Girls FinalsWichita East 59 Salina South 22Wamego 43 Salina Central 34Great Bend 60 Abilene 36Buhler 46 Junction City 39Friday Boys FinalsSalina South 58 Salina Central 53Wamego 57 Abilene 43Great Bend 58 Buhler 49De Soto 59 Wichita South 57----------------------------------------------------Thursday Girls FinalsSalina South 54 Great Bend 48Salina Central 56 Buhler 24Wichita East 76 Abilene 23Wamego 58 Junction City 20Thursday Boys FinalsSalina South 64 Wichita South 53Salina Central 61 De Soto 57Buhler 63 Abilene 47Great Bend 54 Wamego 28

🏀 Salina Invitational schedule and results

Below you can find the schedule and results from the 2026 Sterling Invitational Tournament. The quarterfinal round will take place on Tuesday with the semis to follow on Thursday, and the final round on Friday.

Championship Game SE of Saline 43 Hugoton 21

3rd-Place Game Scott City 48 Sterling 37

5th-Place Game Smoky Valley 43 Kingman 38

7th-Place Game Lyons vs. Hutch Trinity

Championship Game Sterling vs. Hugoton

3rd-Place Game Scott City 63 Hutch Trinity 28

5th-Place Game Smoky Valley 63 Lyons 54

7th-Place Game SE of Saline vs. Kingman

----------------------------------------------

Smoky Valley 48 Hutch Trinity 17

Smoky Valley 59 SE of Saline 55

SE of Saline 79 Hutch Trinity 28

Hutch Trinity 59 Smoky Valley 48

Below you can find the schedule and results from the 2026 Sterling Invitational Tournament. The quarterfinal round will take place on Tuesday with the semis to follow on Thursday, and the final round on Friday.Friday Girls MatchupsChampionship Game SE of Saline 43 Hugoton 213rd-Place Game Scott City 48 Sterling 375th-Place Game Smoky Valley 43 Kingman 387th-Place Game Lyons vs. Hutch TrinityFriday Boys MatchupsChampionship Game Sterling vs. Hugoton3rd-Place Game Scott City 63 Hutch Trinity 285th-Place Game Smoky Valley 63 Lyons 547th-Place Game SE of Saline vs. Kingman----------------------------------------------Thursday Girls ScoresSE of Saline 45 Scott City 23Hugoton 54 Sterling 29Kingman 39 Lyons 30Smoky Valley 48 Hutch Trinity 17 Thursday Boys MatchupsSterling 69 Sterling 37Hugoton 60 Hutch Trinity 21Smoky Valley 59 SE of Saline 55Lyons 50 Kingman 41----------------------------------------------Tuesday Girls ScoresSE of Saline 79 Hutch Trinity 28Scott City 52 Smoky Valley 32Hugoton 53 Kingman 22Sterling 60 Lyons 27Tuesday Boys ScoresHugoton 81 SE of Saline 52Hutch Trinity 59 Smoky Valley 48Sterling 81 Kingman 35Scott City 59 Lyons 46

🏀 Sterling Tournament schedule and results

<div>FRI 3PM - Sacred Heart Girls

<div>
 <div style="position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;">

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wJPNgl2-U6U?si=8NIGdQb0Mt32N7P-" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe>
 </div>
</div></div><div>FRI 4:30PM - SES Girls
<div>
 <div style="position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;">

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/glIwtWsZAEw?si=Ef-8mSG3Q7Iy-sgu" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe>
 </div>
</div></div><div>FRI 4:30PM - Sacred Heart Boys

<div>
 <div style="position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;">

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1lkkHx8HS64?si=Yv1_6uA73jCL8Xoj" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe>
 </div>
</div></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767802864329.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLItbV4yqN5sjidkkd4VFkOclPBRSRmgtH"><img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741193988925.png" alt="Southeast of Saline Archive" style="width:320px;height:180px;">Click Here to View Past Southeast of Saline games</a></div><div><a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLItbV4yqN5si0EQOKF057Y-BeWYKe-CVh&si=BN0NheKuo5bn25LB"><img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741193194523.png" alt="Sacred Heart Knights Archive" style="width:320px;height:180px;">Click Here to View Past Sacred Heart games</a></div><div><a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLItbV4yqN5sj8vbW89bbBz2HWUjaPVqFf&si=MaFugWlB3VFLDxiX"><img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741194031456.png" alt="Game of the Week Archive" style="width:320px;height:180px;">Click Here to View Past Game of the Week games</a></div>

High School Sports LIVE STREAMS

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;With the 2026 Kansas football schedule set, season tickets for the upcoming season are officially on sale. The home slate features six games at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium as Phase II construction continues on the stadium and the University of Kansas Gateway District.

The Jayhawks will host six opponents at The Booth during the 2026 season: Long Island (Sept. 4), Missouri (Sept. 12), Middle Tennessee State (Oct. 3), Baylor (Oct. 24), UCF (Nov. 7) and BYU (Nov. 21). Season ticket packages start at $350 and can be purchased through the Kansas Athletics ticket office by calling 800-34-HAWKS.

With Phase I of the Gateway District completed prior to the 2025 season, construction on Phase II commenced in December 2025 with the demolition of the east side of The Booth. Phase II construction will be done in multiple phases to complete the east side, along with the full district just&nbsp;east of the stadium. The Gateway District is set to be fully complete in 2028, with construction progressing&nbsp;during the off-season periods that follow the 2026 and 2027 Kansas Football seasons. More details will be released in the coming months related to the development and programming of the Gateway District.

The east side of The Booth will be partially complete for&nbsp;the 2026 season, meaning there will be reduced capacity for the season. The east side is scheduled to be complete prior to the 2027 season with The Booth back at full capacity. In addition for 2026, a new grandstand in the south will have student seating and a new area dedicated to the Marching Jayhawks.

“The University of Kansas continues to demonstrate its commitment to completing a 360-degree new build of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Simultaneously, we are focused on elevating Kansas Football, as recently demonstrated by increased investment in staffing and student-athlete retention and acquisition. We will not be deterred as we continue our work to build Kansas Football into a program all Jayhawks will be proud of and support,” Kansas Director of Athletics Travis Goff said. “We are thrilled with the new west and north sides of The Booth and, in earnest, have begun the transformation of the east and south sides in advance of the construction of the mixed-use development that will create the Gateway District for the University of Kansas.”

“Our fans have stepped-up in support of this project via game-changing donations and the purchase of season tickets. As we head into year two, it is vital that we continue that trajectory to ensure the completion of The Booth and the continued build of Kansas Football.”&nbsp;

The Gateway District continues to move forward with innovative progress, already transforming the north entrance to campus. The second phase of the stadium build will focus on the east and south sides featuring enhanced premium seating and improved fan amenities. The lower seating bowl on the east side&nbsp;will be open and utilized for the 2026 season and will require temporary concessions and restrooms. The remaining upper bowl and finished concourses will be completed prior to the 2027 season. For a full breakdown of 2026 stadium tiers and seat locations with pricing,&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/ukansas.sidearmsports.com/documents/2026/1/22/2026_Season_Ticket_Pricing_Map.pdf?timestamp=20260122123338" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Season ticket options for the 2026 season will be available in sections&nbsp;122-128. New club seating will be available for the 2026 seasons while east side loge boxes and suite club seating will be completed prior to the 2027 season.

As part of Phase II of the Gateway District, construction of a new surface parking lot located at the corner of 11th&nbsp;and Missouri Streets, will be completed prior to the 2026 season. Ongoing parking evaluations are being conducted in partnership with the university for future seasons. Various tailgating opportunities, including “Tailgate on the Hill” and the Gameday Boulevard on 11th&nbsp;Street will continue in the 2026 season, giving fans an opportunity to experience gameday atmosphere of Lawrence.

Phase I of the Gateway District project featured various stadium enhancements to elevate the fan experience in every seat on the west and north sides of the stadium. Five different premium hospitality spaces were introduced, featuring more than 3,000 premium seats ranging from suites and loge boxes to club seats.&nbsp; Given the success of the premium seating in Phase I, there will be new premium seating options available upon the completion of Phase II.&nbsp;For full information on what fans can expect for Phase ll&nbsp;including new renderings, live cams, and more, you can visit the updated KU Gateway District Website by&nbsp;<a href="https://kugatewaydistrict.com/" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

Kansas football enters the sixth season under head coach Lance Leipold, as the Jayhawks bring back vital pieces in offensive tackle Calvin Clements, wide receiver Cam Pickett, linebacker Trey Lathan, defensive tackle Blake Herold, defensive end Leroy Harris III and cornerbacks Jalen Todd and Austin Alexander, among others. Kansas also welcomes became Andy Kotelnicki, the leader of some of the most prolific offenses in school history, while welcoming in a talented transfer portal class and 17 incoming freshmen who are looking to make their impact in their first season in Lawrence.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;With the 2026 Kansas football schedule set, season tickets for the upcoming season are officially on sale. The home slate features six games at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium as Phase II construction continues on the stadium and the University of Kansas Gateway District.The Jayhawks will host six opponents at The Booth during the 2026 season: Long Island (Sept. 4), Missouri (Sept. 12), Middle Tennessee State (Oct. 3), Baylor (Oct. 24), UCF (Nov. 7) and BYU (Nov. 21). Season ticket packages start at $350 and can be purchased through the Kansas Athletics ticket office by calling 800-34-HAWKS.With Phase I of the Gateway District completed prior to the 2025 season, construction on Phase II commenced in December 2025 with the demolition of the east side of The Booth. Phase II construction will be done in multiple phases to complete the east side, along with the full district just&nbsp;east of the stadium. The Gateway District is set to be fully complete in 2028, with construction progressing&nbsp;during the off-season periods that follow the 2026 and 2027 Kansas Football seasons. More details will be released in the coming months related to the development and programming of the Gateway District.The east side of The Booth will be partially complete for&nbsp;the 2026 season, meaning there will be reduced capacity for the season. The east side is scheduled to be complete prior to the 2027 season with The Booth back at full capacity. In addition for 2026, a new grandstand in the south will have student seating and a new area dedicated to the Marching Jayhawks.“The University of Kansas continues to demonstrate its commitment to completing a 360-degree new build of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Simultaneously, we are focused on elevating Kansas Football, as recently demonstrated by increased investment in staffing and student-athlete retention and acquisition. We will not be deterred as we continue our work to build Kansas Football into a program all Jayhawks will be proud of and support,” Kansas Director of Athletics Travis Goff said. “We are thrilled with the new west and north sides of The Booth and, in earnest, have begun the transformation of the east and south sides in advance of the construction of the mixed-use development that will create the Gateway District for the University of Kansas.”“Our fans have stepped-up in support of this project via game-changing donations and the purchase of season tickets. As we head into year two, it is vital that we continue that trajectory to ensure the completion of The Booth and the continued build of Kansas Football.”&nbsp;The Gateway District continues to move forward with innovative progress, already transforming the north entrance to campus. The second phase of the stadium build will focus on the east and south sides featuring enhanced premium seating and improved fan amenities. The lower seating bowl on the east side&nbsp;will be open and utilized for the 2026 season and will require temporary concessions and restrooms. The remaining upper bowl and finished concourses will be completed prior to the 2027 season. For a full breakdown of 2026 stadium tiers and seat locations with pricing,&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/ukansas.sidearmsports.com/documents/2026/1/22/2026_Season_Ticket_Pricing_Map.pdf?timestamp=20260122123338" target="_blank">click here</a>.Season ticket options for the 2026 season will be available in sections&nbsp;122-128. New club seating will be available for the 2026 seasons while east side loge boxes and suite club seating will be completed prior to the 2027 season.As part of Phase II of the Gateway District, construction of a new surface parking lot located at the corner of 11th&nbsp;and Missouri Streets, will be completed prior to the 2026 season. Ongoing parking evaluations are being conducted in partnership with the university for future seasons. Various tailgating opportunities, including “Tailgate on the Hill” and the Gameday Boulevard on 11th&nbsp;Street will continue in the 2026 season, giving fans an opportunity to experience gameday atmosphere of Lawrence.Phase I of the Gateway District project featured various stadium enhancements to elevate the fan experience in every seat on the west and north sides of the stadium. Five different premium hospitality spaces were introduced, featuring more than 3,000 premium seats ranging from suites and loge boxes to club seats.&nbsp; Given the success of the premium seating in Phase I, there will be new premium seating options available upon the completion of Phase II.&nbsp;For full information on what fans can expect for Phase ll&nbsp;including new renderings, live cams, and more, you can visit the updated KU Gateway District Website by&nbsp;<a href="https://kugatewaydistrict.com/" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.Kansas football enters the sixth season under head coach Lance Leipold, as the Jayhawks bring back vital pieces in offensive tackle Calvin Clements, wide receiver Cam Pickett, linebacker Trey Lathan, defensive tackle Blake Herold, defensive end Leroy Harris III and cornerbacks Jalen Todd and Austin Alexander, among others. Kansas also welcomes became Andy Kotelnicki, the leader of some of the most prolific offenses in school history, while welcoming in a talented transfer portal class and 17 incoming freshmen who are looking to make their impact in their first season in Lawrence.

🏈 Kansas Football Announces 2026 Season Tickets on Sale

The winter storm forecast to hit the region this weekend has caused several Kansas Wesleyan Athletics teams to make changes to their schedule.

As of 3 p.m., Thursday, January 22, here are the changes:

January 22 - Developmental Men's Basketball at McPherson - POSTPONED, new date TBA

January 23 - Men's and Women's Indoor Track at Concordia Polar Dog in Seward, Nebraska. KWU will NOT be traveling to the event.

January 24 - Developmental Women's Basketball, Varsity Women's Basketball, Varsity Men's Basketball - Moved to Monday, January 26.

January 24-25 - Men's and Women's Bowling at Avila Eagle Invitationals, the bowling tournaments are CANCELED.

January 25 - Developmental Men's Basketball doubleheader at home vs Friends - one game canceled, one game moved to Monday and moved to be played at Friends as part of a quadruple-header, at 3:45 p.m.

January 26 - Developmental Women's Basketball game at home vs Mid-America Christian - CANCELED. Developmental Men's Basketball game at Hesston - POSTPONED, date TBA

January 26-27 - Baseball at University of the Southwest. These games will change due to the weather. A new schedule has not yet been determined. This schedule change may also affect KWU's home opener next weekend with Doane.

The winter storm forecast to hit the region this weekend has caused several Kansas Wesleyan Athletics teams to make changes to their schedule.As of 3 p.m., Thursday, January 22, here are the changes:January 22 - Developmental Men's Basketball at McPherson - POSTPONED, new date TBAJanuary 23 - Men's and Women's Indoor Track at Concordia Polar Dog in Seward, Nebraska. KWU will NOT be traveling to the event.January 24 - Developmental Women's Basketball, Varsity Women's Basketball, Varsity Men's Basketball - Moved to Monday, January 26.January 24-25 - Men's and Women's Bowling at Avila Eagle Invitationals, the bowling tournaments are CANCELED.January 25 - Developmental Men's Basketball doubleheader at home vs Friends - one game canceled, one game moved to Monday and moved to be played at Friends as part of a quadruple-header, at 3:45 p.m.January 26 - Developmental Women's Basketball game at home vs Mid-America Christian - CANCELED. Developmental Men's Basketball game at Hesston - POSTPONED, date TBAJanuary 26-27 - Baseball at University of the Southwest. These games will change due to the weather. A new schedule has not yet been determined. This schedule change may also affect KWU's home opener next weekend with Doane.

Winter weather causes changes in upcoming KWU schedules

The winter storm forecast to hit the region this weekend has forced Salina USD 305 officials to make changes to the Salina Invitational Tournament (SIT) schedule this weekend.

Friday's games held at Salina South (losers bracket) and Kansas Wesleyan's Mabee Arena (winners bracket) will now begin at 11 a.m. Game times will be 11 a.m., 12:30, 2:00, 3:30 p.m.

The games originally scheduled for Saturday will now be played on Monday afternoon, starting at 3 p.m. Game times will be 3:00, 4:30, 6:00, 7:30.

Thursday night's quarterfinal games being played at Salina South and Salina Central High Schools will remain the same.

47th ANNUAL SALINA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT - GIRLS BRACKET

Thursday, January 22 - Quarterfinals - SCHEDULE SAME

(1) Wamego vs (8) Junction City - 3:00 - Salina Central

(3) Wichita East vs (6) Abilene - 3:00 - Salina South

(4) Salina Central vs (5) Buhler - 6:00 - Salina Central

(2) Salina South vs (7) Great Bend - 6:00 - Salina South

Friday, January 23 - Semifinals (Games at KWU in Bold)- SCHEDULE CHANGE

11:00 AM - Winners Bracket - Salina South / Great Bend vs Wichita East / Abilene - Mabee Arena

11:00 AM - Consolation Bracket - Salina South / Great Bend vs Wichita East / Abilene - Salina South

2:00 PM - Winners Bracket - Wamego / Junction City vs Salina Central / Buhler - Mabee Arena

2:00 PM - Consolation Bracket - Wamego / Junction City vs Salina Central / Buhler - Mabee Arena

Monday, January 26 - Seventh, Fifth, Third, Championship Games (Games at KWU in Bold) - SCHEDULE CHANGE

3:00 PM - Seventh Place Game - Consolation Bracket losers - Salina South HS

3:00 PM - Third Place Game - Winners Bracket losers - Mabee Arena

6:00 - Fifth Place Game - Consolation Bracket winners - Salina South HS

6:00 - Championship Game - Winners Bracket winners - Mabee Arena

47th ANNUAL SALINA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT - BOYS BRACKET

Thursday, January 22 - Quarterfinals- SCHEDULE SAME

(2) Buhler vs (7) Abilene - 4:30 - Salina Central

(3) Great Bend vs (6) Wamego - 4:30 - Salina South

(1) Salina South vs (8) Wichita South - 7:30 - Salina South

(4) Salina Central vs (5) De Soto - 7:30 - Salina Central

12:30 - Winners Bracket - Buhler / Abilene vs Great Bend / Wamego- Mabee Arena

12:30 - Consolation Bracket - Buhler / Abilene vs Great Bend / Wamego - Salina South

2:30 - Winners Bracket - Salina South / Wichita South vs Salina Central / De Soto - Mabee Arena

2:30 - Consolation Bracket - Salina South / Wichita South vs Salina Central / De Soto - Salina South

4:30 - Seventh Place Game - Consolation Bracket losers - Salina South HS

4:30 - Third Place Game - Winners Bracket losers - Mabee Arena

7:30 - Fifth Place Game - Consolation Bracket winners - Salina South HS

The winter storm forecast to hit the region this weekend has forced Salina USD 305 officials to make changes to the Salina Invitational Tournament (SIT) schedule this weekend.Friday's games held at Salina South (losers bracket) and Kansas Wesleyan's Mabee Arena (winners bracket) will now begin at 11 a.m. Game times will be 11 a.m., 12:30, 2:00, 3:30 p.m.The games originally scheduled for Saturday will now be played on Monday afternoon, starting at 3 p.m. Game times will be 3:00, 4:30, 6:00, 7:30.Thursday night's quarterfinal games being played at Salina South and Salina Central High Schools will remain the same.47th ANNUAL SALINA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT - GIRLS BRACKETThursday, January 22 - Quarterfinals - SCHEDULE SAME(1) Wamego vs (8) Junction City - 3:00 - Salina Central(3) Wichita East vs (6) Abilene - 3:00 - Salina South(4) Salina Central vs (5) Buhler - 6:00 - Salina Central(2) Salina South vs (7) Great Bend - 6:00 - Salina SouthFriday, January 23 - Semifinals (Games at KWU in Bold)- SCHEDULE CHANGE11:00 AM - Winners Bracket - Salina South / Great Bend vs Wichita East / Abilene - Mabee Arena11:00 AM - Consolation Bracket - Salina South / Great Bend vs Wichita East / Abilene - Salina South2:00 PM - Winners Bracket - Wamego / Junction City vs Salina Central / Buhler - Mabee Arena2:00 PM - Consolation Bracket - Wamego / Junction City vs Salina Central / Buhler - Mabee ArenaMonday, January 26 - Seventh, Fifth, Third, Championship Games (Games at KWU in Bold) - SCHEDULE CHANGE3:00 PM - Seventh Place Game - Consolation Bracket losers - Salina South HS3:00 PM - Third Place Game - Winners Bracket losers - Mabee Arena6:00 - Fifth Place Game - Consolation Bracket winners - Salina South HS6:00 - Championship Game - Winners Bracket winners - Mabee Arena47th ANNUAL SALINA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT - BOYS BRACKETThursday, January 22 - Quarterfinals- SCHEDULE SAME(2) Buhler vs (7) Abilene - 4:30 - Salina Central(3) Great Bend vs (6) Wamego - 4:30 - Salina South(1) Salina South vs (8) Wichita South - 7:30 - Salina South(4) Salina Central vs (5) De Soto - 7:30 - Salina CentralFriday, January 23 - Semifinals (Games at KWU in Bold)- SCHEDULE CHANGE12:30 - Winners Bracket - Buhler / Abilene vs Great Bend / Wamego- Mabee Arena12:30 - Consolation Bracket - Buhler / Abilene vs Great Bend / Wamego - Salina South2:30 - Winners Bracket - Salina South / Wichita South vs Salina Central / De Soto - Mabee Arena2:30 - Consolation Bracket - Salina South / Wichita South vs Salina Central / De Soto - Salina SouthMonday, January 26 - Seventh, Fifth, Third, Championship Games (Games at KWU in Bold) - SCHEDULE CHANGE4:30 - Seventh Place Game - Consolation Bracket losers - Salina South HS4:30 - Third Place Game - Winners Bracket losers - Mabee Arena7:30 - Fifth Place Game - Consolation Bracket winners - Salina South HS

Winter weather affects Salina Invitational schedule this weekend

LINDSBORG - A sharp-shooting Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball squad used a big first-half run to pull away and roll to an 80-67 win over the arch-rival Bethany Swedes on Wednesday night at Hahn Gym.

We knew we had to come out, we had to (take control) early," KWU head coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/01bc9a23-337d-4257-953a-e7de45258c37?elinkdata=35682">Jordan Murdock</a> said on the post-game radio show. "I think that's one thing that we really do a good job of as a team is just making sure that most games we start out all right."

The 13-point margin was not indicative of KWU's control of the game. The Coyotes were up 24 with five minutes left and emptied the bench and Bethany made a run to close things out to the 80-67 final.

Wesleyan raced out to a 14-3 lead in the first five minutes of the contest on a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8f43470e-5bb8-494d-9e2c-d6b3295088a9?elinkdata=35682">Matthew Garber</a>, but the Swedes stayed close, making it 21-13 with 10:18 left in the first.

It was 25-17 KWU when things turned in favor of the Coyotes. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a6fd36d5-d8c2-4834-8e57-b3bb84af8770?elinkdata=35682">Aiden Leckband</a> converted a lay-up to put the Coyotes up 37-22 with 3:04 left in the first, capping a 12-5 run for Wesleyan.

Bethany pressed back at the end of the half, cutting the lead to eight at intermission thanks to a 7-0 run to close out the half.

"I thought in the second or that at the end of that first half, we got a little shaky with the turnovers and stuff like that. But they answered the call where we came back out in the second half, and I think that was the difference," Murdock said.

Bethany scored the first points of the second half, cutting it to five, but after that it was all Coyotes.

An 8-0 KWU run pushed the difference back out to 13 at 45-32 on a bucket by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a8ad9858-fe44-47dd-95f5-0ab188648715?elinkdata=35682">Evens Appolon</a> with 17:16 left.

Wesleyan continued to pull away, taking a 59-39 lead with 12:23 left on free throws by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/caa3c9fe-3dfa-4ae9-a51a-0202a6a53599?elinkdata=35682">Stefan Spray</a> after a Bethany foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1.

Hall's layup with 5:16 left put the Coyotes up 24.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b9545d38-1f0d-4d40-bfbd-67814b747c5a?elinkdata=35682">Brandon Avedon</a> led the Coyotes with 19 points while Appolon had 13, Garber 11 and Spray 10 as KWU was 31 of 57 from the field for 54.4 percent for the game. Appolon, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fcebafc4-a44f-4a17-ba91-a50edb832ab6?elinkdata=35682">Caiden Punt</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/824be546-19a1-4c8e-bbd5-ba57513a1cea?elinkdata=35682">Gabe Phillips</a> had five rebounds each helping KWU to a 35-32 margin on the glass.

"A win like this just gives us a ton of confidence. It shows us how good we are when we stick to what we need to do, stick to the game plan," Murdock said. "The rest of the way we just have to control what we can control. The biggest thing is us taking care of business, stick to the game plan, get the turnovers under control and we will be fine."

LINDSBORG - A sharp-shooting Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball squad used a big first-half run to pull away and roll to an 80-67 win over the arch-rival Bethany Swedes on Wednesday night at Hahn Gym.We knew we had to come out, we had to (take control) early," KWU head coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/01bc9a23-337d-4257-953a-e7de45258c37?elinkdata=35682">Jordan Murdock</a> said on the post-game radio show. "I think that's one thing that we really do a good job of as a team is just making sure that most games we start out all right."The 13-point margin was not indicative of KWU's control of the game. The Coyotes were up 24 with five minutes left and emptied the bench and Bethany made a run to close things out to the 80-67 final.Wesleyan raced out to a 14-3 lead in the first five minutes of the contest on a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8f43470e-5bb8-494d-9e2c-d6b3295088a9?elinkdata=35682">Matthew Garber</a>, but the Swedes stayed close, making it 21-13 with 10:18 left in the first.It was 25-17 KWU when things turned in favor of the Coyotes. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a6fd36d5-d8c2-4834-8e57-b3bb84af8770?elinkdata=35682">Aiden Leckband</a> converted a lay-up to put the Coyotes up 37-22 with 3:04 left in the first, capping a 12-5 run for Wesleyan.Bethany pressed back at the end of the half, cutting the lead to eight at intermission thanks to a 7-0 run to close out the half."I thought in the second or that at the end of that first half, we got a little shaky with the turnovers and stuff like that. But they answered the call where we came back out in the second half, and I think that was the difference," Murdock said.Bethany scored the first points of the second half, cutting it to five, but after that it was all Coyotes.An 8-0 KWU run pushed the difference back out to 13 at 45-32 on a bucket by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a8ad9858-fe44-47dd-95f5-0ab188648715?elinkdata=35682">Evens Appolon</a> with 17:16 left.Wesleyan continued to pull away, taking a 59-39 lead with 12:23 left on free throws by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/caa3c9fe-3dfa-4ae9-a51a-0202a6a53599?elinkdata=35682">Stefan Spray</a> after a Bethany foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1.Hall's layup with 5:16 left put the Coyotes up 24.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b9545d38-1f0d-4d40-bfbd-67814b747c5a?elinkdata=35682">Brandon Avedon</a> led the Coyotes with 19 points while Appolon had 13, Garber 11 and Spray 10 as KWU was 31 of 57 from the field for 54.4 percent for the game. Appolon, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fcebafc4-a44f-4a17-ba91-a50edb832ab6?elinkdata=35682">Caiden Punt</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/824be546-19a1-4c8e-bbd5-ba57513a1cea?elinkdata=35682">Gabe Phillips</a> had five rebounds each helping KWU to a 35-32 margin on the glass."A win like this just gives us a ton of confidence. It shows us how good we are when we stick to what we need to do, stick to the game plan," Murdock said. "The rest of the way we just have to control what we can control. The biggest thing is us taking care of business, stick to the game plan, get the turnovers under control and we will be fine."

🏀 Coyote MBB gets big rivalry win over Bethany 80-67

LINDSBORG - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/df922e51-e39b-42a0-b37f-dd1833593964?elinkdata=35646">Odessa Ozuna</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/56791927-14a9-4e4a-952a-8675de71e0ba?elinkdata=35646">Anna Jueneman</a> scored 11 points apiece, but Kansas Wesleyan came up short 60-55 against rival Bethany in a Kansas Conference game Wednesday night in Hahn Gymnasium.

KWU (9-10, 6-7 KCAC) led 26-16 after scoring 14 of the first 18 points of the second quarter. Bethany rallied and got within 26-24 but the Coyotes closed the half with an 8-5 surge and led 34-29 at halftime.

The Swedes (11-7, 9-4 KCAC) scored the first six points of the third quarter, outscored the Coyotes 19-9 in the period and led 48-43 going into the final 10 minutes.

KWU trailed by seven twice in the fourth quarter - the second time 54-47 with 4½ minutes left - but fought back and got within 57-55 on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/001f71f4-978c-4660-b897-632d7bf54bd7?elinkdata=35646">Paige Chauncey's</a> follow shot with 1:40 remaining in the game.

The Coyotes, though, misfired on their last four shots and committed a turnover while Bethany made three of six free throws the rest of the way.

Neither team shot well - KWU was 23 of 66 from the field (35 percent) and Bethany 23 of 64 (40 percent). The Coyotes were 4 of 23 from 3-point range and the Swedes 5 of 18. Bethany made 9 of 16 free throws, KWU 5 of 7.

Wesleyan won the rebounding battle 44-38 but was hampered by 15 turnovers. Bethany had nine.

Jueneman had five steals, and three rebounds to go along with her 11 points while Ozuna also grabbed seven rebounds and had two steals. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f0ee0baa-d64b-488b-ad0b-bc1a31274987?elinkdata=35646">Jocelyn Hall</a> added nine points and seven rebounds and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5d5a263d-e3ce-49b7-ad2c-51049892378e?elinkdata=35646">Izzy McCool</a> eight points and nine rebounds.

Becca Unruh and Colbi Rignell led Bethany with 14 points each.

LINDSBORG - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/df922e51-e39b-42a0-b37f-dd1833593964?elinkdata=35646">Odessa Ozuna</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/56791927-14a9-4e4a-952a-8675de71e0ba?elinkdata=35646">Anna Jueneman</a> scored 11 points apiece, but Kansas Wesleyan came up short 60-55 against rival Bethany in a Kansas Conference game Wednesday night in Hahn Gymnasium.KWU (9-10, 6-7 KCAC) led 26-16 after scoring 14 of the first 18 points of the second quarter. Bethany rallied and got within 26-24 but the Coyotes closed the half with an 8-5 surge and led 34-29 at halftime.The Swedes (11-7, 9-4 KCAC) scored the first six points of the third quarter, outscored the Coyotes 19-9 in the period and led 48-43 going into the final 10 minutes.KWU trailed by seven twice in the fourth quarter - the second time 54-47 with 4½ minutes left - but fought back and got within 57-55 on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/001f71f4-978c-4660-b897-632d7bf54bd7?elinkdata=35646">Paige Chauncey's</a> follow shot with 1:40 remaining in the game.The Coyotes, though, misfired on their last four shots and committed a turnover while Bethany made three of six free throws the rest of the way.Neither team shot well - KWU was 23 of 66 from the field (35 percent) and Bethany 23 of 64 (40 percent). The Coyotes were 4 of 23 from 3-point range and the Swedes 5 of 18. Bethany made 9 of 16 free throws, KWU 5 of 7.Wesleyan won the rebounding battle 44-38 but was hampered by 15 turnovers. Bethany had nine.Jueneman had five steals, and three rebounds to go along with her 11 points while Ozuna also grabbed seven rebounds and had two steals. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f0ee0baa-d64b-488b-ad0b-bc1a31274987?elinkdata=35646">Jocelyn Hall</a> added nine points and seven rebounds and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5d5a263d-e3ce-49b7-ad2c-51049892378e?elinkdata=35646">Izzy McCool</a> eight points and nine rebounds.Becca Unruh and Colbi Rignell led Bethany with 14 points each.

🏀 KWU Women's Basketball comes up short against Bethany 60-55

MANHATTAN, KANSAS&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State used a big third quarter to rally past a pesky Houston squad on Wednesday night at Bramlage Coliseum, 69-65. This marks the first time K-State has won consecutive games since opening the season with a three-game winning streak.

K-State (11-9, 3-3 Big 12) was paced by junior Nastja Claessens with 16 points, including nine in the fourth quarter to secure the win. She shot 7-of-12 from the floor and pulled down six rebounds.

Joining Claessens in double figures was senior guard Tess Heal with 15 points, four rebounds and tied her career-high with four steals. Junior guard Taryn Sides carded 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Freshman guard Gina Garcia notched 11 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.

- Houston (6-13, 0-8) held a two-point edge at halftime, 24-22, as the Wildcats shot just 37.0 percent (10-of-27) from the field in the opening half.

- With the aid of an 8-0 run midway through the third quarter, K-State captured a 36-31 lead with 5:02 remaining. Garcia started the rally with an old fashioned three-point play with 6:22 left and was followed by a transition 3-pointer from Heal with 6:01 remaining. Sides finished a driving layup with 5:26 to play.

- After the Cougars squared the game at 36, Aniya Foy scored four straight points to start a 7-0 run for K-State to go in front, 43-36, with 2:11 to play. The Wildcats would end the third with a 47-41 advantage. K-State would outscore Houston, 25-17, in the third stanza by shooting 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from the field including the Wildcats’ first four 3-pointers of the night.

- The final quarter would feature three ties, as Houston squared the game at 51 apiece and then 53 each with 6:44 left. Garcia would put K-State back in front with a layup at 6:27. Heal would add a 3-pointer with 5:32 to play for a five-point margin, 58-53.

- The Cougars would rally to tie the game at 62 on a Kyndall Hunter layup and free throw with 1:39 left. Hunter would lead all scorers with 20 points.

- K-State answered with a Claessens three-point play with 1:19 remaining for a 65-62 Wildcat lead. The product of Waregem, Belgium, would finish another layup with 33 seconds to play to for a 67-63 lead. Two free throws from Jordan Speiser with 13 seconds left gave the Wildcats enough of a margin to capture the season series.

- K-State shot 48.1 percent (26-of-54) from the field, including 59.3 percent (16-of-27) in the second half. The Wildcats tallied a 38-30 advantage in points in the paint.

- K-State leads the series with Houston, 6-0.&nbsp; The Wildcats are 3-0 in games played in Manhattan. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 15-6 in his career against Houston, including a 5-0 record at K-State.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 683-387 (.638), including a mark of 229-152 (.601).

- In its 30th&nbsp;season of play in the Big 12, K-State owns a record of 249-250 (.499) in Big 12 action.

- K-State is 418-162 (.721) in its 38th-season inside Bramlage Coliseum, including a 148-54 (.733) record under Mittie.

- The Wildcats are 268-197 (.576) in games played in the month of January. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 49-45 (.521) in games during the 1st&nbsp;month.

- Wednesday’s win marked the first time K-State has won consecutive games since a three-game winning streak from November 3 to November 13.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Tess Heal and Taryn Sides and forwards Nastja Claessens and Jenessa Cotton. This was the third time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 19th&nbsp;career start for Sides. This was the 18th&nbsp;career start for Garcia. Claessens made her 16th&nbsp;career start. This was the 15th&nbsp;start this season for Cotton. This was the 10th&nbsp;start at K-State for Heal and the 84th&nbsp;of her collegiate career.

- This season, K-State owns 29 quarters with an effort of 50.0 percent or better shooting from the field, including the third (61.5) and fourth (57.1) quarters on Wednesday.

- Since the start of the quarter-system in women’s college basketball in the 2015-16 season, K-State is 169-70 (.707) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter in a game, including a 9-5 mark this season. The Wildcats have 27 quarters this season with 20 or more points scored.

- Claessens reached double figures in points for the 11th&nbsp;time this season. She has paced K-State in scoring in four games. She has reached double figures in points in five Big 12 games.

- Claessens hauled in six rebounds on Wednesday. This was her sixth game this season with five or more boards. This was her fourth game this season leading K-State on the boards.

- Heal reached double figures for the 84th&nbsp;time in her career, including her 10th&nbsp;time this season. Heal’s collegiate career point total now stands at 1,670 points.

- Heal pocketed four steals on Wednesday. Heal has three career games with four or more steals, including two this season. This was her 21st&nbsp;career game, including her seventh this season with two or more steals.

- Sides tallied 10 or more points for the 30th&nbsp;time in her career and 12th&nbsp;time this season.

- Sides buried two 3-pointers on Wednesday. This was her 15th game this season and the 46th&nbsp;of her career with two or more connections from 3-point range. With her two connections, Sides remains in 13th&nbsp;in program history for career 3-pointers (158).

- Sides pocketed two steals. This was 22nd&nbsp;career game, including her 10th&nbsp;this season, with two or more steals.

- Sides collected six rebounds on Wednesday. This was her 26th&nbsp;career game with five or more rebounds.

- Garcia reached double figures for the fourth time this season.

“I thought tonight was a struggle, but I was more pleased with our team play in the second half than I was in the first half. There was a better collective competitive spirit about them in the second half than there was in the first half. I think Houston does some things that give us problems, and they play a style that isn't our best basketball. We have fallen into that trap a couple times now in the second quarter of where we have fallen into their style of basketball, and that has been too tempting for us to not get into. So give them credit for that.”

On the advantages and disadvantages of playing a team twice within a month…

“The teams aren’t different, unless there's injuries or something. You know, it's not like they've put more stuff in. There wasn't much that they hadn't done that we hadn't seen. But vice versa, there wasn't much we did that they hadn't seen either. So there were very few adjustments. I felt like we wanted to control the ball better than we did in Houston. We did that a little bit better. We obviously shot the ball better in the second half tonight, but yeah, I think the two-week gap between the teams are pretty similar right now.”

“I thought there was just enough team play in that stretch. I thought our spacing was better. I thought our dribble use was more efficient than it was in the first half. And then I thought when we got downhill, we were stronger than we were in the first half. They, once again, I want to get back to they get you in a style that we're not necessarily good at. We're not great one-on-one players, but they put you in that style. And we made enough plays, one-on-one in that stretch. Taryn [Sides] made some good plays. Gina [Garcia] made some good plays. I thought Nastja [Claessens] had a really good second half. Tess [Heal] had a stretch there where she was good. So we didn't play great tonight, but we played just good enough.”

On what he is like about his team at this point…

“I like the fact that we're getting different contributions from different players. You look back during this week, we've had Ramiya White play a really prominent role. We've had Tess Heal have good games. We had Taryn [Sides] step up and have a good second half. She did not play well against Houston, the first time. Gina Garcia has had back-to-back good games coming off of the week off. So I feel like she's refreshed. So I think that we're seeing a better balance than we saw maybe before Christmas.”

Houston Head Coach Matthew Mitchell

“Well, great basketball game tonight, and you have to give Kansas State a lot of credit. They made some plays down the stretch that were really strong, but I’m just proud of our group. We are competing hard, and I thought we came into a tough place to played against a really good team and and really competed tonight and we're building this program each and every day into something that's going to be real special. And I just know we're going to have a breakthrough soon, but the players continue to work hard, continue to get better, and as disappointing as the result is tonight, we know that we are on the right track here, and tonight was another step forward for us. And we just have to keep going.”&nbsp;

On what's been the toughest thing about playing K-State…

“Well, the toughest thing about playing Kansas State is they're really well coached, and they have really good players, and they play with tremendous discipline and toughness, and so they're just a quality team. And I think probably playing them close together is probably more beneficial than challenging, just because you're familiar with it. And even in our preparation, your players are pretty fresh on our players' minds. So the quality team really did some impressive things down the stretch, but I thought our, you know, energy in the fourth quarter was going to allow us to get over the hump, but they just made a couple more plays than we did.”

On being the biggest challenge after halftime….

“Well, I think the biggest thing that really hurt us was transition threes. They were able to get hot from the three, if we could just have a couple of possessions back where we could have gotten matched up a little bit better. And we've been improving in that, you know, and we did a good job for most of the game. But I think that, I don't know if it was a seven zero run or eight zero run, I think that's kind of the difference in the game, that one short little period where they were able to make some transition threes to get up on us.”

On the first 2026 home win…&nbsp;

“We're really appreciative of all the fans that come out and support us every night. We always get great crowds, and, you know, we go all the places and they don't have the same support. So shout out to all our supporters. We're really happy to have them, and we're really grateful for them.”

On being focused on staying grounded against Houston…

“We've talked about a number of times as a team, the Big 12 is a great league, and it really doesn't matter if you're ranked, if you're zero and five, if you're 10 and one, it really doesn't matter it's whatever team shows up on the night. That's the team that's going to get the win. So whether it's Texas Tech, whether it's Iowa State, whether it's Houston, whether it's Baylor, it doesn't matter. We have to show up as the best versions of ourselves, and we want to keep that momentum from Texas Tech. But we were ultimately focused on us being a better basketball team and continuing to improve.”

On being the biggest change in the second half…

“I agree with Taryn. I think before small turnovers, we got up and at them, and it really worked for us. And I think we moved the ball a little better as well. I think it moved to different people. Different people got hot, and that was really good.”

“It felt good. We've talked a lot this week about going on a win streak here, and we have a good opportunity to do that, and it started tonight, and I'm just glad to be back in Bram and get a win.”

“I think our energy has picked up. We went into a harder and more intense press. And I think when we do that, we all kind of get amped up, and we tend to play better.”

On continuing to improve as the season goes along…&nbsp;

“ think it's just a boost of confidence when you can stack wins together. And we know we've been capable of it, we just haven't quite finished games. And so getting a win today hopefully will lead to this weekend, and then hopefully we go on a long winning streak now.”&nbsp;

K-State Junior Forward Nastja Claessens

On being focused and staying grounded against Houston…

“I think we just kept the same energy, and we were really dedicated to getting that winning streak. We wanted to continue to play great together and get a win.”

K-State stays in the state of Kansas on Sunday, as the Wildcats travel to Lawrence for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at 12 p.m.

MANHATTAN, KANSAS&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State used a big third quarter to rally past a pesky Houston squad on Wednesday night at Bramlage Coliseum, 69-65. This marks the first time K-State has won consecutive games since opening the season with a three-game winning streak.K-State (11-9, 3-3 Big 12) was paced by junior Nastja Claessens with 16 points, including nine in the fourth quarter to secure the win. She shot 7-of-12 from the floor and pulled down six rebounds.Joining Claessens in double figures was senior guard Tess Heal with 15 points, four rebounds and tied her career-high with four steals. Junior guard Taryn Sides carded 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Freshman guard Gina Garcia notched 11 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.HOW IT HAPPENED- Houston (6-13, 0-8) held a two-point edge at halftime, 24-22, as the Wildcats shot just 37.0 percent (10-of-27) from the field in the opening half.- With the aid of an 8-0 run midway through the third quarter, K-State captured a 36-31 lead with 5:02 remaining. Garcia started the rally with an old fashioned three-point play with 6:22 left and was followed by a transition 3-pointer from Heal with 6:01 remaining. Sides finished a driving layup with 5:26 to play.- After the Cougars squared the game at 36, Aniya Foy scored four straight points to start a 7-0 run for K-State to go in front, 43-36, with 2:11 to play. The Wildcats would end the third with a 47-41 advantage. K-State would outscore Houston, 25-17, in the third stanza by shooting 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from the field including the Wildcats’ first four 3-pointers of the night.- The final quarter would feature three ties, as Houston squared the game at 51 apiece and then 53 each with 6:44 left. Garcia would put K-State back in front with a layup at 6:27. Heal would add a 3-pointer with 5:32 to play for a five-point margin, 58-53.- The Cougars would rally to tie the game at 62 on a Kyndall Hunter layup and free throw with 1:39 left. Hunter would lead all scorers with 20 points.- K-State answered with a Claessens three-point play with 1:19 remaining for a 65-62 Wildcat lead. The product of Waregem, Belgium, would finish another layup with 33 seconds to play to for a 67-63 lead. Two free throws from Jordan Speiser with 13 seconds left gave the Wildcats enough of a margin to capture the season series.- K-State shot 48.1 percent (26-of-54) from the field, including 59.3 percent (16-of-27) in the second half. The Wildcats tallied a 38-30 advantage in points in the paint.QUICK FACTS- K-State leads the series with Houston, 6-0.&nbsp; The Wildcats are 3-0 in games played in Manhattan. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 15-6 in his career against Houston, including a 5-0 record at K-State.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 683-387 (.638), including a mark of 229-152 (.601).- In its 30th&nbsp;season of play in the Big 12, K-State owns a record of 249-250 (.499) in Big 12 action.- K-State is 418-162 (.721) in its 38th-season inside Bramlage Coliseum, including a 148-54 (.733) record under Mittie.- The Wildcats are 268-197 (.576) in games played in the month of January. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 49-45 (.521) in games during the 1st&nbsp;month.TEAM NOTES- Wednesday’s win marked the first time K-State has won consecutive games since a three-game winning streak from November 3 to November 13.- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Tess Heal and Taryn Sides and forwards Nastja Claessens and Jenessa Cotton. This was the third time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 19th&nbsp;career start for Sides. This was the 18th&nbsp;career start for Garcia. Claessens made her 16th&nbsp;career start. This was the 15th&nbsp;start this season for Cotton. This was the 10th&nbsp;start at K-State for Heal and the 84th&nbsp;of her collegiate career.- This season, K-State owns 29 quarters with an effort of 50.0 percent or better shooting from the field, including the third (61.5) and fourth (57.1) quarters on Wednesday.- Since the start of the quarter-system in women’s college basketball in the 2015-16 season, K-State is 169-70 (.707) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter in a game, including a 9-5 mark this season. The Wildcats have 27 quarters this season with 20 or more points scored.PLAYER NOTES- Claessens reached double figures in points for the 11th&nbsp;time this season. She has paced K-State in scoring in four games. She has reached double figures in points in five Big 12 games.- Claessens hauled in six rebounds on Wednesday. This was her sixth game this season with five or more boards. This was her fourth game this season leading K-State on the boards.- Heal reached double figures for the 84th&nbsp;time in her career, including her 10th&nbsp;time this season. Heal’s collegiate career point total now stands at 1,670 points.- Heal pocketed four steals on Wednesday. Heal has three career games with four or more steals, including two this season. This was her 21st&nbsp;career game, including her seventh this season with two or more steals.- Sides tallied 10 or more points for the 30th&nbsp;time in her career and 12th&nbsp;time this season.- Sides buried two 3-pointers on Wednesday. This was her 15th game this season and the 46th&nbsp;of her career with two or more connections from 3-point range. With her two connections, Sides remains in 13th&nbsp;in program history for career 3-pointers (158).- Sides pocketed two steals. This was 22nd&nbsp;career game, including her 10th&nbsp;this season, with two or more steals.- Sides collected six rebounds on Wednesday. This was her 26th&nbsp;career game with five or more rebounds.- Garcia reached double figures for the fourth time this season.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach Jeff MittieOn the win…“I thought tonight was a struggle, but I was more pleased with our team play in the second half than I was in the first half. There was a better collective competitive spirit about them in the second half than there was in the first half. I think Houston does some things that give us problems, and they play a style that isn't our best basketball. We have fallen into that trap a couple times now in the second quarter of where we have fallen into their style of basketball, and that has been too tempting for us to not get into. So give them credit for that.”On the advantages and disadvantages of playing a team twice within a month…“The teams aren’t different, unless there's injuries or something. You know, it's not like they've put more stuff in. There wasn't much that they hadn't done that we hadn't seen. But vice versa, there wasn't much we did that they hadn't seen either. So there were very few adjustments. I felt like we wanted to control the ball better than we did in Houston. We did that a little bit better. We obviously shot the ball better in the second half tonight, but yeah, I think the two-week gap between the teams are pretty similar right now.”On big plays down the stretch…“I thought there was just enough team play in that stretch. I thought our spacing was better. I thought our dribble use was more efficient than it was in the first half. And then I thought when we got downhill, we were stronger than we were in the first half. They, once again, I want to get back to they get you in a style that we're not necessarily good at. We're not great one-on-one players, but they put you in that style. And we made enough plays, one-on-one in that stretch. Taryn [Sides] made some good plays. Gina [Garcia] made some good plays. I thought Nastja [Claessens] had a really good second half. Tess [Heal] had a stretch there where she was good. So we didn't play great tonight, but we played just good enough.”On what he is like about his team at this point…“I like the fact that we're getting different contributions from different players. You look back during this week, we've had Ramiya White play a really prominent role. We've had Tess Heal have good games. We had Taryn [Sides] step up and have a good second half. She did not play well against Houston, the first time. Gina Garcia has had back-to-back good games coming off of the week off. So I feel like she's refreshed. So I think that we're seeing a better balance than we saw maybe before Christmas.”Houston Head Coach Matthew MitchellOpening Statement…“Well, great basketball game tonight, and you have to give Kansas State a lot of credit. They made some plays down the stretch that were really strong, but I’m just proud of our group. We are competing hard, and I thought we came into a tough place to played against a really good team and and really competed tonight and we're building this program each and every day into something that's going to be real special. And I just know we're going to have a breakthrough soon, but the players continue to work hard, continue to get better, and as disappointing as the result is tonight, we know that we are on the right track here, and tonight was another step forward for us. And we just have to keep going.”&nbsp;On what's been the toughest thing about playing K-State…“Well, the toughest thing about playing Kansas State is they're really well coached, and they have really good players, and they play with tremendous discipline and toughness, and so they're just a quality team. And I think probably playing them close together is probably more beneficial than challenging, just because you're familiar with it. And even in our preparation, your players are pretty fresh on our players' minds. So the quality team really did some impressive things down the stretch, but I thought our, you know, energy in the fourth quarter was going to allow us to get over the hump, but they just made a couple more plays than we did.”On being the biggest challenge after halftime….“Well, I think the biggest thing that really hurt us was transition threes. They were able to get hot from the three, if we could just have a couple of possessions back where we could have gotten matched up a little bit better. And we've been improving in that, you know, and we did a good job for most of the game. But I think that, I don't know if it was a seven zero run or eight zero run, I think that's kind of the difference in the game, that one short little period where they were able to make some transition threes to get up on us.”FROM THE FLOORK-State Senior Guard Tess HealOn the first 2026 home win…&nbsp;“We're really appreciative of all the fans that come out and support us every night. We always get great crowds, and, you know, we go all the places and they don't have the same support. So shout out to all our supporters. We're really happy to have them, and we're really grateful for them.”On being focused on staying grounded against Houston…“We've talked about a number of times as a team, the Big 12 is a great league, and it really doesn't matter if you're ranked, if you're zero and five, if you're 10 and one, it really doesn't matter it's whatever team shows up on the night. That's the team that's going to get the win. So whether it's Texas Tech, whether it's Iowa State, whether it's Houston, whether it's Baylor, it doesn't matter. We have to show up as the best versions of ourselves, and we want to keep that momentum from Texas Tech. But we were ultimately focused on us being a better basketball team and continuing to improve.”On being the biggest change in the second half…“I agree with Taryn. I think before small turnovers, we got up and at them, and it really worked for us. And I think we moved the ball a little better as well. I think it moved to different people. Different people got hot, and that was really good.”K-State Junior Guard Taryn SidesOn the win…“It felt good. We've talked a lot this week about going on a win streak here, and we have a good opportunity to do that, and it started tonight, and I'm just glad to be back in Bram and get a win.”On being the biggest change in the second half…“I think our energy has picked up. We went into a harder and more intense press. And I think when we do that, we all kind of get amped up, and we tend to play better.”On continuing to improve as the season goes along…&nbsp;“ think it's just a boost of confidence when you can stack wins together. And we know we've been capable of it, we just haven't quite finished games. And so getting a win today hopefully will lead to this weekend, and then hopefully we go on a long winning streak now.”&nbsp;K-State Junior Forward Nastja ClaessensOn being focused and staying grounded against Houston…“I think we just kept the same energy, and we were really dedicated to getting that winning streak. We wanted to continue to play great together and get a win.”UP NEXTK-State stays in the state of Kansas on Sunday, as the Wildcats travel to Lawrence for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at 12 p.m.