<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5c612b67-d56d-460c-b1dd-a0af370c87f6?elinkdata=31997">Matthew Garber</a> had a big offensive night, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a4d6c5cc-d078-44d8-9e3e-f55b5c53d824?elinkdata=31997">Caiden Punt</a> posted a double-double, but it wasn't enough for Kansas Wesleyan to overcome a first-half lull and Central Methodist's two-head scoring monster.

Isaiah Reams and Raphael Gay combined for 54 points in leading CMU to an 82-70 victory in the Coyote Classic on Saturday night inside Mabee Arena.

Garber, a Sabetha native and transfer from Cloud County, led KWU with 18 points while Punt, a transfer from Central Oklahoma, had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0588c15e-e217-4ab4-9495-e0c54776526f?elinkdata=31997">Brandon Avedon</a> added 11 points, nine in the second half.

Punt's field goal with 10:20 left in the first half gave the Coyotes a 22-17 lead but the Eagles (3-1) responded with an 18-3 run over the next eight minutes and led 35-25 with 2:22 left before halftime. Wesleyan trailed 39-30 at the break.

Garber's 3-pointer at the 10:08 mark ignited a 7-0 Coyote burst that trimmed the deficit to 56-51 with 8:52 remaining. Central Methodist, though, regained control by tallying 12 of the next 17 points for a 68-56 lead with 4:37 left. KWU (0-2) got no closer than nine (72-63) at the 3:00 mark.

Reams scored 17 points and Gay 11 in the second half while Tommie Williams finished with 10 rebounds, eight points, four assists and four steals. CMU shot 50.8 percent for the game (30 of 59), scored 23 points off 15 Coyote turnovers and committed 11 turnovers.

Garber was 4 of 7 beyond the 3-point arc, 5 of 9 shooting overall and had three assists and three rebounds. KWU shot 39.7 percent (23 of 58) including 7 of 20 from long range, won the rebounding battle 36-32 and had 13 second chance points to the Eagles' four.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5c612b67-d56d-460c-b1dd-a0af370c87f6?elinkdata=31997">Matthew Garber</a> had a big offensive night, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a4d6c5cc-d078-44d8-9e3e-f55b5c53d824?elinkdata=31997">Caiden Punt</a> posted a double-double, but it wasn't enough for Kansas Wesleyan to overcome a first-half lull and Central Methodist's two-head scoring monster.Isaiah Reams and Raphael Gay combined for 54 points in leading CMU to an 82-70 victory in the Coyote Classic on Saturday night inside Mabee Arena.Garber, a Sabetha native and transfer from Cloud County, led KWU with 18 points while Punt, a transfer from Central Oklahoma, had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0588c15e-e217-4ab4-9495-e0c54776526f?elinkdata=31997">Brandon Avedon</a> added 11 points, nine in the second half.Punt's field goal with 10:20 left in the first half gave the Coyotes a 22-17 lead but the Eagles (3-1) responded with an 18-3 run over the next eight minutes and led 35-25 with 2:22 left before halftime. Wesleyan trailed 39-30 at the break.Garber's 3-pointer at the 10:08 mark ignited a 7-0 Coyote burst that trimmed the deficit to 56-51 with 8:52 remaining. Central Methodist, though, regained control by tallying 12 of the next 17 points for a 68-56 lead with 4:37 left. KWU (0-2) got no closer than nine (72-63) at the 3:00 mark.Reams scored 17 points and Gay 11 in the second half while Tommie Williams finished with 10 rebounds, eight points, four assists and four steals. CMU shot 50.8 percent for the game (30 of 59), scored 23 points off 15 Coyote turnovers and committed 11 turnovers.Garber was 4 of 7 beyond the 3-point arc, 5 of 9 shooting overall and had three assists and three rebounds. KWU shot 39.7 percent (23 of 58) including 7 of 20 from long range, won the rebounding battle 36-32 and had 13 second chance points to the Eagles' four.

🏀 KWU Men's Basketball falls to Central Methodists 82-70 in Coyote Classic

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Basketball coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b4337656-dffb-48f4-9d3f-c650897eb8df?elinkdata=32133">Harper Taylor</a> picked up her first collegiate head coaching win on Saturday as the Coyotes blitzed the William Penn Statesmen 71-45 inside Mabee Arena in the Coyote Classic.

Wesleyan got wins in every quarter, but a 24-13 advantage in the first set the tone for the night.

A bucket plus free throw by freshman <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/15afeeef-72ae-40fa-b23d-6a32ab2a7f39?elinkdata=32133">Raegann McDonald</a> gave the Coyotes a 7-6 lead with 7:28 left in the first, a lead that would not be relinquished the rest of the night.

Seven straight points from <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cee648bc-a355-4a27-abf2-e5ac5ce6cbca?elinkdata=32133">Izzy McCool</a> gave the Coyotes a 14-8 lead with 6:03 to go, and a bucket by game leading scorer <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/03089efc-24d1-44dd-b442-82f37d83359d?elinkdata=32133">Jocelyn Hall</a> made it 16-8 with 5:32 left.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/20d84e96-16b2-43df-923e-4acc601e48fe?elinkdata=32133">Emma Gertken's</a> score with two minutes left in the quarter gave KWU a 24-12 lead before taking a 24-13 lead after one quarter.

McDonald's score with 4:46 left in the second pushed the Coyote lead out to 20 points at 35-15. William Penn got within 14 before Hall's score with just under a minute left made it 29-23 at the half.

Wesleyan extended the lead in the third, pushing the margin out to 23 points on a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6b311417-8a74-4036-a35e-7f80ea123c69?elinkdata=32133">Adriana DiPrima</a> with 4:36 left in the quarter at 50-27.

The Coyotes got the lead out to 29 points with 3:03 left in the game on a score by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/30e0600e-fded-4c10-94ed-0b994d5e082f?elinkdata=32133">Addison Denney</a> that made it 67-38.

Hall's 19 led all scorers in the game as KWU shot 29 of 61 from the field for 47.5 percent and hit 5 of 20 3-point tries in the game. McDonald had her first collegiate double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Hall added seven boards and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d6ab6f90-1f8a-4ec7-96fb-ad76f54d4343?elinkdata=32133">Odessa Ozuna</a> had six. Ozuna and DiPrima had five assists each.

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Basketball coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b4337656-dffb-48f4-9d3f-c650897eb8df?elinkdata=32133">Harper Taylor</a> picked up her first collegiate head coaching win on Saturday as the Coyotes blitzed the William Penn Statesmen 71-45 inside Mabee Arena in the Coyote Classic.Wesleyan got wins in every quarter, but a 24-13 advantage in the first set the tone for the night.A bucket plus free throw by freshman <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/15afeeef-72ae-40fa-b23d-6a32ab2a7f39?elinkdata=32133">Raegann McDonald</a> gave the Coyotes a 7-6 lead with 7:28 left in the first, a lead that would not be relinquished the rest of the night.Seven straight points from <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cee648bc-a355-4a27-abf2-e5ac5ce6cbca?elinkdata=32133">Izzy McCool</a> gave the Coyotes a 14-8 lead with 6:03 to go, and a bucket by game leading scorer <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/03089efc-24d1-44dd-b442-82f37d83359d?elinkdata=32133">Jocelyn Hall</a> made it 16-8 with 5:32 left.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/20d84e96-16b2-43df-923e-4acc601e48fe?elinkdata=32133">Emma Gertken's</a> score with two minutes left in the quarter gave KWU a 24-12 lead before taking a 24-13 lead after one quarter.McDonald's score with 4:46 left in the second pushed the Coyote lead out to 20 points at 35-15. William Penn got within 14 before Hall's score with just under a minute left made it 29-23 at the half.Wesleyan extended the lead in the third, pushing the margin out to 23 points on a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6b311417-8a74-4036-a35e-7f80ea123c69?elinkdata=32133">Adriana DiPrima</a> with 4:36 left in the quarter at 50-27.The Coyotes got the lead out to 29 points with 3:03 left in the game on a score by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/30e0600e-fded-4c10-94ed-0b994d5e082f?elinkdata=32133">Addison Denney</a> that made it 67-38.Hall's 19 led all scorers in the game as KWU shot 29 of 61 from the field for 47.5 percent and hit 5 of 20 3-point tries in the game. McDonald had her first collegiate double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Hall added seven boards and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d6ab6f90-1f8a-4ec7-96fb-ad76f54d4343?elinkdata=32133">Odessa Ozuna</a> had six. Ozuna and DiPrima had five assists each.

🏀 Taylor gets first coaching victory as Women’s Basketball routs William Penn 71-45

There was a lot to be proud of for Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer on Saturday night at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

The Coyotes celebrated the 2025 seniors and secured the No. 3 seed in the KCAC Men's Soccer Tournament thanks to a 7-0 win over the Avila University Eagles.

KWU will host Tabor College on Tuesday at JRI Stadium in the KCAC quarterfinals.

Wesleyan wrapped the regular season the same way it started with a 7-0 count. KWU opened the year with a 7-0 win over Central Christian College of the Bible back on August 23.

Just like in the season opener, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1f2f9c05-0b7a-478d-99a2-8d5ded3d9e09?elinkdata=32099">Mateo Hoyos</a> had a big night for the Coyotes against Avila. He recorded a hat trick for the Coyotes in the win.

Wesleyan's first goal came in the seventh minute by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/202bae0a-ba84-4a7c-a40c-c010db3df991?elinkdata=32099">Noel Zimbeva</a>.

After a brief break with no goals, the Coyotes got back to work again. Hoyos netted his first in the 28th minute, and just over a minute later, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/befb3448-4adf-4260-80f2-653f83169946?elinkdata=32099">Seth Flores</a> scored to make it 3-0.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a29ff86e-a1cf-4380-a7e0-d43d52729cfe?elinkdata=32099">Skyler Denny</a> was next for the Coyotes with a 67th minute goal assisted by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/710a7785-c58a-42db-a13b-841d2cfa5804?elinkdata=32099">Juan Manuel Lozada Leon</a>.

Then it was back-to-back goals for Hoyos for the Coyotes to complete his hat trick.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c38cc045-e106-45f8-9db4-8d6461daf847?elinkdata=32099">Pierre Gueguen</a> capped the scoring with an 85th minute goal.

KWU outshot Avila 27-1 in the match, putting 20 shots on frame. Hoyos and Denny led the Coyotes with four shots each.

There was a lot to be proud of for Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer on Saturday night at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.The Coyotes celebrated the 2025 seniors and secured the No. 3 seed in the KCAC Men's Soccer Tournament thanks to a 7-0 win over the Avila University Eagles.KWU will host Tabor College on Tuesday at JRI Stadium in the KCAC quarterfinals.Wesleyan wrapped the regular season the same way it started with a 7-0 count. KWU opened the year with a 7-0 win over Central Christian College of the Bible back on August 23.Just like in the season opener, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1f2f9c05-0b7a-478d-99a2-8d5ded3d9e09?elinkdata=32099">Mateo Hoyos</a> had a big night for the Coyotes against Avila. He recorded a hat trick for the Coyotes in the win.Wesleyan's first goal came in the seventh minute by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/202bae0a-ba84-4a7c-a40c-c010db3df991?elinkdata=32099">Noel Zimbeva</a>.After a brief break with no goals, the Coyotes got back to work again. Hoyos netted his first in the 28th minute, and just over a minute later, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/befb3448-4adf-4260-80f2-653f83169946?elinkdata=32099">Seth Flores</a> scored to make it 3-0.The 3-0 lead would hold to the half.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a29ff86e-a1cf-4380-a7e0-d43d52729cfe?elinkdata=32099">Skyler Denny</a> was next for the Coyotes with a 67th minute goal assisted by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/710a7785-c58a-42db-a13b-841d2cfa5804?elinkdata=32099">Juan Manuel Lozada Leon</a>.Then it was back-to-back goals for Hoyos for the Coyotes to complete his hat trick.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c38cc045-e106-45f8-9db4-8d6461daf847?elinkdata=32099">Pierre Gueguen</a> capped the scoring with an 85th minute goal.KWU outshot Avila 27-1 in the match, putting 20 shots on frame. Hoyos and Denny led the Coyotes with four shots each.

⚽️ KWU Men’s Soccer locks in No. 3 seed in KCAC Tournament after 7-0 rout of Avila

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer ended the regular season with a 2-0 shutout victory over the Avila University Eagles on Saturday at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

The victory locks the Coyotes in as the No. 3 seed in the KCAC Women's Soccer Tournament which begins on Wednesday with quarterfinal match-ups at the home site of the higher seeded team.

KWU will host Saint Mary on Wednesday at JRI Stadium. Kickoff time will be finalized by Monday at the latest.

The teams played a relatively even match in the first half, but it was the Coyotes who struck in the 23rd minute. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8c8e46dc-a158-40e5-95f8-78a626b9c71f?elinkdata=32065">Emma Gervy</a> sent one home for the Coyotes off an assist by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/eded3fc8-f97d-424a-be11-e6587fe0bde9?elinkdata=32065">Victoria Poon</a>.

Just moments into the second half, the Coyotes scored again. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9640f821-282b-4f8e-b94a-38817da1175c?elinkdata=32065">Minaya Winchester</a> served a corner kick into the box and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a76fb663-aa44-4b09-9a07-f30fa2f303f2?elinkdata=32065">Rylie Moreno-Rojas</a> was able to score it and give the Coyotes a 2-0 lead in the 47th minute.

Avila had a couple of late chances at goals but were stopped by Wesleyan keeper <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5c94024b-f46e-49b3-b9a6-41a126b8bcf1?elinkdata=32065">Isabella Galvan</a>.

KWU outshot Avila 11-6 in the match. Moreno-Rojas had five shots for the Coyotes. Galvan recorded five saves in goal.

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer ended the regular season with a 2-0 shutout victory over the Avila University Eagles on Saturday at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.The victory locks the Coyotes in as the No. 3 seed in the KCAC Women's Soccer Tournament which begins on Wednesday with quarterfinal match-ups at the home site of the higher seeded team.KWU will host Saint Mary on Wednesday at JRI Stadium. Kickoff time will be finalized by Monday at the latest.The teams played a relatively even match in the first half, but it was the Coyotes who struck in the 23rd minute. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8c8e46dc-a158-40e5-95f8-78a626b9c71f?elinkdata=32065">Emma Gervy</a> sent one home for the Coyotes off an assist by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/eded3fc8-f97d-424a-be11-e6587fe0bde9?elinkdata=32065">Victoria Poon</a>.Just moments into the second half, the Coyotes scored again. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9640f821-282b-4f8e-b94a-38817da1175c?elinkdata=32065">Minaya Winchester</a> served a corner kick into the box and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a76fb663-aa44-4b09-9a07-f30fa2f303f2?elinkdata=32065">Rylie Moreno-Rojas</a> was able to score it and give the Coyotes a 2-0 lead in the 47th minute.Avila had a couple of late chances at goals but were stopped by Wesleyan keeper <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5c94024b-f46e-49b3-b9a6-41a126b8bcf1?elinkdata=32065">Isabella Galvan</a>.KWU outshot Avila 11-6 in the match. Moreno-Rojas had five shots for the Coyotes. Galvan recorded five saves in goal.

⚽️ Coyote Women’s Soccer shuts out Avila to secure No. 3 seed in KCAC Tournament

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball cruised to a sweep of the Avila Eagles in the Coyotes' final road trip of the 2025 regular season on Saturday.

Wesleyan came away with a 25-10, 25-19, 25-17 win over the Eagles at Mabee Fieldhouse.

The Coyotes dominated in the final stat sheet report, scoring 56 offensive points, compared to 29 for Avila, and had more than twice as many kills as the Eagles - 45-22 in the match.

KWU sped out to an 8-2 lead in the first set and never looked back. It was 13-9 Coyotes when KWU went on a 4-0 run to make it 17-9. After Avila scored a point, it was all KWU the rest of the way. KWU scored the final eight points of the set for a 25-10 win.

Avila had a 7-4 lead in the second set, but the Coyotes outscored the Eagles 7-2 over the next nine points to take an 11-9 lead. Avila grabbed the lead again at 13-11, but a 5-1 run from the Coyotes gave KWU a 17-15 lead. The Eagles came back and tied it at 18, but the Coyotes scored the next six, all on kills, to make it 24-18. Avila got a point before the Coyotes closed out the set with a 25-19 win.

The Eagles led 4-1 in the third, but again the Coyotes rallied with an 8-2 run that gave KWU a 9-6 lead. Avila got as close as 10-8, but got no closer as the lead extended to 16-9 on a service ace by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a58ab0f7-4524-433f-82cd-2e0e04b4616b?elinkdata=32031">Campbell Bohling</a>. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bf0f2bda-ebe4-4181-a930-21a186ce4c53?elinkdata=32031">Avery Conner's</a> block closed out the match.

Only two players - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c93dc669-e373-4b2a-8fc7-20d549d73441?elinkdata=32031">Blair Pennington</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dc6f0533-8f32-40e8-96c8-c1ef6c8b6bf6?elinkdata=32031">Tristyn Hedman</a> - played all three sets of the match for the Coyotes, with most of the 17 players who played seeing two sets of action. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/432f80c7-f526-4360-a3a1-ef5658ba8216?elinkdata=32031">Kylee Harris</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/064538cb-1c69-475b-986e-08e197c03da9?elinkdata=32031">Rylee Serpan</a> had nine kills each to lead the Coyotes who hit .272 as a team. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c1f78031-606d-4f06-82e2-29f6c800bf20?elinkdata=32031">Blair Pennington</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/16ecd165-c8ea-4d32-9885-6d569c69ff9e?elinkdata=32031">Sara Bebout</a> had 14 assists each. Hedman had 21 digs.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball cruised to a sweep of the Avila Eagles in the Coyotes' final road trip of the 2025 regular season on Saturday.Wesleyan came away with a 25-10, 25-19, 25-17 win over the Eagles at Mabee Fieldhouse.The Coyotes dominated in the final stat sheet report, scoring 56 offensive points, compared to 29 for Avila, and had more than twice as many kills as the Eagles - 45-22 in the match.KWU sped out to an 8-2 lead in the first set and never looked back. It was 13-9 Coyotes when KWU went on a 4-0 run to make it 17-9. After Avila scored a point, it was all KWU the rest of the way. KWU scored the final eight points of the set for a 25-10 win.Avila had a 7-4 lead in the second set, but the Coyotes outscored the Eagles 7-2 over the next nine points to take an 11-9 lead. Avila grabbed the lead again at 13-11, but a 5-1 run from the Coyotes gave KWU a 17-15 lead. The Eagles came back and tied it at 18, but the Coyotes scored the next six, all on kills, to make it 24-18. Avila got a point before the Coyotes closed out the set with a 25-19 win.The Eagles led 4-1 in the third, but again the Coyotes rallied with an 8-2 run that gave KWU a 9-6 lead. Avila got as close as 10-8, but got no closer as the lead extended to 16-9 on a service ace by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a58ab0f7-4524-433f-82cd-2e0e04b4616b?elinkdata=32031">Campbell Bohling</a>. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bf0f2bda-ebe4-4181-a930-21a186ce4c53?elinkdata=32031">Avery Conner's</a> block closed out the match.Only two players - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c93dc669-e373-4b2a-8fc7-20d549d73441?elinkdata=32031">Blair Pennington</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dc6f0533-8f32-40e8-96c8-c1ef6c8b6bf6?elinkdata=32031">Tristyn Hedman</a> - played all three sets of the match for the Coyotes, with most of the 17 players who played seeing two sets of action. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/432f80c7-f526-4360-a3a1-ef5658ba8216?elinkdata=32031">Kylee Harris</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/064538cb-1c69-475b-986e-08e197c03da9?elinkdata=32031">Rylee Serpan</a> had nine kills each to lead the Coyotes who hit .272 as a team. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c1f78031-606d-4f06-82e2-29f6c800bf20?elinkdata=32031">Blair Pennington</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/16ecd165-c8ea-4d32-9885-6d569c69ff9e?elinkdata=32031">Sara Bebout</a> had 14 assists each. Hedman had 21 digs.

🏐 KWU WVB gets sweep of Avila

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jalon Daniels led four second-half touchdown drives as Kansas overcame a sluggish first half to trounce Oklahoma State 38-21 on Saturday. Kansas (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) snapped a two-game losing streak.

“We (only) had 10 points (in the first half), but we scored on both possessions,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “We just didn’t get off the field. It was a very fast first half.

"I think we established a little better running game in the second half, that gave us the balance that we needed.”

Daniels said it was just a matter of sticking with the game plan, and a fierce effort by the offensive line.

“Hats off to big old offensive linemen,” Daniels said. “They played a pivotal role in today’s game. Then the running backs doing everything that they can to gain every single inch, every single yard. And I think that just goes to show the resilience of our team.”

Zane Flores was 22-of-28 passing for 235 yards and two touchdowns for Oklahoma State (1-8, 0-6 Big 12), which lost its eighth straight game and 15th straight Big 12 game.

“It’s hard to pinpoint a moment when it went bad,” Oklahoma State interim coach Doug Meacham said. “It could be the field goal block (at the end of the first half). We could have gone in with some momentum. It’s just that fine of a line.

“What we have to do a better job of is when things don’t go the way we want them to, we have to put them to bed.”

Kansas took the second-half kickoff and went 75 yards in 10 plays to open up a two-score lead. Daniels hit Boden Groen in the back of the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown.

After an OSU three-and-out, Daniels found Bryson Canty for a 5-yard touchdown pass and a 24-7 lead. A Flores-to-Gavin Freeman’s 10-yard touchdown pass drew the Cowboys within 24-14, but Kansas answered with 3-yard and 5-yard touchdown runs by Daniel Hishaw Jr. and Leshon Williams, respectively.

Daniels handed the ball to Williams on the last 10 plays on the drive.

“I don’t remember the last time that I’ve done that,” Daniels said. “But the more and more I got every single play call, I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s go.’

Oklahoma State went 75 yards on 10 plays on the opening drive, taking a 7-0 lead on a Flores 12-yard pass to Shamar Rigby. Kansas responded with a 13-play drive, but stalled in the red zone, settling for a 39-yard Laith Marjan field goal.

OSU then held the ball for 14 plays on its next possession, but missed a 44-yard field goal attempt, giving the ball — and the momentum — back to Kansas. Kansas marched 73 yards in 15 plays for the go-ahead score. Hishaw bounced off a couple of defenders before scampering in from the 3-yard line.

OSU’s 19-yard field goal attempt was blocked to end the half.

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys struggled in all three phases, including missing two makeable field goals.

Kansas: The Jayhawks can still reach a bowl. They need one victory in their next three games: at Arizona and Iowa State and against Utah.

Oklahoma State hosts Kansas State Nov. 15.

Kansas will travel to face Arizona on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762039226895.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jalon Daniels led four second-half touchdown drives as Kansas overcame a sluggish first half to trounce Oklahoma State 38-21 on Saturday. Kansas (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) snapped a two-game losing streak.“We (only) had 10 points (in the first half), but we scored on both possessions,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “We just didn’t get off the field. It was a very fast first half."I think we established a little better running game in the second half, that gave us the balance that we needed.”Daniels said it was just a matter of sticking with the game plan, and a fierce effort by the offensive line.“Hats off to big old offensive linemen,” Daniels said. “They played a pivotal role in today’s game. Then the running backs doing everything that they can to gain every single inch, every single yard. And I think that just goes to show the resilience of our team.”Zane Flores was 22-of-28 passing for 235 yards and two touchdowns for Oklahoma State (1-8, 0-6 Big 12), which lost its eighth straight game and 15th straight Big 12 game.“It’s hard to pinpoint a moment when it went bad,” Oklahoma State interim coach Doug Meacham said. “It could be the field goal block (at the end of the first half). We could have gone in with some momentum. It’s just that fine of a line.“What we have to do a better job of is when things don’t go the way we want them to, we have to put them to bed.”Kansas took the second-half kickoff and went 75 yards in 10 plays to open up a two-score lead. Daniels hit Boden Groen in the back of the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown.After an OSU three-and-out, Daniels found Bryson Canty for a 5-yard touchdown pass and a 24-7 lead. A Flores-to-Gavin Freeman’s 10-yard touchdown pass drew the Cowboys within 24-14, but Kansas answered with 3-yard and 5-yard touchdown runs by Daniel Hishaw Jr. and Leshon Williams, respectively.Daniels handed the ball to Williams on the last 10 plays on the drive.“I don’t remember the last time that I’ve done that,” Daniels said. “But the more and more I got every single play call, I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s go.’Oklahoma State went 75 yards on 10 plays on the opening drive, taking a 7-0 lead on a Flores 12-yard pass to Shamar Rigby. Kansas responded with a 13-play drive, but stalled in the red zone, settling for a 39-yard Laith Marjan field goal.OSU then held the ball for 14 plays on its next possession, but missed a 44-yard field goal attempt, giving the ball — and the momentum — back to Kansas. Kansas marched 73 yards in 15 plays for the go-ahead score. Hishaw bounced off a couple of defenders before scampering in from the 3-yard line.OSU’s 19-yard field goal attempt was blocked to end the half.<h2>The takeaway</h2>Oklahoma State: The Cowboys struggled in all three phases, including missing two makeable field goals.Kansas: The Jayhawks can still reach a bowl. They need one victory in their next three games: at Arizona and Iowa State and against Utah.<h2>Up next</h2>Oklahoma State hosts Kansas State Nov. 15.Kansas will travel to face Arizona on Saturday.

🏈 Kansas uses second-half surge to pull away from Oklahoma State

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Behren Morton threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns in his return from an injury, J'Koby Williams ran for 135 yards and a score, and No. 13 Texas Tech romped past sloppy, mistake-prone Kansas State 43-20 on Saturday.

Cameron Dickey also had a touchdown run for the Red Raiders (8-1, 5-1 Big 12), who forced five turnovers while snapping an eight-game losing streak against the Wildcats (4-5, 3-3) with their first win in Manhattan since the 2008 season.

“That was a huge win,” said Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire, who arrived for his postgame news conference wearing a T-shirt with a photo of former Kansas State linebacker-turned-Red Raiders athletic director Kirby Hocutt across the front of it.

“This is no disrespect to K-State,” McGuire said. “It's a tip of my hat to my AD who played linebacker here, and it's been a long time since we beat Kansas State. ... I know it was a big win for him and a huge win for this team.”

Texas Tech is off to its best start in conference play since that year, when Mike Leach guided the team to the Cotton Bowl.

“Winning the turnover battle is a huge thing for us," said Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, the preseason Big 12 defensive player of the year, who forced two of the fumbles. "And we knew we had to do that to win.”

Avery Johnson threw for 199 yards and a touchdown while running for 86 and two more scores. But Kansas State's quarterback also threw two interceptions and was responsible for a late fumble that Texas Tech returned for a touchdown.

Along with the slew of turnovers, the Wildcats also were 0 for 4 on fourth down.

“I thought our guys battled on defense,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. "We just didn’t have enough.”

Morton, who had been out of the lineup with a leg injury, opened the game with an interception of his own. But Johnson threw a pick right back, and it was the beginning of a messy first half in which both failed on fourth down, Kansas State lost a fumble and Texas Tech nearly did the same.

The Red Raiders eventually made Kansas State pay for its mistakes, though.

They turned a fumble by Jayce Brown into a touchdown to take a 9-7 lead. They turned a three-and-out late in the first half into a 55-yard field goal. And they turned another fumble, this time from Garrett Oakley on the fourth play of the second half, into a 41-yard run by Williams that silenced the crowd and gave Texas Tech a 19-7 lead.

“Some things happened that absolutely can’t happen when you play a team like that,” Klieman said.

Johnson tried to answer with his second TD run for Kansas State, but Texas Tech's offense kept on going. Stone Harrington drilled another field goal and Caleb Douglas hauled in a short touchdown throw to make it 29-14 heading into the fourth quarter.

Texas Tech's defense took care of the rest.

After the Wildcats scored with 12:44 to go, the Red Raiders stopped the 2-point try to keep it a two-score game. Later in the quarter, they stuffed Johnson for a loss on fourth down near midfield. And when the Texas Tech offense fumbled the ball right back, the Red Raiders again stopped the Wildcats on fourth down with less than 6 minutes to go.

Texas Tech linebacker John Curry returned Johnson's fumble for a touchdown with 4:52 left to put the game away.

“I’m really, really proud of the way we handled adversity today," Morton said. “We got down and we fought back.”

Texas Tech hardly played a clean game — the turnovers hurt, as did some penalties. But with Morton back under center, the Red Raiders were able to overcome them against a team that was coming off an emotional win over rival Kansas.

Kansas State simply made too many mistakes, and not just the turnovers and penalties. Brown and Oakley dropped passes at key points in the game, the latter when the Wildcats turned it over on downs late in the fourth quarter.

Texas Tech returns home to play No. 10 BYU next Saturday.

Kansas State is off before visiting Oklahoma State on Nov. 15.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762039347577.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Behren Morton threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns in his return from an injury, J'Koby Williams ran for 135 yards and a score, and No. 13 Texas Tech romped past sloppy, mistake-prone Kansas State 43-20 on Saturday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">No better start to game day <a href="https://t.co/KGzuOef6uT">pic.twitter.com/KGzuOef6uT</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1984679985206997127?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Cameron Dickey also had a touchdown run for the Red Raiders (8-1, 5-1 Big 12), who forced five turnovers while snapping an eight-game losing streak against the Wildcats (4-5, 3-3) with their first win in Manhattan since the 2008 season.“That was a huge win,” said Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire, who arrived for his postgame news conference wearing a T-shirt with a photo of former Kansas State linebacker-turned-Red Raiders athletic director Kirby Hocutt across the front of it.“This is no disrespect to K-State,” McGuire said. “It's a tip of my hat to my AD who played linebacker here, and it's been a long time since we beat Kansas State. ... I know it was a big win for him and a huge win for this team.”Texas Tech is off to its best start in conference play since that year, when Mike Leach guided the team to the Cotton Bowl.“Winning the turnover battle is a huge thing for us," said Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, the preseason Big 12 defensive player of the year, who forced two of the fumbles. "And we knew we had to do that to win.”Avery Johnson threw for 199 yards and a touchdown while running for 86 and two more scores. But Kansas State's quarterback also threw two interceptions and was responsible for a late fumble that Texas Tech returned for a touchdown.Along with the slew of turnovers, the Wildcats also were 0 for 4 on fourth down.“I thought our guys battled on defense,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. "We just didn’t have enough.”Morton, who had been out of the lineup with a leg injury, opened the game with an interception of his own. But Johnson threw a pick right back, and it was the beginning of a messy first half in which both failed on fourth down, Kansas State lost a fumble and Texas Tech nearly did the same.The Red Raiders eventually made Kansas State pay for its mistakes, though.They turned a fumble by Jayce Brown into a touchdown to take a 9-7 lead. They turned a three-and-out late in the first half into a 55-yard field goal. And they turned another fumble, this time from Garrett Oakley on the fourth play of the second half, into a 41-yard run by Williams that silenced the crowd and gave Texas Tech a 19-7 lead.“Some things happened that absolutely can’t happen when you play a team like that,” Klieman said.Johnson tried to answer with his second TD run for Kansas State, but Texas Tech's offense kept on going. Stone Harrington drilled another field goal and Caleb Douglas hauled in a short touchdown throw to make it 29-14 heading into the fourth quarter.Texas Tech's defense took care of the rest.After the Wildcats scored with 12:44 to go, the Red Raiders stopped the 2-point try to keep it a two-score game. Later in the quarter, they stuffed Johnson for a loss on fourth down near midfield. And when the Texas Tech offense fumbled the ball right back, the Red Raiders again stopped the Wildcats on fourth down with less than 6 minutes to go.Texas Tech linebacker John Curry returned Johnson's fumble for a touchdown with 4:52 left to put the game away.“I’m really, really proud of the way we handled adversity today," Morton said. “We got down and we fought back.”<h2>The takeaway</h2>Texas Tech hardly played a clean game — the turnovers hurt, as did some penalties. But with Morton back under center, the Red Raiders were able to overcome them against a team that was coming off an emotional win over rival Kansas.Kansas State simply made too many mistakes, and not just the turnovers and penalties. Brown and Oakley dropped passes at key points in the game, the latter when the Wildcats turned it over on downs late in the fourth quarter.<h2>Up next</h2>Texas Tech returns home to play No. 10 BYU next Saturday.Kansas State is off before visiting Oklahoma State on Nov. 15.

🏈 Texas Tech takes advantage of turnovers to beat K-State 

The Coyotes are on the road for a Kansas Conference and Gene Bissell Division game against the fourth-ranked Friends Falcons.

Friends won last year's game 28-26 in Wichita after KWU had won the previous nine contests dating back to 2015. The Coyotes are 16-8 against the Falcons since 2001.

"I think playing within the system has helped (Domena) big time. He's done what's been asked of him. We're pretty meticulous on how we do certain things, and I think that's the difference that you've seen. He's a good back; there's no question about that.

"End of the day it's about players and you've got to fit what you have. If you don't have a bunch of man press cornerbacks and guys that get in people's face you have to do other things. I think (defensive coordinator David) Leonard and his staff have done a good job of mixing that stuff up.

"It's just how physical (the Friends offense) is. If you miss a tackle or you miss a read, a three-yard gain can turn into an 88-yard touchdown. The other thing is not many people run (the option) anymore so it's really hard to prepare for it in a short amount of time.

"(Baker) is special and they're really good up front. I think they're good offensively and defensively they create constant havoc and chaos and play really well too."

"(The linebacking corps) gives tremendous effort week in and week out and they support me as well. We feed off each other. When they make plays, it makes me want to make a play and vice versa.

"(The defensive backs) make my job way easier. I don't have to focus on the back that much because I know those guys have the pass game locked down. They allow me and the guys in front of me and the guys next to me to play the run and make sure we're doing our job. (The line) is doing a great job too. I haven't had an offensive lineman in my face in eight weeks so they're making my job easier too.

"I think our confidence level is pretty high. Those (next three) teams are really talented, and I think that we have a really talented team as well. We have to be fully dialed in like we have been in these past few weeks. Just buy into what the coaches are telling us to do, watching film and really preparing for these games."

The Coyotes are on the road for a Kansas Conference and Gene Bissell Division game against the fourth-ranked Friends Falcons.GAME INFORMATION<ul>
 <li>Kickoff: 1 p.m.</li><li>Day: Saturday</li><li>Location: Equity Bank Park, Wichita</li><li>Records: Kansas Wesleyan 6-2, 2-0 Bissell Division; Friends 8-0, 2-0</li>
 </ul>LIVE COVERAGE<ul>
 <li>The video stream of the game will be available online on the Urban Edge Network (<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/43e29598-5793-4d60-85be-cf168ccf04b9?elinkdata=31929">https://urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/2844</a>). The game will also be streamed on the KCAC Network (<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/14d76809-3265-4554-ad71-de0a4203f2ee?elinkdata=31929">https://kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan/</a>) The KINA Radio Pregame Show with Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson.</li><li>Live Stats will be available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f6e8d7a6-912a-486a-bf13-f53dd34d0a72?elinkdata=31929">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary</a></li><li>Radio coverage will be on KINA starting at noon with Henry and Garretson. The online radio stream is available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/39773a66-842e-4cbc-b629-9dc736ec608d?elinkdata=31929">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>.</li>
 </ul>THE SERIESFriends won last year's game 28-26 in Wichita after KWU had won the previous nine contests dating back to 2015. The Coyotes are 16-8 against the Falcons since 2001.KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Coyotes trounced Sterling 35-0 on Homecoming last Saturday at rainy JRI Hospitality Stadium. It was their second consecutive victory heading into their final three games of the regular season against No. 4 Friends, No. 21 McPherson and No. 18 Southwestern.</li><li>Domena, a senior running back, had a career-best effort against Sterling rushing for 259 yards on 40 carries and three touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 51 yards and was chosen as the KCAC Offensive Player of the Week. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f19ce239-25db-42a3-87f8-04b60bfb87a3?elinkdata=31929">Henry Austad</a> threw for 148 yards and a touchdown and ran one yard for another score.</li><li>The defense intercepted five Sterling passes, two by safety <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/acb41523-baa9-4237-8645-cb1133abb50d?elinkdata=31929">Taylor Collins</a> for the second consecutive week. The Coyotes also had six sacks, three by linebacker <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a72da96c-9fca-4517-9c76-4781ecbb0213?elinkdata=31929">Gavin Skerik</a>. Sterling finished with 25 yards rushing on 24 attempts.</li><li>KWU's allowing 67.8 yards rushing per game - fourth in the NAIAA - but will be tested against Friends' flexbone offense that leads the NAIA in rushing yards per game. The Coyotes rank fourth in points allowed at 10.8.</li><li>Friends won last year's game on a 40-yard field goal as time expired. The Falcons had 407 yards rushing but fumbled eight times losing four. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a001b790-5156-49a1-983e-cec4d2389670?elinkdata=31929">Luke Armstrong</a> had 79 yards rushing and a touchdown for KWU.</li>
 </ul>FRIENDS AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Falcons lead the NAIA in scoring (54.4 points), rushing yards (465) and yards per carry (8.2). They defeated Southwestern 42-28 last Saturday in Winfield.</li><li>Four Falcons have at least 496 yards rushing - E'derian Sykes 675, quarterback K'Vonte Baker 651, Nick Cordova 631 and Michael Lopez 496. Baker is 10 of 20 passing for 320 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.</li><li>Defensively, Friends is No. 1 in the NAIA in rushing yards allowed (47.4) and has 28 sacks. Linebacker Tyson Wallace has a team-best 33 tackles.</li><li>Baker had 110 yards rushing on 20 carries and a touchdown and 53 yards passing and another score against KWU last year. Elias Pino led the offense with 134 yards rushing on 10 carries and a TD.</li><li>Friends is coached by Terry Harrison who's in his fourth season. He coached Bethel for four years before heading to Wichita. He was head coach at Wichita Heights High School for five years before taking the Bethel job.</li>
 </ul>KWU HEAD COACH MATT MIDDLETON"I think playing within the system has helped (Domena) big time. He's done what's been asked of him. We're pretty meticulous on how we do certain things, and I think that's the difference that you've seen. He's a good back; there's no question about that."End of the day it's about players and you've got to fit what you have. If you don't have a bunch of man press cornerbacks and guys that get in people's face you have to do other things. I think (defensive coordinator David) Leonard and his staff have done a good job of mixing that stuff up."It's just how physical (the Friends offense) is. If you miss a tackle or you miss a read, a three-yard gain can turn into an 88-yard touchdown. The other thing is not many people run (the option) anymore so it's really hard to prepare for it in a short amount of time."(Baker) is special and they're really good up front. I think they're good offensively and defensively they create constant havoc and chaos and play really well too."LINEBACKER D.J. MORGAN"(The linebacking corps) gives tremendous effort week in and week out and they support me as well. We feed off each other. When they make plays, it makes me want to make a play and vice versa."(The defensive backs) make my job way easier. I don't have to focus on the back that much because I know those guys have the pass game locked down. They allow me and the guys in front of me and the guys next to me to play the run and make sure we're doing our job. (The line) is doing a great job too. I haven't had an offensive lineman in my face in eight weeks so they're making my job easier too."I think our confidence level is pretty high. Those (next three) teams are really talented, and I think that we have a really talented team as well. We have to be fully dialed in like we have been in these past few weeks. Just buy into what the coaches are telling us to do, watching film and really preparing for these games."NEXT WEEK

🏈 Coyotes head to Wichita to face No. 4 ranked Friends at Equity Bank Park on Saturday

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball got 23 points from newcomer <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/995af9ef-2445-4c7d-a361-70f6f8105261?elinkdata=31895">Caiden Punt</a>, but the Coyotes could not overcome a hot shooting night by the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves in Friday's season opener at Mabee Arena.

Nebraska Wesleyan shot 53 percent from the field on the way to the 81-69 win over the Coyotes in the Coyote Classic.

Nebraska Wesleyan has been a NCAA Division III power for several seasons, including a 2018 NCAA Division III National Championship and was ranked No. 9 in the D3hoops.com Men's Top 25 last season.

It was back and forth to start the game as both teams battled on the court. Trailing 19-16, KWU got four straight points on a <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b5013309-2b82-47ec-8bd8-e13a2727f3ba?elinkdata=31895">Stefan Spray</a> dunk and free throws by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/396486b4-fd2d-4337-94d9-90a4ef5fc07d?elinkdata=31895">Gabe Phillips</a> to take a 20-19 lead with 9:19 left in the first half.

NWU answered right back with six straight to take a 24-20 lead with 7:27 left in the half.

The Coyotes tied it again at 32 and took several 1-point leads before trailing 38-37 at the half.

The Prairie Wolves build an 8-point lead in the second half with just under 15 minutes left. NWU extended the lead to 56-46 with 13:57 left.

KWU managed to cut the lead to four at 66-62 with 7:30 left on a bucket by Punt, but a 13-3 run by Nebraska Wesleyan made it 79-65 with a minute left.

Punt's 23 led all scorers in the game, while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ac840bb6-cc41-4a58-8515-5b880fd6be05?elinkdata=31895">Brandon Avedon</a> had 13 in his Coyote debut and Spray had 14. KWU was 25 of 61 shooting for 41 percent for the game, but hit only 4 of 23 3-point tries. Punt had nine rebounds to lead the Coyotes to a 34-33 rebounding margin.

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball got 23 points from newcomer <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/995af9ef-2445-4c7d-a361-70f6f8105261?elinkdata=31895">Caiden Punt</a>, but the Coyotes could not overcome a hot shooting night by the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves in Friday's season opener at Mabee Arena.Nebraska Wesleyan shot 53 percent from the field on the way to the 81-69 win over the Coyotes in the Coyote Classic.Nebraska Wesleyan has been a NCAA Division III power for several seasons, including a 2018 NCAA Division III National Championship and was ranked No. 9 in the D3hoops.com Men's Top 25 last season.It was back and forth to start the game as both teams battled on the court. Trailing 19-16, KWU got four straight points on a <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b5013309-2b82-47ec-8bd8-e13a2727f3ba?elinkdata=31895">Stefan Spray</a> dunk and free throws by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/396486b4-fd2d-4337-94d9-90a4ef5fc07d?elinkdata=31895">Gabe Phillips</a> to take a 20-19 lead with 9:19 left in the first half.NWU answered right back with six straight to take a 24-20 lead with 7:27 left in the half.The Coyotes tied it again at 32 and took several 1-point leads before trailing 38-37 at the half.The Prairie Wolves build an 8-point lead in the second half with just under 15 minutes left. NWU extended the lead to 56-46 with 13:57 left.KWU managed to cut the lead to four at 66-62 with 7:30 left on a bucket by Punt, but a 13-3 run by Nebraska Wesleyan made it 79-65 with a minute left.Punt's 23 led all scorers in the game, while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ac840bb6-cc41-4a58-8515-5b880fd6be05?elinkdata=31895">Brandon Avedon</a> had 13 in his Coyote debut and Spray had 14. KWU was 25 of 61 shooting for 41 percent for the game, but hit only 4 of 23 3-point tries. Punt had nine rebounds to lead the Coyotes to a 34-33 rebounding margin.

🏀 Coyote Men’s Basketball falls in season opener to Nebraska Wesleyan 81-69

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/96d7c922-1deb-4d1f-bc76-511a2ac28363?elinkdata=31861">Harper Taylor</a>'s first game as head coach of the Kansas Wesleyan women's basketball team was a mixed bag.

Dakota State, the fourth-ranked team in the NAIA, defeated the Coyotes 81-61 in the Coyote Classic on Friday night inside Mabee Arena but Taylor saw plenty to like.

KWU trailed 35-30 at halftime and 56-53 after three quarters before DSU's size, depth and full court pressure took a toll.

Taylor's starting lineup Friday featured no returning starters from last season compared to the Trojans who returned four starters - one being Tabor Teel the North Star Conference Player of the Year and a second team All-American - from a team that finished 25-5 record and won a game in the NAIA National Championship.

"I'm really proud of how the first three quarters went, I wish we could have ended the game at the third quarter," said Taylor who came to KWU after spending the last two seasons as an assistant at Metro State-Denver. "I just know that we've got a young group, and we've got to be able to play and put together four quarters."

Wesleyan fell behind 20-7 in the first quarter but closed on a 12-2 run and trailed 22-19 entering the second period. The game remained close until halftime.

The Coyotes never led but pulled even twice in the third quarter at 46-46 and 48-48. They trailed 58-55 with 8:44 left in the game after an <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fe5a112c-b944-438f-8195-7fb0e4c6a8db?elinkdata=31861">Izzy McCool</a> basket but Dakota State scored the next 17 points and led 75-55 with 2:04 remaining.

"I am pleased, but I'm not complacent by any means," Taylor said. "I know that if we're going to be a top contender in the (Kansas Conference) we have to be able to take care of the ball. We have a limited number of people that can really bring it up court right now and we've got to be able to overcome that challenge. It was great to see the girls be able to compete, but I still think that we've got a long way to go."

McCool, a transfer from Dordt, scored a team-best 14 points on 6 of 11 shooting and had six rebounds. Point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1c32f7a8-c18f-48c9-abd3-20080e299299?elinkdata=31861">Odessa Ozuna</a>, KWU's top reserve a year ago, had 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds while playing 36 minutes. Freshman center <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/676bec4a-0a7f-4f9e-af63-066c47bb05fa?elinkdata=31861">Raegann McDonald</a> was impressive in her college debut with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Dakota State (2-0) scored 27 points off KWU's 23 turnovers and used its considerable size advantage to outscore the Coyotes 64-28 in the paint.

"We had 12 turnovers at half, and I said if we could keep the turnovers under 12 in the second half we'd have a chance," Taylor said. "I know that we're learning an entirely new press break with this group, and they were able to hold it together for three quarters. When they got tired is when there were breakdowns."

Taylor had no qualms with her team's energy and intensity.

"They played really hard," she said. "There were a couple moments where I could just see that dogfight in them going after 50-50 balls. Like I said if we want to be a top contender in the KCAC we're going to have to have that all year long."

Teel finished with 27 points and eight rebounds and Cierra Watkins had 15 points and 10 rebounds for DSU.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/96d7c922-1deb-4d1f-bc76-511a2ac28363?elinkdata=31861">Harper Taylor</a>'s first game as head coach of the Kansas Wesleyan women's basketball team was a mixed bag.Dakota State, the fourth-ranked team in the NAIA, defeated the Coyotes 81-61 in the Coyote Classic on Friday night inside Mabee Arena but Taylor saw plenty to like.KWU trailed 35-30 at halftime and 56-53 after three quarters before DSU's size, depth and full court pressure took a toll.Taylor's starting lineup Friday featured no returning starters from last season compared to the Trojans who returned four starters - one being Tabor Teel the North Star Conference Player of the Year and a second team All-American - from a team that finished 25-5 record and won a game in the NAIA National Championship."I'm really proud of how the first three quarters went, I wish we could have ended the game at the third quarter," said Taylor who came to KWU after spending the last two seasons as an assistant at Metro State-Denver. "I just know that we've got a young group, and we've got to be able to play and put together four quarters."Wesleyan fell behind 20-7 in the first quarter but closed on a 12-2 run and trailed 22-19 entering the second period. The game remained close until halftime.The Coyotes never led but pulled even twice in the third quarter at 46-46 and 48-48. They trailed 58-55 with 8:44 left in the game after an <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fe5a112c-b944-438f-8195-7fb0e4c6a8db?elinkdata=31861">Izzy McCool</a> basket but Dakota State scored the next 17 points and led 75-55 with 2:04 remaining."I am pleased, but I'm not complacent by any means," Taylor said. "I know that if we're going to be a top contender in the (Kansas Conference) we have to be able to take care of the ball. We have a limited number of people that can really bring it up court right now and we've got to be able to overcome that challenge. It was great to see the girls be able to compete, but I still think that we've got a long way to go."McCool, a transfer from Dordt, scored a team-best 14 points on 6 of 11 shooting and had six rebounds. Point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1c32f7a8-c18f-48c9-abd3-20080e299299?elinkdata=31861">Odessa Ozuna</a>, KWU's top reserve a year ago, had 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds while playing 36 minutes. Freshman center <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/676bec4a-0a7f-4f9e-af63-066c47bb05fa?elinkdata=31861">Raegann McDonald</a> was impressive in her college debut with eight points and 10 rebounds.Dakota State (2-0) scored 27 points off KWU's 23 turnovers and used its considerable size advantage to outscore the Coyotes 64-28 in the paint."We had 12 turnovers at half, and I said if we could keep the turnovers under 12 in the second half we'd have a chance," Taylor said. "I know that we're learning an entirely new press break with this group, and they were able to hold it together for three quarters. When they got tired is when there were breakdowns."Taylor had no qualms with her team's energy and intensity."They played really hard," she said. "There were a couple moments where I could just see that dogfight in them going after 50-50 balls. Like I said if we want to be a top contender in the KCAC we're going to have to have that all year long."Teel finished with 27 points and eight rebounds and Cierra Watkins had 15 points and 10 rebounds for DSU.

🏀 KWU WBB falters in fourth quarter falling to No. 4 Dakota State 81-61 in season opemer

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“(Isiah) Pacheco, no practice today. Josh (Simmons), no practice, and then Jaylon Moore was ill, so he didn’t practice today. But he’ll be back in and ready to go. Other than that, everybody was in there. Look forward to the challenge of playing the Bills. We know they’re a good football team. Should be a heck of an atmosphere, it always is up there. Our guys had a good week of preparation. With that, time’s yours.”

Q: What is your expectation with Isiah Pacheco? Do you think he will sit out on Sunday?

REID:&nbsp;“There’s a good chance he (Isiah Pacheco) is listed as out. Breaking news, you can get it first.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you expect Trey Smith to play on Sunday?

Q: How has Elijah Mitchell handled his reserve role that isn’t active on gameday?

REID:&nbsp;“We’ll see how that all works out there. We haven’t made any decisions on what we’re going to do there. He’s (Elijah Mitchell) handled everything great. He works his tail off.”

Q: Do you have any interesting memories about being in the Bills Stadium?

REID:&nbsp;“There have been some great games. It’s a neat stadium (Highmark Stadium). All of these old stadiums are disappearing. I think it’s a great venue and has been for a long time. But times change and things – people move on. It looks like the new stadium is beautiful.”

Q: Can you share your thoughts on DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick being on opposite sidelines last night?

REID:&nbsp;“I was talking with (Offensive Coordinator) Matt Nagy just, what are the odds of that in Lincoln Financial (Field). It was crazy. It was fun to watch though I took a peek at it. DeSean (Jackson), he sent me a picture of sitting at my old desk as the head coach, which was interesting.”

Q: Did you see head coaching material in both of them?

REID:&nbsp;“Well both (DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick) of them are real smart. They were heading in different directions, and I thought they were going to go into the media side of things. But I can definitely see them doing that. DeSean’s dad was always coaching him as a youth. He always had a little bit of that passion to follow that. Both of them are just real smart kids, so if they decide that’s what they’re going to do, they will be very good at it. Looks like DeSean might have the better team (Delaware State) right now and then Michael is kind of building that thing up (Norfolk State).”

Q: Xavier Worthy hasn’t been on the injury report this week, is that an indication that his shoulder injury is behind him?

REID:&nbsp;“He (Xavier Worthy) just goes 100 mph (chuckles). I check on him during the game and not as much at practice. We’re not hitting him in practice. I check on him during the game, and he is always telling me everything is fine. He doesn’t want to be on any injury reports or anything, I know (chuckles).”

Q: Today is Halloween, is there any chance you will be passing out candy this afternoon?

REID: “Probably not this afternoon. I know they don’t do it at night anymore, but I’ve got to stay here for a while. But I’ll live it vicariously. I’ve got a few grandkids, so they all have different outfits they wear and go out. Thank goodness for cellphones.”

Q:&nbsp;What have the last few months been like?

PENNEL:&nbsp;“It has been crazy man. You know, the NFL experience though. Just glad to be back. A lot of trips (and) a lot of stops but glad to be here.”

Q:&nbsp;Has there always been a soft spot for Kansas City in your heart?

PENNEL:&nbsp;“Oh, always. I mean my family is long standing Kansas City Chiefs fans. Even though we all bleed red, we bleed a little bit of yellow too for KC. My family’s here, the doctor who cured me and went through chemo is here. It’s always, you know attached me here. Everyone knows I love KC, come on now (laughs).”

Q:&nbsp;Were you watching Chiefs games and know you could help out?

PENNEL:&nbsp;“Oh, I mean always. I’m a student of the game. Being on as many teams, I have a lot of friends who play so I’m always checking out games on Sundays and trying to catch everybody and my young guys (to see) if they’re doing successful on other teams.”

Q:&nbsp;Does the offense feel like they are working on all levels?

SMITH-SCHUSTER:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think we have a great system here. Between our offense, especially with (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) putting the game plan together and us going out there and executing. I think he (Coach Reid) puts us in the best situation to go out there to perform at our best. Entirely, I don’t think it’s just our offense. I think it’s our defense too and our special teams. They set up the field positioning and set us up to put us in great position to go down and score. And also, just momentum changers. I think it takes all three teams to make it happen.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you see yourself as an intangible guy?

SMITH-SCHUSTER:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think being here and playing with (Travis) Kelce, he’s (Travis Kelce) been a guy that I kind of learn a lot of just ball. It’s fun, I think being on the field with him you kind of learn so much but at the same time, I can see myself being in the role, being intangible. Being able to work where I need to be worked at. I feel like I’m in a role right now where, wherever (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) needs to play me at to fill that void and make the best of it.”

Q:&nbsp;On the aggressiveness of the offense.

SMITH-SCHUSTER:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) believes in us and our mentality. As a group, when we’re in a huddle and its fourth and one (or) fourth and inches, it’s like there’s no question in doubt we’re going to get this first down and we all truly believe that. We believe in our running backs to make the play. We believe in our o-line to make the right blocks. This week, they call me big hippo because I’m one of the big guys (and) I’m on the line of scrimmage too making those blocks. It’s the belief, right? It’s the belief that we’re going to be aggressive every single play and especially on those fourth and inches because one, it keeps the drive momentum going, but it also – as a defense, and vice versa too, it’s just kind of like that momentum just kind of crushes them. I think for us, it’s just more so making our plays and getting those stops.”

MCDUFFIE:&nbsp;“I mean, we know what they’re (Bills) bringing to the table, you know what I mean? (Bills QB) Josh Allen is having a great year. The offense is rolling. They got some receivers that can make plays, and I think their biggest thing is (Bills RB) James Cook right now. He’s (James Cook) running the ball really well and doing some good things with him, so it’s really going to come down to what we can do on the back end and making sure our details are right, and our eyes are right.”

Q:&nbsp;On tackling Bills running back James Cook on the outside.

MCDUFFIE:&nbsp;“100%. I think as defensive backs, especially corners, we’re used to it. I think (Defense Coordinator Steve) Spags relies heavily on us filling in on the run game (and) setting edges, just another week that we have to do our job at a high level.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you think makes you feel like a shutdown corner?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesOctober 31, 2025OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“(Isiah) Pacheco, no practice today. Josh (Simmons), no practice, and then Jaylon Moore was ill, so he didn’t practice today. But he’ll be back in and ready to go. Other than that, everybody was in there. Look forward to the challenge of playing the Bills. We know they’re a good football team. Should be a heck of an atmosphere, it always is up there. Our guys had a good week of preparation. With that, time’s yours.”Q: What is your expectation with Isiah Pacheco? Do you think he will sit out on Sunday?REID:&nbsp;“There’s a good chance he (Isiah Pacheco) is listed as out. Breaking news, you can get it first.”Q:&nbsp;Do you expect Trey Smith to play on Sunday?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah.”Q: How has Elijah Mitchell handled his reserve role that isn’t active on gameday?REID:&nbsp;“We’ll see how that all works out there. We haven’t made any decisions on what we’re going to do there. He’s (Elijah Mitchell) handled everything great. He works his tail off.”Q: Do you have any interesting memories about being in the Bills Stadium?REID:&nbsp;“There have been some great games. It’s a neat stadium (Highmark Stadium). All of these old stadiums are disappearing. I think it’s a great venue and has been for a long time. But times change and things – people move on. It looks like the new stadium is beautiful.”Q: Can you share your thoughts on DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick being on opposite sidelines last night?REID:&nbsp;“I was talking with (Offensive Coordinator) Matt Nagy just, what are the odds of that in Lincoln Financial (Field). It was crazy. It was fun to watch though I took a peek at it. DeSean (Jackson), he sent me a picture of sitting at my old desk as the head coach, which was interesting.”Q: Did you see head coaching material in both of them?REID:&nbsp;“Well both (DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick) of them are real smart. They were heading in different directions, and I thought they were going to go into the media side of things. But I can definitely see them doing that. DeSean’s dad was always coaching him as a youth. He always had a little bit of that passion to follow that. Both of them are just real smart kids, so if they decide that’s what they’re going to do, they will be very good at it. Looks like DeSean might have the better team (Delaware State) right now and then Michael is kind of building that thing up (Norfolk State).”Q: Xavier Worthy hasn’t been on the injury report this week, is that an indication that his shoulder injury is behind him?REID:&nbsp;“He (Xavier Worthy) just goes 100 mph (chuckles). I check on him during the game and not as much at practice. We’re not hitting him in practice. I check on him during the game, and he is always telling me everything is fine. He doesn’t want to be on any injury reports or anything, I know (chuckles).”Q: Today is Halloween, is there any chance you will be passing out candy this afternoon?REID: “Probably not this afternoon. I know they don’t do it at night anymore, but I’ve got to stay here for a while. But I’ll live it vicariously. I’ve got a few grandkids, so they all have different outfits they wear and go out. Thank goodness for cellphones.”Chiefs Player QuotesOctober 31, 2025NT MIKE PENNELQ:&nbsp;What have the last few months been like?PENNEL:&nbsp;“It has been crazy man. You know, the NFL experience though. Just glad to be back. A lot of trips (and) a lot of stops but glad to be here.”Q:&nbsp;Has there always been a soft spot for Kansas City in your heart?PENNEL:&nbsp;“Oh, always. I mean my family is long standing Kansas City Chiefs fans. Even though we all bleed red, we bleed a little bit of yellow too for KC. My family’s here, the doctor who cured me and went through chemo is here. It’s always, you know attached me here. Everyone knows I love KC, come on now (laughs).”Q:&nbsp;Were you watching Chiefs games and know you could help out?PENNEL:&nbsp;“Oh, I mean always. I’m a student of the game. Being on as many teams, I have a lot of friends who play so I’m always checking out games on Sundays and trying to catch everybody and my young guys (to see) if they’re doing successful on other teams.”WR JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTERQ:&nbsp;Does the offense feel like they are working on all levels?SMITH-SCHUSTER:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think we have a great system here. Between our offense, especially with (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) putting the game plan together and us going out there and executing. I think he (Coach Reid) puts us in the best situation to go out there to perform at our best. Entirely, I don’t think it’s just our offense. I think it’s our defense too and our special teams. They set up the field positioning and set us up to put us in great position to go down and score. And also, just momentum changers. I think it takes all three teams to make it happen.”Q:&nbsp;Do you see yourself as an intangible guy?SMITH-SCHUSTER:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think being here and playing with (Travis) Kelce, he’s (Travis Kelce) been a guy that I kind of learn a lot of just ball. It’s fun, I think being on the field with him you kind of learn so much but at the same time, I can see myself being in the role, being intangible. Being able to work where I need to be worked at. I feel like I’m in a role right now where, wherever (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) needs to play me at to fill that void and make the best of it.”Q:&nbsp;On the aggressiveness of the offense.SMITH-SCHUSTER:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) believes in us and our mentality. As a group, when we’re in a huddle and its fourth and one (or) fourth and inches, it’s like there’s no question in doubt we’re going to get this first down and we all truly believe that. We believe in our running backs to make the play. We believe in our o-line to make the right blocks. This week, they call me big hippo because I’m one of the big guys (and) I’m on the line of scrimmage too making those blocks. It’s the belief, right? It’s the belief that we’re going to be aggressive every single play and especially on those fourth and inches because one, it keeps the drive momentum going, but it also – as a defense, and vice versa too, it’s just kind of like that momentum just kind of crushes them. I think for us, it’s just more so making our plays and getting those stops.”CB TRENT MCDUFFIEQ:&nbsp;On the Buffalo offense.MCDUFFIE:&nbsp;“I mean, we know what they’re (Bills) bringing to the table, you know what I mean? (Bills QB) Josh Allen is having a great year. The offense is rolling. They got some receivers that can make plays, and I think their biggest thing is (Bills RB) James Cook right now. He’s (James Cook) running the ball really well and doing some good things with him, so it’s really going to come down to what we can do on the back end and making sure our details are right, and our eyes are right.”Q:&nbsp;On tackling Bills running back James Cook on the outside.MCDUFFIE:&nbsp;“100%. I think as defensive backs, especially corners, we’re used to it. I think (Defense Coordinator Steve) Spags relies heavily on us filling in on the run game (and) setting edges, just another week that we have to do our job at a high level.”Q:&nbsp;What do you think makes you feel like a shutdown corner?

Chiefs Quotes: 10-31-25

Omaha (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Summit League) at (rv/25) K-State (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big 12)

Monday, November 3, 2025&nbsp; |&nbsp; 6:30 p.m. |&nbsp; Bramlage Coliseum (11,010)&nbsp; |&nbsp; Manhattan, Kan.

Call (800) 221-CATS or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>

<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com</a>

• K-State leads the series with Omaha, 8-0.

• This is the third time in the last eight seasons the schools will meet in a season-opener.

• Head coach Jeff Mittie is 8-1 in his career against Omaha.

K-State Set to Open 58th Season of WBB on Monday

MANHATTAN, Kansas -&nbsp; (rv/25) K-State begins its 58th season of action, as the Wildcats host Omaha in Bramlage Coliseum at 6:30 p.m. Monday’s game is the earliest season-opener in program history.

• This is the third time in the last eight seasons that K-State and Omaha will open a women’s basketball season against each other.

• Monday’s game can be seen live on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Missy Heidrick (analyst) and Hannah Whetstone (sideline) will have the call.

Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball

• K-State head coach Jeff Mittie is prepared for his 12th season in Manhattan. He owns a 218-143 (.604) record and nine postseason appearances with the Wildcats. Mittie owns the second-most wins at the helm of K-State WBB (Deb Patterson, 350). His 672 career wins at NCAA programs ranks ninth among active NCAA Division I head coaches and second among active Big 12 coaches.

• K-State’s roster of 12 for the 2025-26 season features nine new faces including four true freshmen (Aniya Foy, Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod and Jordan Speiser) and five transfers (Izela Arenas, Nastja Claessens, Jenessa Cotton, Tess Heal and Ramiya White).

3. Cats Picked For 7th in Big 12 Poll

• K-State was chosen to finish seventh in the 2025-26 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll.

• Junior guard Taryn Sides had a breakout season in 2024-25. Among sophomores in the nation, Sides was second for 3-point percentage (min. 60 or more 3-pt field goals made) and was fourth with 84 three-point field goals made.

• Senior guard Tess Heal is the only Wildcat on the 2025-26 roster with collegiate starts on her resume. Heal has started 74 games in her collegiate career, with 66 coming at Santa Clara and eight at Stanford in 2024-25.

• Omaha enters Monday’s season-opener after being picked for an eighth-place finish in the Summit League in the preseason coaches and media poll.

• The Mavericks finished the 2024-25 season with a 14-17 overall record, including a 5-11 mark in the Summit League.

• Omaha is guided on the sideline by first-year head coach Jamie Carey. The 2004 graduate of Texas had served as the associate head coach at UTSA the previous four seasons.

• The top returning scorer and rebounder for the Mavericks is junior forward Cora Olsen. The product of Omaha, Neb., averaged 9.4 points and hauled in 3.2 rebounds in 18 games last season.

Mittie Starts 12th season at K-State

• Jeff Mittie, one of the winningest active coaches in NCAA Division I with over 650 career wins, is in his 12th season at the helm of the K-State program and his 34th as an NCAA head coach.

• Mittie, the ninth head women’s basketball coach in K-State history, owns an overall career record of 672-378 (.640), including a 218-143 (.604) mark in his time at K-State. He has won 19 or more games in eight of his previous 11 seasons with K-State.

• Mittie is a two-time Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year Watch List honoree, 2023-24 and 2024-25.

• His 672 career wins at NCAA programs ranks ninth among active NCAA Division I head coaches and second among active Big 12 coaches. Mittie registered the 650th win of his coaching career, a 92-66 victory over DePaul on Nov. 27, 2024.

• With his 218 wins at Kansas State, Mittie ranks second for wins at the helm of the K-State program.

• Mittie is the third-longest tenured head coach in K-State women’s basketball history and currently the longest tenured head coach of any sport at K-State.

• He has averaged 20.4 wins per season and experienced only two losing seasons in his 33 seasons.

• Mittie has 24 postseason appearances in his career (NCAA or WNIT Tournaments), in which he has a combined record of 26-22 (.542). He ranks second in program history for NCAA Tournament appearances with six, trailing Deb Patterson’s program record nine appearances. Mittie is 6-6 in his six NCAA Tournament appearances with the Wildcats.

• K-State will open the 2025-26 season ranked 25th in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll.

GAME #1Omaha (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Summit League) at (rv/25) K-State (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big 12)Monday, November 3, 2025&nbsp; |&nbsp; 6:30 p.m. |&nbsp; Bramlage Coliseum (11,010)&nbsp; |&nbsp; Manhattan, Kan.TICKETS &amp; PROMOTIONSCall (800) 221-CATS or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>Postgame autographs in the Shamrock ZoneTELEVISIONESPN+Play-by-Play: Brian SmollerAnalyst: Missy HeidrickSideline: Hannah WhetstoneLIVE STATS<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com</a>SERIES HISTORY vs. Omaha8-0• K-State leads the series with Omaha, 8-0.• This is the third time in the last eight seasons the schools will meet in a season-opener.• Head coach Jeff Mittie is 8-1 in his career against Omaha.K-State Set to Open 58th Season of WBB on MondayMANHATTAN, Kansas -&nbsp; (rv/25) K-State begins its 58th season of action, as the Wildcats host Omaha in Bramlage Coliseum at 6:30 p.m. Monday’s game is the earliest season-opener in program history.• This is the third time in the last eight seasons that K-State and Omaha will open a women’s basketball season against each other.• Monday’s game can be seen live on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Missy Heidrick (analyst) and Hannah Whetstone (sideline) will have the call.Starting 5Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball1. Mittie Set for 12th season• K-State head coach Jeff Mittie is prepared for his 12th season in Manhattan. He owns a 218-143 (.604) record and nine postseason appearances with the Wildcats. Mittie owns the second-most wins at the helm of K-State WBB (Deb Patterson, 350). His 672 career wins at NCAA programs ranks ninth among active NCAA Division I head coaches and second among active Big 12 coaches.2. Nice to Meet You• K-State’s roster of 12 for the 2025-26 season features nine new faces including four true freshmen (Aniya Foy, Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod and Jordan Speiser) and five transfers (Izela Arenas, Nastja Claessens, Jenessa Cotton, Tess Heal and Ramiya White).3. Cats Picked For 7th in Big 12 Poll• K-State was chosen to finish seventh in the 2025-26 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll.4. Taryn Up the Nets• Junior guard Taryn Sides had a breakout season in 2024-25. Among sophomores in the nation, Sides was second for 3-point percentage (min. 60 or more 3-pt field goals made) and was fourth with 84 three-point field goals made.5. Heal on Her Toes• Senior guard Tess Heal is the only Wildcat on the 2025-26 roster with collegiate starts on her resume. Heal has started 74 games in her collegiate career, with 66 coming at Santa Clara and eight at Stanford in 2024-25.At a Glance: Omaha• Omaha enters Monday’s season-opener after being picked for an eighth-place finish in the Summit League in the preseason coaches and media poll.• The Mavericks finished the 2024-25 season with a 14-17 overall record, including a 5-11 mark in the Summit League.• Omaha is guided on the sideline by first-year head coach Jamie Carey. The 2004 graduate of Texas had served as the associate head coach at UTSA the previous four seasons.• The top returning scorer and rebounder for the Mavericks is junior forward Cora Olsen. The product of Omaha, Neb., averaged 9.4 points and hauled in 3.2 rebounds in 18 games last season.Mittie Starts 12th season at K-State• Jeff Mittie, one of the winningest active coaches in NCAA Division I with over 650 career wins, is in his 12th season at the helm of the K-State program and his 34th as an NCAA head coach.• Mittie, the ninth head women’s basketball coach in K-State history, owns an overall career record of 672-378 (.640), including a 218-143 (.604) mark in his time at K-State. He has won 19 or more games in eight of his previous 11 seasons with K-State.• Mittie is a two-time Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year Watch List honoree, 2023-24 and 2024-25.• His 672 career wins at NCAA programs ranks ninth among active NCAA Division I head coaches and second among active Big 12 coaches. Mittie registered the 650th win of his coaching career, a 92-66 victory over DePaul on Nov. 27, 2024.• With his 218 wins at Kansas State, Mittie ranks second for wins at the helm of the K-State program.• Mittie is the third-longest tenured head coach in K-State women’s basketball history and currently the longest tenured head coach of any sport at K-State.• He has averaged 20.4 wins per season and experienced only two losing seasons in his 33 seasons.• Mittie has 24 postseason appearances in his career (NCAA or WNIT Tournaments), in which he has a combined record of 26-22 (.542). He ranks second in program history for NCAA Tournament appearances with six, trailing Deb Patterson’s program record nine appearances. Mittie is 6-6 in his six NCAA Tournament appearances with the Wildcats.K-State Among the Rankings• K-State will open the 2025-26 season ranked 25th in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll.• This was the fifth time K-State has appeared in the preseason Coaches Poll and second straight season.• The Wildcats have been ranked in 41 straight USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls dating back to Nov. 20, 2023.• K-State concluded the 2024-25 season ranked 15th in the final USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll.K-State in Season Openers• The Wildcats have been dominant in season-openers since the team’s first season in 1968-69. Kansas State is 48-9 (.842) in season openers and have won 23 of the last 25 season openers, including 14 straight.• Head coach Jeff Mittie is 27-6 (.818) in season-openers, including an 11-0 mark at K-State.K-State in Home Openers• Kansas State has won 31 of its last 33 home openers in Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats are 48-9 (.842) all-time in home openers and 33-4 (.892) in openers in Bramlage.• Head coach Jeff Mittie is 31-2 (.939) in home openers in his previous 33 seasons.Wildcats 400+ Wins in Bramlage• K-State is 413-157 (.725) all-time inside Bramlage Coliseum, which is in its 37th season of existence.• This season, K-State was 17-1 (.944) in home games. This tied for the fifth-longest home win streak in program history and tied for the second-longest in Bramlage. This was the longest in-season home win streak since 2002-03 (19). The .944 winning percentage this season was the best since going 19-1 (.950 in 2002-03.• This was the 34th time in program history that the Wildcats reached double figures in home victories. It was the 26th season K-State has won 10 or more games in Bramlage.• With this season’s 17 home wins and the 16 from the 2023-24 season, the 33 home wins by the Wildcats over the last two seasons are the most wins in Bramlage over a two-season span in program history.• In his career in games played in his home venue, head coach Jeff Mittie is 417-114 (.785) including a 143-49 (.745) record at K-State.• Kansas State has protected Bramlage Coliseum with determination against non-conference foes with a record of 238-30 (.888). Mittie is 84-9 (.903) in non-conference games in Bramlage.Remember the Month of November• In its 58 seasons of action, K-State has accumulated a record of 166-55 (.751) in the month of November. The Wildcats have won 54 of its last 66 games in the month of November.• Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 52-12 (.813) in November games.• The Wildcats have ended the 11th month with a .500 or better record in 14 straight seasons, including a 6-0 mark in 2016-17. Overall, K-State has registered a .500 or better record in November 45 times in its history.International Cats• K-State’s 2025-26 roster will have an international flair.• The Wildcats feature three players from three different countries: Nastja Claessens (Belgium), Gina Garcia (Spain) and Tess Heal (Australia). Claessens is the first player in program history from Belgium, while Heal is the second player to play for the Wildcats from Australia and Garcia is the third from Spain.• Claessens helped Belgium win the 2025 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket and was a member of the 2024 Belgian National Team at the Paris Olympics.• Garcia had a busy summer, as she helped Spain win the 2025 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket and the 2025 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket. Garcia was named to the All-Star Five in both events and captured MVP honors at the U20s.• In its history, K-State has had a letterwinner from five different foreign countries (Spain, 2; Ukraine, Canada, Australia and France, 1).K-State Top-25 in NCAA History for Wins• K-State is in its 58th season of action and ranks among the top programs in NCAA history for all-time wins.• K-State’s all-time record stands at 1,071-672 (.614) and the Wildcats enter the 2025-26 season ranked 21st in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history for program wins. The Wildcats were the 19th program in NCAA Division I history to reach 1,000 or more wins as a program and are one of four members of the Big 12 (Baylor, Utah, Texas Tech). K-State is averaging 18.5 wins per season.• K-State is one of three teams in the nation to be guided by an active head coach with 650 or more career wins and the program has surpassed the 1,000-win mark (UConn, NC State).• The Wildcats have accumulated 28 20-win seasons and have secured 413 victories inside Bramlage Coliseum.• K-State has 245 wins in the Big 12 Conference.• Kansas State has registered 276 victories when they were ranked in the Associated Press top-25 poll and achieved 95 wins against teams ranked in the AP poll.No Side Eye for Sides• Guard Taryn Sides kept the offensive attack rolling in her time on the floor.• In the 2024-25 season, Sides shot a career-high 43.3 percent from 3-point range (84-of-194). She ranked 17th in the nation for 3-point percentage. She ranked eighth in the Big 12 and 47th in the nation for 3-point field goals made per game (2.40). Sides has tallied 78.0 percent of her points this season from beyond the arc.• Among sophomores in the nation, Sides was second for 3-point percentage (min. 60 or more 3-point field goals made) and was fourth with 84 three-point field goals made.• Sides ranks second in program history for 3-point field goals made in a sophomore season. She was the fourth player in program history and ranked second (+58) to improve her made 3-pointers by 50 or more from one season to the next in program history.