Kansas State University

K-State women’s basketball defeats Texas Tech for second top-25 upset this year

Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.

Read our AI Policy.


  • K-State WBB handed No. 17 Texas Tech its first loss, 65-59, ending 19-game streak.
  • Garcia sparked the late 8-1 rally; Heal, Sides, Speiser added scoring.
  • K-State rallied from six down, closed on an 8-1 run; Wildcats host Houston Wednesday.

The Kansas State women’s basketball team is developing a knack for upsets this season.

K-State handed No. 17 Texas Tech its first loss of the season 65-59 on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena behind a balanced scoring attack that featured 12 points from Tess Heal and 11 points each from Gina Garcia, Taryn Sides and Jordan Speiser.

This was a shocker, because the Red Raiders (19-1, 6-1 Big 12) were on a 19-game winning streak.

But it’s not the first time the Wildcats (10-9, 3-3 Big 12) have defeated a ranked opponent this season. They also took down Mississippi 61-60 in December when the Rebels were ranked in the top 20.

K-State rallied from a six down in the fourth quarter to pull off the upset in front of 9,261 in Lubbock, Texas.

It closed the afternoon on an 8-1 run that got started when Garcia made a layup with 1 minute, 38 seconds remaining.

Texas Tech won four of its first six conference games by double digits, but K-State never let the Red Raiders pull away. The longer the Wildcats stayed in the game, they longer they gave themselves to pull off a memorable win.

Head coach Jeff Mittie will try to help K-State build off this victory when it returns to action against Houston on Wednesday at Bramlage Coliseum.

Related Stories from Wichita Eagle
Kellis Robinett
The Wichita Eagle
Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER