Tickets for opening day are now on sale at <a href="http://www.windsurge.com/">www.windsurge.com</a>.&nbsp; Tickets went on sale today and individual tickets for the remaining 68 games will go on sale, January 23rd at 10 am.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Wind Surge open their season on Thursday, April 2nd at Equity Bank Park against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Kansas City Royals affiliate).

The 2026 home schedule will consist of 69 games taking place at Equity Bank Park from April through September. &nbsp; The schedule will be similar to recent seasons with most series beginning on a Tuesday and wrapping up on Sunday.&nbsp; This season, with the exception of July,&nbsp; most weekday home games will begin at 6:35 PM, an adjustment from years past.

The Wind Surge will also play its first Sunday Night home game in franchise history on July 5th at 6:05 as part of the celebration of America's 250th birthday, featuring three consecutive nights with postgame fireworks shows.&nbsp; The promotional schedule includes 17 fireworks shows, 23 giveaways, and much more.&nbsp; The full promotional calendar will be announced at a later date.&nbsp; Season tickets, group tickets and hospitality are on sale now.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tickets for opening day are now on sale at <a href="http://www.windsurge.com/">www.windsurge.com</a>.&nbsp; Tickets went on sale today and individual tickets for the remaining 68 games will go on sale, January 23rd at 10 am.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Wind Surge open their season on Thursday, April 2nd at Equity Bank Park against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Kansas City Royals affiliate).The 2026 home schedule will consist of 69 games taking place at Equity Bank Park from April through September. &nbsp; The schedule will be similar to recent seasons with most series beginning on a Tuesday and wrapping up on Sunday.&nbsp; This season, with the exception of July,&nbsp; most weekday home games will begin at 6:35 PM, an adjustment from years past.The Wind Surge will also play its first Sunday Night home game in franchise history on July 5th at 6:05 as part of the celebration of America's 250th birthday, featuring three consecutive nights with postgame fireworks shows.&nbsp; The promotional schedule includes 17 fireworks shows, 23 giveaways, and much more.&nbsp; The full promotional calendar will be announced at a later date.&nbsp; Season tickets, group tickets and hospitality are on sale now.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾️ Wind Surge tickets now on sale

The Kansas Shrine Bowl has announced the 88 players who have received invitations to play in the 53rd&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Welch Stadium on the campus of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. These invitations are the result of a selection process combining statewide media votes and Kansas Shrine Bowl coaching staff selections from a list of nearly 400 nominees. In addition to filling position specific needs on the roster, the selection process includes additional criteria regarding geographic restrictions, classification size, and limits on the number of players that may be selected per school. To learn more about the full selection process, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/SelectionProcess" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineBowl.com/SelectionProcess</a>.

All invited players must accept their invitation to officially be added to the 53rd&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl roster, in the case of a player declining their invitation or opting out of their commitment at any point prior to the game, a replacement player will be invited to fill the open roster spot. Roster replacements are selected and invited by the Kansas Shrine Bowl coaching staff.

“I’d like to congratulate these young men who have earned this opportunity, through their hard work and dedication as student-athletes, to be a part of something much bigger than just a game,” said Brice Kesler, Executive Director of the Kansas Shrine Bowl. “We can’t wait to welcome these players into the Kansas Shrine Bowl family and showcase their extraordinary talents, while making a life changing impact for the children who benefit from this annual Kansas tradition.”

In addition to playing in the annual East vs. West all-star football game, Kansas Shrine Bowl participants get the opportunity to meet and interact with the Patient Ambassadors from Shriners Children’s during the Hospital Experience event during game week. For many, the Hospital Experience is the highlight of their time at the Kansas Shrine Bowl and showcases the true purpose of the Kansas Shrine Bowl.

The Shrine Bowl of Kansas Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children’s Hospital. The Shrine Bowl of Kansas Inc. is the official fundraiser for Shriners Children’s in the state of Kansas. Shriners Children’s is a world-renowned healthcare system with hospitals, outpatient clinics, ambulatory care centers and outreach locations across the globe. Shriners Children’s is dedicated to improving the lives of children every day by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.

To show your support for these players and the children and families that benefit from the efforts of the Kansas Shrine Bowl, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/Support" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineBowl.com/Support</a>.

The Kansas Shrine Bowl has announced the 88 players who have received invitations to play in the 53rd&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Welch Stadium on the campus of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. These invitations are the result of a selection process combining statewide media votes and Kansas Shrine Bowl coaching staff selections from a list of nearly 400 nominees. In addition to filling position specific needs on the roster, the selection process includes additional criteria regarding geographic restrictions, classification size, and limits on the number of players that may be selected per school. To learn more about the full selection process, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/SelectionProcess" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineBowl.com/SelectionProcess</a>.All invited players must accept their invitation to officially be added to the 53rd&nbsp;Kansas Shrine Bowl roster, in the case of a player declining their invitation or opting out of their commitment at any point prior to the game, a replacement player will be invited to fill the open roster spot. Roster replacements are selected and invited by the Kansas Shrine Bowl coaching staff.“I’d like to congratulate these young men who have earned this opportunity, through their hard work and dedication as student-athletes, to be a part of something much bigger than just a game,” said Brice Kesler, Executive Director of the Kansas Shrine Bowl. “We can’t wait to welcome these players into the Kansas Shrine Bowl family and showcase their extraordinary talents, while making a life changing impact for the children who benefit from this annual Kansas tradition.”In addition to playing in the annual East vs. West all-star football game, Kansas Shrine Bowl participants get the opportunity to meet and interact with the Patient Ambassadors from Shriners Children’s during the Hospital Experience event during game week. For many, the Hospital Experience is the highlight of their time at the Kansas Shrine Bowl and showcases the true purpose of the Kansas Shrine Bowl.The Shrine Bowl of Kansas Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children’s Hospital. The Shrine Bowl of Kansas Inc. is the official fundraiser for Shriners Children’s in the state of Kansas. Shriners Children’s is a world-renowned healthcare system with hospitals, outpatient clinics, ambulatory care centers and outreach locations across the globe. Shriners Children’s is dedicated to improving the lives of children every day by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.To show your support for these players and the children and families that benefit from the efforts of the Kansas Shrine Bowl, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/Support" target="_blank">www.KansasShrineBowl.com/Support</a>.

Player Selections Announced for the 53rd Kansas Shrine Bowl

WACO, Texas –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks suffered a 79-64 defeat at No. 16 Baylor Sunday at Foster Pavilion.&nbsp;

Jaliya Davis led the Jayhawks with 21 points while S’Mya Nichols and Lilly Meister had 11 points apiece. Meister notched her second double-double as a Jayhawks with 10 rebounds. Davis has now scored at least 20 points in four straight games and five times in the seven games she’s played in.&nbsp;

Nichols tied her season high with seven assists while also moving up to No. 17 on KU’s all-time scoring list in the game. She now has 1,385 career points, passing Jaclyn Johnson, who scored 1,378 points as a Jayhawk from 1998-2001.&nbsp;

KU shot 45.3% from the field, but committed 20 turnovers and allowed 16 offensive rebounds, which led to 15 more shot attempts for Baylor. The Jayhawks had 17 assists on 24 made baskets and hit 10-of-13 (76.9 percent) attempts from the free throw line.&nbsp;

Kansas falls to 11-6 on the year and 1-4 in Big 12 play, while Baylor is now 15-3 (4-1 Big 12). The Jayhawks return to Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Jan. 14, to host Oklahoma State. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

“In the first half, some of it was self-sabotage. We committed fouls, we committed turnovers. Those are things in areas that we have to do better,” head coach Brandon Schneider said. “Then in the second half, they made some big shots whenever we did get the momentum. I thought that we played much better in the second half, we played even with the exception of the basket at the buzzer.”

Nichols and Meister scored the first four points of the game, giving KU an early 4-0 lead, but the Jayhawks were held to just five points the rest of the quarter. Baylor used an 11-1 run during the quarter to take the lead, and the Bears maintained an advantage of 17-9 after 10 minutes of play.

Kansas used a 4-0 run in the second quarter to get back within six at 27-21, but it was answered by an 8-0 spurt from Baylor as the Bears built their largest lead at 35-21. The Jayhawks continued to fight with a three-pointer from Libby Fandel and four consecutive points from Nichols that got KU within four before Baylor hit three-pointers on each of their last two possessions to go into the locker room up 44-30.

WACO, Texas –&nbsp;The Kansas Jayhawks suffered a 79-64 defeat at No. 16 Baylor Sunday at Foster Pavilion.&nbsp;Jaliya Davis led the Jayhawks with 21 points while S’Mya Nichols and Lilly Meister had 11 points apiece. Meister notched her second double-double as a Jayhawks with 10 rebounds. Davis has now scored at least 20 points in four straight games and five times in the seven games she’s played in.&nbsp;Nichols tied her season high with seven assists while also moving up to No. 17 on KU’s all-time scoring list in the game. She now has 1,385 career points, passing Jaclyn Johnson, who scored 1,378 points as a Jayhawk from 1998-2001.&nbsp;KU shot 45.3% from the field, but committed 20 turnovers and allowed 16 offensive rebounds, which led to 15 more shot attempts for Baylor. The Jayhawks had 17 assists on 24 made baskets and hit 10-of-13 (76.9 percent) attempts from the free throw line.&nbsp;Kansas falls to 11-6 on the year and 1-4 in Big 12 play, while Baylor is now 15-3 (4-1 Big 12). The Jayhawks return to Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Jan. 14, to host Oklahoma State. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.“In the first half, some of it was self-sabotage. We committed fouls, we committed turnovers. Those are things in areas that we have to do better,” head coach Brandon Schneider said. “Then in the second half, they made some big shots whenever we did get the momentum. I thought that we played much better in the second half, we played even with the exception of the basket at the buzzer.”Nichols and Meister scored the first four points of the game, giving KU an early 4-0 lead, but the Jayhawks were held to just five points the rest of the quarter. Baylor used an 11-1 run during the quarter to take the lead, and the Bears maintained an advantage of 17-9 after 10 minutes of play.Kansas used a 4-0 run in the second quarter to get back within six at 27-21, but it was answered by an 8-0 spurt from Baylor as the Bears built their largest lead at 35-21. The Jayhawks continued to fight with a three-pointer from Libby Fandel and four consecutive points from Nichols that got KU within four before Baylor hit three-pointers on each of their last two possessions to go into the locker room up 44-30.

🏀 Kansas WBB Comes up Short at No. 16 Baylor

MANHATTAN, KANSAS&nbsp;–&nbsp;Trailing by 19 points entering the fourth quarter, K-State pulled to within four points, but Utah made just enough shots to prevail, 80-73, in Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday evening.

K-State (9-9, 2-3 Big 12) was led by the trio of Tess Heal, Nastja Claessens and Izela Arenas. Heal carded a game-high 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting. Heal, a senior from Melbourne, Australia, is the fourth player in program history since 1981-82 to register 25 or more points with 11 or more made field goals and shoot 84.0 percent or better from the field. She is the first since Ayoka Lee tallied 36 points on 15 made field goals and 88.2 percent shooting against North Florida on Dec. 16, 2023.

Claessens, a junior from Waregem, Belgium, tallied 13 points, four rebounds and three steals.

Arenas, a sophomore from Los Angeles, California, came off the bench to card 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and pocketed three steals.

Utah (13-4, 4-1) was led by Reese Ross with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds and Grace Foster with 17 points.

- Trailing 62-41 after Ross scored a layup for the Utes to begin the fourth quarter, K-State responded with a 21-5 run to pull to within four, 67-63, with 3:07 remaining. During the run, Heal scored 11 points during the run, while Arenas added five and Claessens chipped in with four. Aiding in the comeback effort, K-State was a perfect 10-of-10 from the field for the first seven minutes of the stanza.

- Following the second Utah timeout, the Utes finished a three-point play from Maty Wilke and then added a 3-pointer from Foster to rebuild the advantage to 10, 73-63, with 2:09 left.

- Free throws by the Utes kept the margin at no less than 10 points until Heal connected on a three-pointer with 11 seconds left for the final margin.

- The Wildcats scored a season-high for any quarter 32 points in the fourth frame on 81.3 percent (13-of-16) shooting. The 32 points are the most in a fourth quarter for K-State since scoring a fourth quarter school record 34 points against Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, 2021.

- Utah put itself in position for its big fourth quarter lead by capturing the first half, 41-29, and shooting 55.2 percent (16-of-29) from the field in the opening half.

- The Wildcats started the third quarter with a four-point burst to narrow the margin to eight, 41-33. Utah answered with a 17-2 run to build its lead to 23, 58-35, with 2:06 left. K-State was held scoreless for over five minutes during the run.

- K-State ended the evening shooting 46.9 percent (30-of-64) from the field including 27.6 percent (8-of-29) from beyond the arc.

- Utah shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in three of the four quarter and finished at 50.0 percent (27-of-54) including 36.7 percent (11-of-30) from long distance.

- Utah leads the series with K-State, 5-4.&nbsp; The Wildcats are 2-3 in games played in Manhattan. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 11-9 in his career against Houston.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 681-387 (.638), including a mark of 227-152 (.599).

- In its 30th&nbsp;season of play in the Big 12, K-State owns a record of 247-250 (.497) in Big 12 action.

- K-State is 417-162 (.720) in its 38th-season inside Bramlage Coliseum, including a 147-54 (.731) record under Mittie.

- The Wildcats are 266-197 (.575) in games played in the month of January. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 46-45 (.505) in games during the 1st&nbsp;month.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Taryn Sides and Jordan Speiser and forward Nastja Claessens. This was the first time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 17th career starts for Sides and Harrod. This was the 16th career start for Garcia. Claessens made her 14th career start. Speiser made her third career start.

- This season, K-State owns 26 quarters with an effort of 50.0 percent or better shooting from the field, including the fourth (81.3) quarter on Saturday.

- The Wildcats’ bench outscored the Utes’ bench, 39-27. The Wildcats have had the edge in bench points in 15 games this season (8-7).

- Heal reached double figures for the 82nd&nbsp;time in her career, including her eighth time this season. This was her 29th&nbsp;career game with 20 or more points and her first this season. Heal’s collegiate career point total now stands at 1,643 points. She has led K-State in scoring in four straight games and five times this season.

- Heal is the first player since Ayoka Lee from March 9 to March 24, 2024, to register consecutive games of 20 or more points.

- Heal made two 3-pointers on Saturday. This was her 27th&nbsp;career game with two or more 3-point field goals made.

- Claessens scored in double figures for the 10th time this season and the fourth straight game.

- Sides buried two 3-pointers on Saturday. This was her 13th game this season and the 44th&nbsp;of her career with two or more connections from 3-point range. With her two connections, Sides moved into a tie for 13th&nbsp;in program history for career 3-pointers (153).

- Sides dished out five assists on Saturday. Sides ranks 22nd&nbsp;in program history for career assists (260). This was her 23rd&nbsp;career game with five or more assists and her eighth this season.

- Gina Garcia registered five assists. She is the 12th&nbsp;freshman in program history to record 80 or more assists (89 assists this season). This was her 11th career game with five or more assists.

“Well, unfortunately, by the time we decided to compete, they had a pretty big lead, and we'd let them get fairly comfortable. So it was disappointing for us, because we wanted the game like it was the last maybe 12, 13,14, minutes. We didn't play hard enough and didn't compete well enough early to get that kind of game. So, I'm disappointed for our fans. I'm disappointed that we had another pretty solid crowd and we come out and don't play as well as I think we're capable of.”&nbsp;

On if Tess Heal can be the go-to scorer the rest of the season…

“Well, I wouldn't count Tess out. She's got that right mentality. We got to get the right match up for her. But she's a crafty scorer. She's done it in her career. (She) did it at Santa Clara, but wasn't as big a score at Stanford before she came here. She knows how to play. She competes every possession and certainly she's given us a big lift in that area.”

On if he approached Tess Heal asking her to step up the last couple games…

“No, it's been more of a natural progression. Her and I talked right after the break with some things about what we needed more going forward, but it really wasn't related to necessarily scoring. I think what we found as a staff is there's some things that we're probably coaching her better and getting her in better position, and, boy, she sure is delivering. One of the things that we're trusting now with Tess is that she understands how to score down there. I think early in the year, she was maybe throwing up some wild shots trying to get fouls. Now you're seeing a much better patience. In the last three or four games, you've really seen her excel.”

On why K-State switched to zone defense in the fourth quarter…

“Well, they shot 60% in the first (quarter), 50% in the second (quarter). They end up 50% in the fourth (quarter). We weren't guarding them very well in the man-to-man early. I wanted a lot more chaos in this game. I use that word. It was one of the words on the board before the game that we wanted to create. We just didn't do it early in this game. We weren't playing with the effort. We weren't playing with the urgency. I didn't think our starting group got off to a very good start that way. I thought Aniya Foy gave us a big lift there. I thought (Izela) Arenas gave us a lift there.

She ends up with three steals and that's almost half of what she had in the entire season. I thought (Nastja) Claessens early defensively wasn't very good. I didn't like the way she was flying around. I didn't like her aggressiveness. I thought she was behind plays. She picks up the two fouls mainly because I think she was behind plays. But, I thought as the game progressed, she got really good. So, we just needed to throw a different look at them. Sometimes it's not necessarily about what you're doing well. They were really in a good rhythm against our man-to-man. I just wanted to give them a different look.”

On if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that K-State closed the gap late…

“I think that both can be true. Both can be true. I can positively say that (I’m) proud of the fight, proud of the fact that we continue to raise our level up. You saw us dive on the floor (and) play the game the right way. It's equally as frustrating to say, ‘What would have happened if that would have been our start today?’ If that would have been our start. If that's how we would have started this game, diving on the floor, creating chaos, playing better together. If that would have been our start with this game, would this game have been different? That's where it's disappointing and frustrating that that wasn't our start because we don't know the answer to that. We obviously fought hard at the end, and, for that, I hope we can build off of it.”

“(It was a) really, really good game, exciting game for those in attendance down the stretch. Credit to Kansas State for continuing to scrap and fight. They went with a really small lineup that we obviously had a hard time containing. Defensively, they got into a zone. (It was the) first time we've seen zone all season. Kind of high risk, high reward, but that's kind of what you got to be ready for in our conference – great coaches, great players – so we've got to be ready for everything. But, extremely proud. I challenged our team to start every quarter off with an intensity and focus, and we did that. In the fourth quarter, I think we started to play not to lose as opposed to attack and play to win. But, like I always said, it's always good to learn some of these lessons on how to close games out in wins as opposed to losses. So, we'll watch the film, and we'll learn from it and grow. (I’m) just really proud of how we closed it out. Even when they cut it to six, we're able to get it back up to 10. Obviously the end result was up by seven. But again, credit to K-State and Coach Mittie, an amazing coach and his players played hard all the way to the end.”

On what he feels where his team was excelling the most…

“I think it was a mentality like we're going to execute, we're going to get our post some touches, play inside out if you have an open shot, then let it fly. That's Utah basketball. We always pass up a good shot for a great shot. Keep the ball moving. It wasn't until I think the crowd got into it, the full court pressure might have got us to kind of be on our heels. That's probably why we got off that run. But, when we were hitting our shots, hitting our passes, we're playing a little differently mentally, with an edge and confidence about us. But again, credit to them, and we just got to get back to the drawing board in terms of learning how to close things out with that type of mentality.”

On the scoring threat of Reece Ross…

“She's finding her rhythm within our offense. We do call some plays for her, but other than that, when she's just having to read and take what the defense gives us, I think her experience having been with us for three years, I'm starting to see a confidence in her and understanding where those moments are. So, really good. When our posts, our fours and our fives, are able to do that and put pressure on the rim, defenses are going to have to figure out how they want to stop us. That opens up open looks for our good shooters.”

On Brooke Walker playing two games in her home state…

“Brooke having gone through some games where she missed and then getting her rhythm back back into the starting lineup, I still think she doesn't think it's very long, but four weeks out is a long time in the middle of the season to take a break, right? So, I think she's getting her game experience back. With her at full go, it just makes us a better team. So, (I’m) really happy for her. She got to come back home. You know, mom and dad went to KU and then, obviously, I'm sure they might dislike the color purple a little bit, but you know that it's cool that she gets to bring her team here and walk out of here in the state of Kansas with two victories. Pretty cool.”

On what the biggest change was that K-State made during the fourth quarter…

“I think we just wanted it more. I think the realization hit that, ‘Damn, we're down, whatever we were down, 12, 15, seven, whatever it was, I don't know, but we're down. We wanted to win that fourth quarter, which wasn't emblematic of the entire game.”

On her performance in recent fourth quarters…

“I think it's the sense of urgency of the clock. Like, yeah, we only have five minutes to get this done, or 10 minutes to get this done. I got to be better. I can't keep just showing up in the fourth quarter. That's not fair to this team. I need to be better.”

On why she was the one to drive to the basket in the second half…

“I think just the way they were playing it allowed me to go one on one a lot. They were staying out on our shooters. I felt in the first half, they really crashed down on a lot of things, and when I would drive, they would cram paint. So, there wasn't really much space to maneuver. But, in the second half, I felt like they stayed out on everybody. So, it was a one-on-one matchup, which I can take advantage of. But, like I said, I need to be better. I need to be able to do what I did in the second in the first. I think we need more contributors, and we just need to be more consistent.”

On taking her leadership to a different level the past few games…

“I think it's a mentality thing. I've definitely been more aggressive. The first couple games or the first half of the season that I’ve come to K-State, I was a bit more passive than I have been. I looked in the mirror, and I thought, ‘No, I need to go back to how I was at Santa Clara.’ At Santa Clara, I was a point guard, a leader and scorer. I went away from that role at Stanford. It was just a different team, different circumstances. So, I assumed a different role where I just sort of played a shooter and stood in the corner. I think the recognition of, ‘No, this team needs me to score and needs me to create and needs what I can do offensively,’ that was really big for me when I reflected on it. That's what I've tried to embody in the past few games.”

K-State Junior Forward Nastja Claessens

On the biggest challenge that Utah presented to K-State’s defense…

“It is a great shooting team. We knew that from the start. We should be able to know the scout and stop their shooters because they had a lot of 3s, and those really hurt us.”

On if she feels she picked it up offensively in the second half…

“You can always do better, I feel like. I made more points in the second half, but I need to be more present and more aggressive on offense. Sometimes I tend to not include myself in the offense and tend to watch it. So I need to be more aggressive and be more into plays so I can help my teammates and help the offense.”

Following a midweek break, K-State will make its fourth trip to the state of Texas this season, as the Wildcats visit (17/20) Texas Tech at 1 p.m.

MANHATTAN, KANSAS&nbsp;–&nbsp;Trailing by 19 points entering the fourth quarter, K-State pulled to within four points, but Utah made just enough shots to prevail, 80-73, in Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday evening.K-State (9-9, 2-3 Big 12) was led by the trio of Tess Heal, Nastja Claessens and Izela Arenas. Heal carded a game-high 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting. Heal, a senior from Melbourne, Australia, is the fourth player in program history since 1981-82 to register 25 or more points with 11 or more made field goals and shoot 84.0 percent or better from the field. She is the first since Ayoka Lee tallied 36 points on 15 made field goals and 88.2 percent shooting against North Florida on Dec. 16, 2023.Claessens, a junior from Waregem, Belgium, tallied 13 points, four rebounds and three steals.Arenas, a sophomore from Los Angeles, California, came off the bench to card 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and pocketed three steals.Utah (13-4, 4-1) was led by Reese Ross with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds and Grace Foster with 17 points.HOW IT HAPPENED- Trailing 62-41 after Ross scored a layup for the Utes to begin the fourth quarter, K-State responded with a 21-5 run to pull to within four, 67-63, with 3:07 remaining. During the run, Heal scored 11 points during the run, while Arenas added five and Claessens chipped in with four. Aiding in the comeback effort, K-State was a perfect 10-of-10 from the field for the first seven minutes of the stanza.- Following the second Utah timeout, the Utes finished a three-point play from Maty Wilke and then added a 3-pointer from Foster to rebuild the advantage to 10, 73-63, with 2:09 left.- Free throws by the Utes kept the margin at no less than 10 points until Heal connected on a three-pointer with 11 seconds left for the final margin.- The Wildcats scored a season-high for any quarter 32 points in the fourth frame on 81.3 percent (13-of-16) shooting. The 32 points are the most in a fourth quarter for K-State since scoring a fourth quarter school record 34 points against Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, 2021.- Utah put itself in position for its big fourth quarter lead by capturing the first half, 41-29, and shooting 55.2 percent (16-of-29) from the field in the opening half.- The Wildcats started the third quarter with a four-point burst to narrow the margin to eight, 41-33. Utah answered with a 17-2 run to build its lead to 23, 58-35, with 2:06 left. K-State was held scoreless for over five minutes during the run.- K-State ended the evening shooting 46.9 percent (30-of-64) from the field including 27.6 percent (8-of-29) from beyond the arc.- Utah shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in three of the four quarter and finished at 50.0 percent (27-of-54) including 36.7 percent (11-of-30) from long distance.QUICK FACTS- Utah leads the series with K-State, 5-4.&nbsp; The Wildcats are 2-3 in games played in Manhattan. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 11-9 in his career against Houston.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 681-387 (.638), including a mark of 227-152 (.599).- In its 30th&nbsp;season of play in the Big 12, K-State owns a record of 247-250 (.497) in Big 12 action.- K-State is 417-162 (.720) in its 38th-season inside Bramlage Coliseum, including a 147-54 (.731) record under Mittie.- The Wildcats are 266-197 (.575) in games played in the month of January. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 46-45 (.505) in games during the 1st&nbsp;month.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Taryn Sides and Jordan Speiser and forward Nastja Claessens. This was the first time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 17th career starts for Sides and Harrod. This was the 16th career start for Garcia. Claessens made her 14th career start. Speiser made her third career start.- This season, K-State owns 26 quarters with an effort of 50.0 percent or better shooting from the field, including the fourth (81.3) quarter on Saturday.- The Wildcats’ bench outscored the Utes’ bench, 39-27. The Wildcats have had the edge in bench points in 15 games this season (8-7).PLAYER NOTES- Heal reached double figures for the 82nd&nbsp;time in her career, including her eighth time this season. This was her 29th&nbsp;career game with 20 or more points and her first this season. Heal’s collegiate career point total now stands at 1,643 points. She has led K-State in scoring in four straight games and five times this season.- Heal is the first player since Ayoka Lee from March 9 to March 24, 2024, to register consecutive games of 20 or more points.- Heal made two 3-pointers on Saturday. This was her 27th&nbsp;career game with two or more 3-point field goals made.- Claessens scored in double figures for the 10th time this season and the fourth straight game.- Sides buried two 3-pointers on Saturday. This was her 13th game this season and the 44th&nbsp;of her career with two or more connections from 3-point range. With her two connections, Sides moved into a tie for 13th&nbsp;in program history for career 3-pointers (153).- Sides dished out five assists on Saturday. Sides ranks 22nd&nbsp;in program history for career assists (260). This was her 23rd&nbsp;career game with five or more assists and her eighth this season.- Gina Garcia registered five assists. She is the 12th&nbsp;freshman in program history to record 80 or more assists (89 assists this season). This was her 11th career game with five or more assists.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach Jeff MittieOpening Statement…“Well, unfortunately, by the time we decided to compete, they had a pretty big lead, and we'd let them get fairly comfortable. So it was disappointing for us, because we wanted the game like it was the last maybe 12, 13,14, minutes. We didn't play hard enough and didn't compete well enough early to get that kind of game. So, I'm disappointed for our fans. I'm disappointed that we had another pretty solid crowd and we come out and don't play as well as I think we're capable of.”&nbsp;On if Tess Heal can be the go-to scorer the rest of the season…“Well, I wouldn't count Tess out. She's got that right mentality. We got to get the right match up for her. But she's a crafty scorer. She's done it in her career. (She) did it at Santa Clara, but wasn't as big a score at Stanford before she came here. She knows how to play. She competes every possession and certainly she's given us a big lift in that area.”On if he approached Tess Heal asking her to step up the last couple games…“No, it's been more of a natural progression. Her and I talked right after the break with some things about what we needed more going forward, but it really wasn't related to necessarily scoring. I think what we found as a staff is there's some things that we're probably coaching her better and getting her in better position, and, boy, she sure is delivering. One of the things that we're trusting now with Tess is that she understands how to score down there. I think early in the year, she was maybe throwing up some wild shots trying to get fouls. Now you're seeing a much better patience. In the last three or four games, you've really seen her excel.”On why K-State switched to zone defense in the fourth quarter…“Well, they shot 60% in the first (quarter), 50% in the second (quarter). They end up 50% in the fourth (quarter). We weren't guarding them very well in the man-to-man early. I wanted a lot more chaos in this game. I use that word. It was one of the words on the board before the game that we wanted to create. We just didn't do it early in this game. We weren't playing with the effort. We weren't playing with the urgency. I didn't think our starting group got off to a very good start that way. I thought Aniya Foy gave us a big lift there. I thought (Izela) Arenas gave us a lift there.She ends up with three steals and that's almost half of what she had in the entire season. I thought (Nastja) Claessens early defensively wasn't very good. I didn't like the way she was flying around. I didn't like her aggressiveness. I thought she was behind plays. She picks up the two fouls mainly because I think she was behind plays. But, I thought as the game progressed, she got really good. So, we just needed to throw a different look at them. Sometimes it's not necessarily about what you're doing well. They were really in a good rhythm against our man-to-man. I just wanted to give them a different look.”On if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that K-State closed the gap late…“I think that both can be true. Both can be true. I can positively say that (I’m) proud of the fight, proud of the fact that we continue to raise our level up. You saw us dive on the floor (and) play the game the right way. It's equally as frustrating to say, ‘What would have happened if that would have been our start today?’ If that would have been our start. If that's how we would have started this game, diving on the floor, creating chaos, playing better together. If that would have been our start with this game, would this game have been different? That's where it's disappointing and frustrating that that wasn't our start because we don't know the answer to that. We obviously fought hard at the end, and, for that, I hope we can build off of it.”Utah Head Coach Gavin PetersenOpening Statement…“(It was a) really, really good game, exciting game for those in attendance down the stretch. Credit to Kansas State for continuing to scrap and fight. They went with a really small lineup that we obviously had a hard time containing. Defensively, they got into a zone. (It was the) first time we've seen zone all season. Kind of high risk, high reward, but that's kind of what you got to be ready for in our conference – great coaches, great players – so we've got to be ready for everything. But, extremely proud. I challenged our team to start every quarter off with an intensity and focus, and we did that. In the fourth quarter, I think we started to play not to lose as opposed to attack and play to win. But, like I always said, it's always good to learn some of these lessons on how to close games out in wins as opposed to losses. So, we'll watch the film, and we'll learn from it and grow. (I’m) just really proud of how we closed it out. Even when they cut it to six, we're able to get it back up to 10. Obviously the end result was up by seven. But again, credit to K-State and Coach Mittie, an amazing coach and his players played hard all the way to the end.”On what he feels where his team was excelling the most…“I think it was a mentality like we're going to execute, we're going to get our post some touches, play inside out if you have an open shot, then let it fly. That's Utah basketball. We always pass up a good shot for a great shot. Keep the ball moving. It wasn't until I think the crowd got into it, the full court pressure might have got us to kind of be on our heels. That's probably why we got off that run. But, when we were hitting our shots, hitting our passes, we're playing a little differently mentally, with an edge and confidence about us. But again, credit to them, and we just got to get back to the drawing board in terms of learning how to close things out with that type of mentality.”On the scoring threat of Reece Ross…“She's finding her rhythm within our offense. We do call some plays for her, but other than that, when she's just having to read and take what the defense gives us, I think her experience having been with us for three years, I'm starting to see a confidence in her and understanding where those moments are. So, really good. When our posts, our fours and our fives, are able to do that and put pressure on the rim, defenses are going to have to figure out how they want to stop us. That opens up open looks for our good shooters.”On Brooke Walker playing two games in her home state…“Brooke having gone through some games where she missed and then getting her rhythm back back into the starting lineup, I still think she doesn't think it's very long, but four weeks out is a long time in the middle of the season to take a break, right? So, I think she's getting her game experience back. With her at full go, it just makes us a better team. So, (I’m) really happy for her. She got to come back home. You know, mom and dad went to KU and then, obviously, I'm sure they might dislike the color purple a little bit, but you know that it's cool that she gets to bring her team here and walk out of here in the state of Kansas with two victories. Pretty cool.”FROM THE FLOORK-State Senior Guard Tess HealOn what the biggest change was that K-State made during the fourth quarter…“I think we just wanted it more. I think the realization hit that, ‘Damn, we're down, whatever we were down, 12, 15, seven, whatever it was, I don't know, but we're down. We wanted to win that fourth quarter, which wasn't emblematic of the entire game.”On her performance in recent fourth quarters…“I think it's the sense of urgency of the clock. Like, yeah, we only have five minutes to get this done, or 10 minutes to get this done. I got to be better. I can't keep just showing up in the fourth quarter. That's not fair to this team. I need to be better.”On why she was the one to drive to the basket in the second half…“I think just the way they were playing it allowed me to go one on one a lot. They were staying out on our shooters. I felt in the first half, they really crashed down on a lot of things, and when I would drive, they would cram paint. So, there wasn't really much space to maneuver. But, in the second half, I felt like they stayed out on everybody. So, it was a one-on-one matchup, which I can take advantage of. But, like I said, I need to be better. I need to be able to do what I did in the second in the first. I think we need more contributors, and we just need to be more consistent.”On taking her leadership to a different level the past few games…“I think it's a mentality thing. I've definitely been more aggressive. The first couple games or the first half of the season that I’ve come to K-State, I was a bit more passive than I have been. I looked in the mirror, and I thought, ‘No, I need to go back to how I was at Santa Clara.’ At Santa Clara, I was a point guard, a leader and scorer. I went away from that role at Stanford. It was just a different team, different circumstances. So, I assumed a different role where I just sort of played a shooter and stood in the corner. I think the recognition of, ‘No, this team needs me to score and needs me to create and needs what I can do offensively,’ that was really big for me when I reflected on it. That's what I've tried to embody in the past few games.”K-State Junior Forward Nastja ClaessensOn the biggest challenge that Utah presented to K-State’s defense…“It is a great shooting team. We knew that from the start. We should be able to know the scout and stop their shooters because they had a lot of 3s, and those really hurt us.”On if she feels she picked it up offensively in the second half…“You can always do better, I feel like. I made more points in the second half, but I need to be more present and more aggressive on offense. Sometimes I tend to not include myself in the offense and tend to watch it. So I need to be more aggressive and be more into plays so I can help my teammates and help the offense.”UP NEXTFollowing a midweek break, K-State will make its fourth trip to the state of Texas this season, as the Wildcats visit (17/20) Texas Tech at 1 p.m.

🏀 Furious Fourth Quarter Rally Comes Up Short for K-State

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball's furious rally in the final minutes of Saturday's game against the Avila University Eagles came up just short as the Coyotes fell 75-71 against the Eagles inside Mabee Arena.

Wesleyan trailed by eight points with 2:21 left in the game, but five straight points on a <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c860e7f5-8343-4552-ad1e-286e0e7549b7?elinkdata=34998">Caiden Punt</a> 3-pointer and a bucket by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/306d0bf7-09ea-414b-94d4-9f035545c3f6?elinkdata=34998">Brandon Avedon</a> got the Coyotes within three with just under a minute left.

Neither team scored until <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3fc14e1e-8a60-4b48-b3c4-47ae8bbf79e2?elinkdata=34998">Braylin Goins</a> hit 1 of 2 free throws with 13 seconds left to get the Coyotes within two at 73-71. On the missed second free throw, it appeared Wesleyan had the rebound on the alternating possession, but the arrow was never changed after the second half started and it was not realized by the officials until the tie-up. After a discussion, possession was awarded to Avila.

Avila would hit two free throws to seal the game with seven seconds left.

The Coyotes fell behind 6-0 to start the game, but came back and took a 10-8 lead on a Punt triple with 14:37 to go in the first.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7f9f40b9-aaff-4778-9bb9-c4f668394fc7?elinkdata=34998">Stefan Spray</a> gave the Coyotes a 17-16 lead but an Avila triple gave the Eagles a 19-17 lead. Avedon tied it for the Coyotes with 10:30 to go in the half, but a 7-0 Avila run over the next four minutes gave the Eagles a 26-19 lead.

The Coyotes came out of the halftime break on a roll, using an 8-2 run to get within a point at 38-37 with 17:47 left. A 3-pointer by Goins put the Coyotes up 44-42 with 15:15 left in the game.

Avila answered back with a 14-1 run to take a 56-45 lead with 10:43 left. After the teams traded baskets again, the Eagles again led by 11 with 9:37 left when the Coyotes made a push, cutting the difference to three with 4:05 to go on an Avedon bucket.

Punt had another masterful game leading all scorers with 32 points on 12 of 16 shooting as KWU shot 57.7 percent (15 of 26) in the second half. Appolon added 10, along with Avedon who dished out eight assists and grabbed eight rebounds.

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball's furious rally in the final minutes of Saturday's game against the Avila University Eagles came up just short as the Coyotes fell 75-71 against the Eagles inside Mabee Arena.Wesleyan trailed by eight points with 2:21 left in the game, but five straight points on a <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c860e7f5-8343-4552-ad1e-286e0e7549b7?elinkdata=34998">Caiden Punt</a> 3-pointer and a bucket by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/306d0bf7-09ea-414b-94d4-9f035545c3f6?elinkdata=34998">Brandon Avedon</a> got the Coyotes within three with just under a minute left.Neither team scored until <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3fc14e1e-8a60-4b48-b3c4-47ae8bbf79e2?elinkdata=34998">Braylin Goins</a> hit 1 of 2 free throws with 13 seconds left to get the Coyotes within two at 73-71. On the missed second free throw, it appeared Wesleyan had the rebound on the alternating possession, but the arrow was never changed after the second half started and it was not realized by the officials until the tie-up. After a discussion, possession was awarded to Avila.Avila would hit two free throws to seal the game with seven seconds left.The Coyotes fell behind 6-0 to start the game, but came back and took a 10-8 lead on a Punt triple with 14:37 to go in the first.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7f9f40b9-aaff-4778-9bb9-c4f668394fc7?elinkdata=34998">Stefan Spray</a> gave the Coyotes a 17-16 lead but an Avila triple gave the Eagles a 19-17 lead. Avedon tied it for the Coyotes with 10:30 to go in the half, but a 7-0 Avila run over the next four minutes gave the Eagles a 26-19 lead.Avila led by seven at the half.The Coyotes came out of the halftime break on a roll, using an 8-2 run to get within a point at 38-37 with 17:47 left. A 3-pointer by Goins put the Coyotes up 44-42 with 15:15 left in the game.Avila answered back with a 14-1 run to take a 56-45 lead with 10:43 left. After the teams traded baskets again, the Eagles again led by 11 with 9:37 left when the Coyotes made a push, cutting the difference to three with 4:05 to go on an Avedon bucket.Punt had another masterful game leading all scorers with 32 points on 12 of 16 shooting as KWU shot 57.7 percent (15 of 26) in the second half. Appolon added 10, along with Avedon who dished out eight assists and grabbed eight rebounds.

🏀 Coyotes fall to Avila 75-71

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8148137d-ace7-4235-8de8-9b4905e7e9d3?elinkdata=34962">Harper Taylor</a> has not been too concerned about her Kansas Wesleyan basketball team's ability to score this season.

Several Coyotes have alternately had good nights offensively, but the issue was often just getting a chance to score, the bugaboo being turnovers - nearly 19 per game.

Their contest against Avila on Saturday afternoon was a prime example of what can happen when they take care of the ball. KWU had just 12 turnovers and shot 49 percent from the field in a 90-67 Kansas Conference victory inside Mabee Arena.

Four Coyotes scored in double figures and three others had at least six points.

"I think when we make good decisions with the basketball in full court and half court a lot of good things go our way," Taylor said on the postgame radio show. "I think when we get kind of frazzled and get some of those turnovers that definitely affects us being able to hit some of those shots."

KWU was 33 of 68 from the field including 12 of 26 from the 3-point arc and made 12 of 13 free throws.

"Being confident on the 3-point line was definitely a point of emphasis this week in practice so I'm really happy to see that we were able to translate it," Taylor said.

The Coyotes committed five turnovers in the first half, shot 52 percent and took a comfortable 48-29 lead into the locker room at halftime. The onslaught continued in the second half as KWU led 70-50 after three quarters and was up by as many as 30 (90-60) late in the game.

Taylor was particularly pleased with the play of her reserves as the Coyotes tallied 54 bench points. Emma Gerken had 21 that included five 3-pointers; <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/68559c76-7a32-45da-9019-55d5b10983ba?elinkdata=34962">Anna Jueneman</a> finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cc9dad3f-41d3-4df6-adca-0b21c1d99da5?elinkdata=34962">Paige Chauncey</a> scored 10 in their backup roles. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b37f781c-eaeb-418a-b2e6-a47b4e685bef?elinkdata=34962">Odessa Ozuna</a> led the starters with 10 points and 10 assists.

"I think it was a really great way to show that every single one of the players on our team is capable of bringing something to the floor every single night," Taylor said. "I think that starts in practices. We're super competitive and we've been doing a really great job of pushing each other in practices which is exactly what we needed to get this win."

Although it wasn't one of her best scoring games, Ozuna did a tremendous job distributing the ball. The Coyotes had 24 assists on 33 field goals.

"She's really selfless all the time, you see it on the court, you see it in the classroom," Taylor said. "Odessa works really hard to do whatever it takes to get the job done. She may not have had 30 points tonight, but she knows she needs to get the ball to her teammates and that's something we've really been working on and building that trust."

KWU won the rebounding battle 40-25 that included 11 offensive rebounds and produced 15 second chance points.

"We've really been working on rebounding - you would think we don't do any rebounding drills in practices," Taylor said. "Sometimes it takes a little bit longer for things to translate. I know that the team has gotten better at offensive rebounding and hopefully that will translate into our next game."

Avila (7-8, 4-6 KCAC) shot 45 percent (23 of 51) and was led by Madilyn Melton's 22 points.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8148137d-ace7-4235-8de8-9b4905e7e9d3?elinkdata=34962">Harper Taylor</a> has not been too concerned about her Kansas Wesleyan basketball team's ability to score this season.Several Coyotes have alternately had good nights offensively, but the issue was often just getting a chance to score, the bugaboo being turnovers - nearly 19 per game.Their contest against Avila on Saturday afternoon was a prime example of what can happen when they take care of the ball. KWU had just 12 turnovers and shot 49 percent from the field in a 90-67 Kansas Conference victory inside Mabee Arena.Four Coyotes scored in double figures and three others had at least six points."I think when we make good decisions with the basketball in full court and half court a lot of good things go our way," Taylor said on the postgame radio show. "I think when we get kind of frazzled and get some of those turnovers that definitely affects us being able to hit some of those shots."KWU was 33 of 68 from the field including 12 of 26 from the 3-point arc and made 12 of 13 free throws."Being confident on the 3-point line was definitely a point of emphasis this week in practice so I'm really happy to see that we were able to translate it," Taylor said.The Coyotes committed five turnovers in the first half, shot 52 percent and took a comfortable 48-29 lead into the locker room at halftime. The onslaught continued in the second half as KWU led 70-50 after three quarters and was up by as many as 30 (90-60) late in the game.Taylor was particularly pleased with the play of her reserves as the Coyotes tallied 54 bench points. Emma Gerken had 21 that included five 3-pointers; <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/68559c76-7a32-45da-9019-55d5b10983ba?elinkdata=34962">Anna Jueneman</a> finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cc9dad3f-41d3-4df6-adca-0b21c1d99da5?elinkdata=34962">Paige Chauncey</a> scored 10 in their backup roles. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b37f781c-eaeb-418a-b2e6-a47b4e685bef?elinkdata=34962">Odessa Ozuna</a> led the starters with 10 points and 10 assists."I think it was a really great way to show that every single one of the players on our team is capable of bringing something to the floor every single night," Taylor said. "I think that starts in practices. We're super competitive and we've been doing a really great job of pushing each other in practices which is exactly what we needed to get this win."Although it wasn't one of her best scoring games, Ozuna did a tremendous job distributing the ball. The Coyotes had 24 assists on 33 field goals."She's really selfless all the time, you see it on the court, you see it in the classroom," Taylor said. "Odessa works really hard to do whatever it takes to get the job done. She may not have had 30 points tonight, but she knows she needs to get the ball to her teammates and that's something we've really been working on and building that trust."KWU won the rebounding battle 40-25 that included 11 offensive rebounds and produced 15 second chance points."We've really been working on rebounding - you would think we don't do any rebounding drills in practices," Taylor said. "Sometimes it takes a little bit longer for things to translate. I know that the team has gotten better at offensive rebounding and hopefully that will translate into our next game."Avila (7-8, 4-6 KCAC) shot 45 percent (23 of 51) and was led by Madilyn Melton's 22 points.

🏀 Efficient Coyotes trounce Avila 90-67

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Massamba Diop scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, Moe Odum also scored 21 and Arizona State held off Kansas State 87-84 on Saturday to snap a four-game losing streak and pick up its first Big 12 win this season.

Diop, a 7-foot-1 freshman, was 8-of-10 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked five shots. Anthony Johnson added 18 points, Santiago Trouet had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Allen Mukeba also scored 10 points for ASU (10-6, 1-2).

P.J. Haggerty, coming in seventh in the nation in scoring at 22.7 ppg, finished with 25 points, and Abdi Bashir Jr. made 6 of 12 3-point tries in finishing with 22 points for the Wildcats (9-7, 0-3), who lost their third straight.

Kansas State had a 64-58 lead midway through the second half but then went over five minutes without a field goal when ASU scored 10 straight points to begin a 18-3 run capped by Diop's dunk to lead 76-67 with less than five minutes left.

Khamari McGriff's follow with 16.6 seconds remaining got Kansas State within three. After a Johnson free throw, Haggerty banked in a long 3-pointer with five seconds remaining and the Wildcats were within a point. They quickly fouled Odum, who made both free throws. But coming out of a timeout, Haggerty was short on a half-court attempt.

ASU made only 3 of 22 3-point attempts while Kansas State hit 13 of 31. But ASU outscored the Wildcats 50-28 in the paint and made nine more free throws.

Kansas State is home against No. 25 UCF on Wednesday.

Arizona State is at top-ranked Arizona on Wednesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768093586352.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Massamba Diop scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, Moe Odum also scored 21 and Arizona State held off Kansas State 87-84 on Saturday to snap a four-game losing streak and pick up its first Big 12 win this season.Diop, a 7-foot-1 freshman, was 8-of-10 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked five shots. Anthony Johnson added 18 points, Santiago Trouet had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Allen Mukeba also scored 10 points for ASU (10-6, 1-2).P.J. Haggerty, coming in seventh in the nation in scoring at 22.7 ppg, finished with 25 points, and Abdi Bashir Jr. made 6 of 12 3-point tries in finishing with 22 points for the Wildcats (9-7, 0-3), who lost their third straight.Kansas State had a 64-58 lead midway through the second half but then went over five minutes without a field goal when ASU scored 10 straight points to begin a 18-3 run capped by Diop's dunk to lead 76-67 with less than five minutes left.Khamari McGriff's follow with 16.6 seconds remaining got Kansas State within three. After a Johnson free throw, Haggerty banked in a long 3-pointer with five seconds remaining and the Wildcats were within a point. They quickly fouled Odum, who made both free throws. But coming out of a timeout, Haggerty was short on a half-court attempt.ASU made only 3 of 22 3-point attempts while Kansas State hit 13 of 31. But ASU outscored the Wildcats 50-28 in the paint and made nine more free throws.The Wildcats led 38-36 at halftime.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas State is home against No. 25 UCF on Wednesday.Arizona State is at top-ranked Arizona on Wednesday.

🏀 Diop and Odum lead Arizona State to win over Kansas State

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Honor Huff scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half, Brenen Lorient added 18 points and West Virginia used a big second-half run to defeat No. 22 Kansas 86-75 on Saturday.

The Mountaineers (11-5, 2-1 Big 12) beat the Jayhawks (11-5, 1-2) for the third straight time, improving to 8-4 in games played in Morgantown.

Treysen Eaglestaff scored 12 points and Harlan Obioha had 11 points and 10 rebounds for West Virginia.

Freshman Darryn Peterson scored 23 points, Tre White added 18 and Melvin Council Jr. had 11 for Kansas, which lost its second straight road game.

White’s 3-pointer gave Kansas its largest lead, 59-51, before West Virginia scored 16 unanswered points to move ahead to stay. Jasper Floyd, held scoreless until that point, had seven points during the run that put the Mountaineers ahead 67-59 with 8:36 left.

Kansas got no closer than six points the rest of the game. West Virginia made 11 of 12 free throws over the final two minutes.

The Jayhawks were outrebounded 38-32 for the game and shot just 31% (9 of 29) after halftime.

West Virginia entered the game with the nation’s fifth-best scoring defense, allowing 61.5 points per game. But Kansas scored 30 points in the paint in the first half alone.

The lead changed seven times over a three-minute span late in the first half before Peterson, who made just one of his first six shots, closed the first half strong. He scored seven points over the final four minutes, including a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer for a 43-39 lead.

Kansas hosts No. 3 Iowa State on Tuesday.

West Virginia plays three of its next four on the road, starting Tuesday at No. 7 Houston.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768076007757.png" alt="Photo West Virginia Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo West Virginia Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Honor Huff scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half, Brenen Lorient added 18 points and West Virginia used a big second-half run to defeat No. 22 Kansas 86-75 on Saturday.The Mountaineers (11-5, 2-1 Big 12) beat the Jayhawks (11-5, 1-2) for the third straight time, improving to 8-4 in games played in Morgantown.Treysen Eaglestaff scored 12 points and Harlan Obioha had 11 points and 10 rebounds for West Virginia.Freshman Darryn Peterson scored 23 points, Tre White added 18 and Melvin Council Jr. had 11 for Kansas, which lost its second straight road game.White’s 3-pointer gave Kansas its largest lead, 59-51, before West Virginia scored 16 unanswered points to move ahead to stay. Jasper Floyd, held scoreless until that point, had seven points during the run that put the Mountaineers ahead 67-59 with 8:36 left.Kansas got no closer than six points the rest of the game. West Virginia made 11 of 12 free throws over the final two minutes.The Jayhawks were outrebounded 38-32 for the game and shot just 31% (9 of 29) after halftime.West Virginia entered the game with the nation’s fifth-best scoring defense, allowing 61.5 points per game. But Kansas scored 30 points in the paint in the first half alone.The lead changed seven times over a three-minute span late in the first half before Peterson, who made just one of his first six shots, closed the first half strong. He scored seven points over the final four minutes, including a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer for a 43-39 lead.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas hosts No. 3 Iowa State on Tuesday.West Virginia plays three of its next four on the road, starting Tuesday at No. 7 Houston.___

🏀 Huff and Lorient help West Virginia beat Kansas 

BY NOAH HELGET Salina Post Contributor

The Lady Knights started things off with a 51-38 win, while on the Boys’ side low scoring game would end up in OT with the Knights winning 48-45.

Girls: Sacred Heart 51 Hays TMP 38

Sacred Heart found themselves in a defensive battle as the Lady Monarchs would battle back and forth in the first and the Lady Knights would stay on top, going into the second 14-9.

The Lady Knights would stay on top and lead at intermission thanks to 3 shots from distance by the Lee sisters, Sacred Heart would lead 27-23. Sacred Heart locked in defensively in the third only allowing 7 points and backed by 11 points by Addie Lee. Sacred Heart would lead 40-30 going into the final quarter of play.

Sacred Heart topped off their night by making 9 out of 10 free throws winning the non-league matchup 51-38.

The Lady Knights were led in scoring by Addie Lee she compiled 23 as Skylar Douglas contributed 15.

Sacred Heart will be back in league action Tuesday as they host Republic County.

Both the Knights and Monarchs would struggle getting the basket rolling as the Knights would just lead 5-4 going into the second. William Eck for TMP would hit a huge bucket from deep range and helped the Monarchs take the lead going into intermission 19-18.

A slow start in the third, and just 5 field goals made by both teams, Will Tuttle would put 4 on the board and help the Knights take back the lead 28-22 at the end of the third.

The fourth quarter was all Noah Hines as he would put 9 up but the Monarchs would battle back and tie it up to end regulation. The Knights would lead all of the overtime period and push and battle their way to their 10th&nbsp;win of the season.

A career-high night for Noah Hines as he finished with 25.

Ty Schmeidler led the way for TMP and he added 15.

Sacred Heart moves to 10-0 and looks to stay undefeated as they host the Republic County Buffalos on Tuesday at home.

You can watch both games on-demand below.

BY NOAH HELGET Salina Post ContributorThe Lady Knights started things off with a 51-38 win, while on the Boys’ side low scoring game would end up in OT with the Knights winning 48-45.<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>Girls: Sacred Heart 51 Hays TMP 38Sacred Heart found themselves in a defensive battle as the Lady Monarchs would battle back and forth in the first and the Lady Knights would stay on top, going into the second 14-9.The Lady Knights would stay on top and lead at intermission thanks to 3 shots from distance by the Lee sisters, Sacred Heart would lead 27-23. Sacred Heart locked in defensively in the third only allowing 7 points and backed by 11 points by Addie Lee. Sacred Heart would lead 40-30 going into the final quarter of play.Sacred Heart topped off their night by making 9 out of 10 free throws winning the non-league matchup 51-38.The Lady Knights were led in scoring by Addie Lee she compiled 23 as Skylar Douglas contributed 15.Sacred Heart will be back in league action Tuesday as they host Republic County.Boys: Sacred Heart 48 Hays TMP 45Both the Knights and Monarchs would struggle getting the basket rolling as the Knights would just lead 5-4 going into the second. William Eck for TMP would hit a huge bucket from deep range and helped the Monarchs take the lead going into intermission 19-18.A slow start in the third, and just 5 field goals made by both teams, Will Tuttle would put 4 on the board and help the Knights take back the lead 28-22 at the end of the third.The fourth quarter was all Noah Hines as he would put 9 up but the Monarchs would battle back and tie it up to end regulation. The Knights would lead all of the overtime period and push and battle their way to their 10th&nbsp;win of the season.A career-high night for Noah Hines as he finished with 25.Ty Schmeidler led the way for TMP and he added 15.Sacred Heart moves to 10-0 and looks to stay undefeated as they host the Republic County Buffalos on Tuesday at home.You can watch both games on-demand below.<figure>
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🏀 Knights win in an OT Thriller as Sacred Heart sweeps TMP on the road

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Southeast of Saline basketball teams got back on track on Friday night, travelling to Minneapolis and sweeping the Lions and Lady Lions in a big night of NCAA action

Girls: SE of Saline 47, Minneapolis 28

On the girls’ side of this matchup, Southeast dominated with defense, holding Minneapolis to just five first-quarter points, and just 15 at the half.

The Lady Trojans forced 24 turnovers, turned defense into offense, and held every single member of the Minneapolis lineup to single digit scoring.

Southeast got off to a slow start offensively, and at the end of a quarter the score was 6-5, but in the second, the Lady Trojans turned it on, led by Reagan Duran and her eight second-quarter points.

In the third, it was Kyiah Samuelson and Suttyn Douglas’ turn to take the reins on offense, combining to score 14 in the frame as the Lady Trojans pulled away.

Samuelson (14) and Douglas (11) both posted season highs in the win, while Minneapolis was led in scoring by Baylee Randall-Hurt (7).

With this result the Lady Trojans improve to 6-3 overall and 2-2 in league play while the Lady Lions fall to 6-4 and 3-3 respectively.

Boys: SE of Saline 52, Minneapolis 45

On the boy’s side, the Trojans were able to weather multiple Minneapolis runs, and pull away with a strong fourth quarter for their second victory of the season.

It was a strong start for Southeast, particularly on the defensive end, where the Trojans allowed just two made field goals and held a 15-8 lead after one.

Minneapolis would have cut the lead down to two at the intermission, were it not for the second Tiernan Ptacek buzzer-beating half-court shot in as many years to extend the Trojan lead.

Things stayed even in the third quarter, with both sides struggling to score, but in the fourth, the floodgates opened, and the Trojans pulled away for a 52-45 victory.

Southeast forced 14 turnovers, while conceding just 7 themselves, and the Trojans were led in scoring by Tiernan Ptacek (17) and Adam Thiel (15).

On the other side of the matchup, Owen Just (12) did his best in the losing effort.

With these results the Trojans improve to 2-7 overall and 1-3 in league play while Minneapolis falls to 2-8 and 2-4.

You can watch both games on demand below.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline basketball teams got back on track on Friday night, travelling to Minneapolis and sweeping the Lions and Lady Lions in a big night of NCAA action<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>Girls: SE of Saline 47, Minneapolis 28On the girls’ side of this matchup, Southeast dominated with defense, holding Minneapolis to just five first-quarter points, and just 15 at the half.The Lady Trojans forced 24 turnovers, turned defense into offense, and held every single member of the Minneapolis lineup to single digit scoring.Southeast got off to a slow start offensively, and at the end of a quarter the score was 6-5, but in the second, the Lady Trojans turned it on, led by Reagan Duran and her eight second-quarter points.In the third, it was Kyiah Samuelson and Suttyn Douglas’ turn to take the reins on offense, combining to score 14 in the frame as the Lady Trojans pulled away.Samuelson (14) and Douglas (11) both posted season highs in the win, while Minneapolis was led in scoring by Baylee Randall-Hurt (7).With this result the Lady Trojans improve to 6-3 overall and 2-2 in league play while the Lady Lions fall to 6-4 and 3-3 respectively.Boys: SE of Saline 52, Minneapolis 45On the boy’s side, the Trojans were able to weather multiple Minneapolis runs, and pull away with a strong fourth quarter for their second victory of the season.It was a strong start for Southeast, particularly on the defensive end, where the Trojans allowed just two made field goals and held a 15-8 lead after one.Minneapolis would have cut the lead down to two at the intermission, were it not for the second Tiernan Ptacek buzzer-beating half-court shot in as many years to extend the Trojan lead.Things stayed even in the third quarter, with both sides struggling to score, but in the fourth, the floodgates opened, and the Trojans pulled away for a 52-45 victory.Southeast forced 14 turnovers, while conceding just 7 themselves, and the Trojans were led in scoring by Tiernan Ptacek (17) and Adam Thiel (15).On the other side of the matchup, Owen Just (12) did his best in the losing effort.With these results the Trojans improve to 2-7 overall and 1-3 in league play while Minneapolis falls to 2-8 and 2-4.You can watch both games on demand below.<figure>
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🏀 Southeast sweeps Lions and Lady Lions in Minneapolis

HOUSTON, TEXAS&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State overcame an 11-point halftime deficit with a big fourth quarter from Tess Heal to down Houston, 71-62, on Wednesday night at Fertitta Center.

The 11-point halftime deficit was its largest to overcome for a win this season. Overall, the Cougars held a 14-point lead in the second quarter, which is K-State’s largest deficit overcome for a win this season.

K-State (9-8, 2-2 Big 12) was paced by Heal with 31 points, including 21 points in the fourth quarter. The 21 points were a school record for points in any quarter since the institution of the quarter system in 2015-16 season. Heal was 9-of-16 from the floor and shot 11-of-12 from the free throw line. She also added five rebounds and two steals.

Junior forward Nastja Claessens tallied 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

- With Houston (6-9, 0-4) leading 53-49 with 6:38 remaining in the fourth quarter, K-State’s Jenessa Cotton pulled in an offensive rebound that resulted in a heldball in favor of K-State. Following the whistle, Houston’s Amirah Abdur-Rahim and TK Pitts threw punches at Cotton. After a lengthy replay review of the situation, the Cougars lost four players due to ejection while Cotton for the Wildcats was removed. K-State was awarded six free throws, which Heal made all of and put the Wildcats in front, 55-53. On the ensuing possession, Heal hit a midrange jumper for a 57-53 lead.

- Heal then knocked down a wing 3-pointer with 5:17 left to give K-State a 61-55 lead and cap a 12-2 run.

- After a four-point play from Houston to narrow the game to two, 61-59, Heal again made a layup and made two more free throws for a 65-59 K-State advantage with 2:56 left.. In the final quarter, Heal was 10-of-10 from the foul line.

- K-State shot 40.4 percent (23-of-57) from the field.

- K-State leads the series with Houston, 5-0.&nbsp; The Wildcats are 2-0 in games played in Houston. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 14-6 in his career against Houston.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 681-386 (.638), including a mark of 227-151 (.601).

- In its 30th&nbsp;season of play in the Big 12, K-State owns a record of 247-249 (.498) in Big 12 action.

- The Wildcats are 302-331 (.477) in road games during its 58-season history. Under Mittie, K-State is 53-74 (.417) in road games.

- The Wildcats are 266-196 (.576) in games played in the month of January. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 46-44 (.511) in games during the 1st&nbsp;month.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Taryn Sides and forwards Jenessa Cotton and Nastja Claessens. This was the eighth time this lineup has started together this season, the most of any combination this season. This was the 16th career start for Sides and Harrod. This was the 15th career start for Garcia. Cotton and Claessens made her 13th career start.

- This season, K-State owns 25 quarters with an effort of 50.0 percent or better shooting from the field, including the third (50.0) quarter on Saturday.

- The Wildcats’ bench outscored the Cougars’ bench, 42-21. The Wildcats have had the edge in bench points in 14 games this season (8-6).

- Heal reached double figures for the 81st&nbsp;time in her career, including her seventh time this season. This was her 28th&nbsp;career game with 20 or more points and her first this season. This was her second career 30-point game. She has led K-State in scoring in four games this season. Heal’s collegiate career point total now stands at 1,618 points.

- Claessens scored in double figures for the ninth time this season and the third straight game.

- Claessens pocketed eight rebounds. This was her fifth game this season with five or more rebounds.

- Brandie Harrod pocketed a career-high four steals. This was her fifth game this season with two or more steals.

- Harrod pulled in eight rebounds. This was her 11th&nbsp;game with five or more rebounds.

- Jordan Speiser hauled in six rebounds on Wednesday. This was her fifth game this season with five or more rebounds.

“I just thought we played tougher, a lot tougher, and a lot more physical and lot more desire. The biggest thing that was wrong with our defense in the first half was we fouled them, put them on the line 15 times, and we were fouling jump shooters too, right on the elbow, easy calls. I mean all the easy stuff that the officials want to call. I thought our positioning was really good in the first half, but our discipline wasn’t for the end of it. Second half, much better in that regard, much tougher. I thought they didn't get as many loose balls. We were able to keep Pitts under control better in the second half. We catch a break in the altercation and we get some freebie points. But you know, our kids showed some discipline by not punching back. Our kids showed some discipline. Staff did a great job of keeping our group off the floor. They didn't come onto the floor right away when it kind of got going, because, you know, those things happen so fast, and staff did a great job of keeping them off. Staff did a great job of recognizing one of their players. Madison came with film that another player had entered the court that they didn't see. So that's when we got the extra two free throws. So I mean, every every point was important.

“I thought she was phenomenal. I mean, and it was every which way, too, right? It was a three on the right side. It was a ISO play. It was a pull up jumper. Obviously, it's not easy to go step in a gym where people are mad about you shooting, people are mad about it, right? And the little crowd that was here was pretty vocal at that point. Houston's angry. She steps up, knocks them down, but you take those free throws away and she just played with a really good pace to her and she kind of wills her way, and she's able to bully drive enough, but now what she's doing better than she was two months ago is she's not throwing up weak stuff. She has more patience than she had a couple months ago. So yeah, she played great, and obviously we wouldn't be on the winning side without her tonight.”

“(Gina) Garcia and Taryn (Sides) really struggled tonight. Both of them really, really struggled, and both did not have a good look at all. Taryn was really frustrated and really struggling, and Gina was, in stretches of this game really struggling. So I think (Aniya) Foy gave us really good minutes. Obviously Tess gave us good minutes. I thought Nastja played inspired all night, and that was a pretty big key.”

“I thought they hustled. You could say a couple times. I thought we left the floor when maybe shouldn't have, but it's hard to argue, right? I thought we were we wanted to play tougher. We felt like we didn't play as tough, and honestly felt like the first quarter we missed a golden opportunity. We had too many turnovers, we had an open floor, we had back door cuts that we were throwing bad passes on, and we really missed an opportunity to have a lead there. We haven't been able to win games where we haven't played very well, and particularly on the road. I think that hopefully we can grow from this, because this is one of those nights where we didn't have a lot of players playing very well.”

K-State returns to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday, as the Wildcats host Utah at 4 p.m. Tickets for Saturday’s game are available by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or by calling (800) 221-CATS.

HOUSTON, TEXAS&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State overcame an 11-point halftime deficit with a big fourth quarter from Tess Heal to down Houston, 71-62, on Wednesday night at Fertitta Center.The 11-point halftime deficit was its largest to overcome for a win this season. Overall, the Cougars held a 14-point lead in the second quarter, which is K-State’s largest deficit overcome for a win this season.K-State (9-8, 2-2 Big 12) was paced by Heal with 31 points, including 21 points in the fourth quarter. The 21 points were a school record for points in any quarter since the institution of the quarter system in 2015-16 season. Heal was 9-of-16 from the floor and shot 11-of-12 from the free throw line. She also added five rebounds and two steals.Junior forward Nastja Claessens tallied 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds.HOW IT HAPPENED- With Houston (6-9, 0-4) leading 53-49 with 6:38 remaining in the fourth quarter, K-State’s Jenessa Cotton pulled in an offensive rebound that resulted in a heldball in favor of K-State. Following the whistle, Houston’s Amirah Abdur-Rahim and TK Pitts threw punches at Cotton. After a lengthy replay review of the situation, the Cougars lost four players due to ejection while Cotton for the Wildcats was removed. K-State was awarded six free throws, which Heal made all of and put the Wildcats in front, 55-53. On the ensuing possession, Heal hit a midrange jumper for a 57-53 lead.- Heal then knocked down a wing 3-pointer with 5:17 left to give K-State a 61-55 lead and cap a 12-2 run.- After a four-point play from Houston to narrow the game to two, 61-59, Heal again made a layup and made two more free throws for a 65-59 K-State advantage with 2:56 left.. In the final quarter, Heal was 10-of-10 from the foul line.- K-State shot 40.4 percent (23-of-57) from the field.QUICK FACTS- K-State leads the series with Houston, 5-0.&nbsp; The Wildcats are 2-0 in games played in Houston. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 14-6 in his career against Houston.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 681-386 (.638), including a mark of 227-151 (.601).- In its 30th&nbsp;season of play in the Big 12, K-State owns a record of 247-249 (.498) in Big 12 action.- The Wildcats are 302-331 (.477) in road games during its 58-season history. Under Mittie, K-State is 53-74 (.417) in road games.- The Wildcats are 266-196 (.576) in games played in the month of January. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 46-44 (.511) in games during the 1st&nbsp;month.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Taryn Sides and forwards Jenessa Cotton and Nastja Claessens. This was the eighth time this lineup has started together this season, the most of any combination this season. This was the 16th career start for Sides and Harrod. This was the 15th career start for Garcia. Cotton and Claessens made her 13th career start.- This season, K-State owns 25 quarters with an effort of 50.0 percent or better shooting from the field, including the third (50.0) quarter on Saturday.- The Wildcats’ bench outscored the Cougars’ bench, 42-21. The Wildcats have had the edge in bench points in 14 games this season (8-6).PLAYER NOTES- Heal reached double figures for the 81st&nbsp;time in her career, including her seventh time this season. This was her 28th&nbsp;career game with 20 or more points and her first this season. This was her second career 30-point game. She has led K-State in scoring in four games this season. Heal’s collegiate career point total now stands at 1,618 points.- Claessens scored in double figures for the ninth time this season and the third straight game.- Claessens pocketed eight rebounds. This was her fifth game this season with five or more rebounds.- Brandie Harrod pocketed a career-high four steals. This was her fifth game this season with two or more steals.- Harrod pulled in eight rebounds. This was her 11th&nbsp;game with five or more rebounds.- Jordan Speiser hauled in six rebounds on Wednesday. This was her fifth game this season with five or more rebounds.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach Jeff MittieOn second half defense…“I just thought we played tougher, a lot tougher, and a lot more physical and lot more desire. The biggest thing that was wrong with our defense in the first half was we fouled them, put them on the line 15 times, and we were fouling jump shooters too, right on the elbow, easy calls. I mean all the easy stuff that the officials want to call. I thought our positioning was really good in the first half, but our discipline wasn’t for the end of it. Second half, much better in that regard, much tougher. I thought they didn't get as many loose balls. We were able to keep Pitts under control better in the second half. We catch a break in the altercation and we get some freebie points. But you know, our kids showed some discipline by not punching back. Our kids showed some discipline. Staff did a great job of keeping our group off the floor. They didn't come onto the floor right away when it kind of got going, because, you know, those things happen so fast, and staff did a great job of keeping them off. Staff did a great job of recognizing one of their players. Madison came with film that another player had entered the court that they didn't see. So that's when we got the extra two free throws. So I mean, every every point was important.On Tess Heal’s performance…“I thought she was phenomenal. I mean, and it was every which way, too, right? It was a three on the right side. It was a ISO play. It was a pull up jumper. Obviously, it's not easy to go step in a gym where people are mad about you shooting, people are mad about it, right? And the little crowd that was here was pretty vocal at that point. Houston's angry. She steps up, knocks them down, but you take those free throws away and she just played with a really good pace to her and she kind of wills her way, and she's able to bully drive enough, but now what she's doing better than she was two months ago is she's not throwing up weak stuff. She has more patience than she had a couple months ago. So yeah, she played great, and obviously we wouldn't be on the winning side without her tonight.”On Garcia and Sides…“(Gina) Garcia and Taryn (Sides) really struggled tonight. Both of them really, really struggled, and both did not have a good look at all. Taryn was really frustrated and really struggling, and Gina was, in stretches of this game really struggling. So I think (Aniya) Foy gave us really good minutes. Obviously Tess gave us good minutes. I thought Nastja played inspired all night, and that was a pretty big key.”On hustle of Harrod and Cotton…“I thought they hustled. You could say a couple times. I thought we left the floor when maybe shouldn't have, but it's hard to argue, right? I thought we were we wanted to play tougher. We felt like we didn't play as tough, and honestly felt like the first quarter we missed a golden opportunity. We had too many turnovers, we had an open floor, we had back door cuts that we were throwing bad passes on, and we really missed an opportunity to have a lead there. We haven't been able to win games where we haven't played very well, and particularly on the road. I think that hopefully we can grow from this, because this is one of those nights where we didn't have a lot of players playing very well.”UP NEXTK-State returns to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday, as the Wildcats host Utah at 4 p.m. Tickets for Saturday’s game are available by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or by calling (800) 221-CATS.