The Kansas State Wildcats women’s basketball team delivered a resounding statement on Saturday afternoon, overpowering the BYU Cougars 77-52 at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas. With the win, Kansas State not only extended its perfect record against BYU to 6-0 but also showcased a level of connected play and defensive intensity that left the Cougars searching for answers.
From the opening tip, the Wildcats looked dialed in. They held a four-point lead after the first quarter and wasted little time ramping up the pressure. Freshman guard Gina Garcia’s layup early in the second quarter sparked a 10-point margin, and by the midway point of the frame, Kansas State had established a 24-14 lead. The Wildcats continued to build on that advantage, with a Jordan Speiser three-pointer pushing the score to 32-22 with just over three minutes left in the half. Though BYU’s Marya Hudgins briefly trimmed the deficit to five with a quick scoring burst, free throws from Nastja Claessens and Tess Heal restored Kansas State’s cushion, sending them into halftime ahead 38-30.
“I think at both ends for sure. I would say that we played very well together, very connected all day long. And I thought the start was a good, solid start,” said Kansas State head coach Jeff Mittie. “From a coaching perspective, you want to get things established. You want to get ball movement established. You want to get your attack established. Defensively, you want to see how connected your team is in the game plan. And from that standpoint, I felt like we were solid. I felt that we were getting better as the game went on. And that's what you want to see.”
The third quarter proved to be the turning point. Kansas State exploded out of the locker room with a 14-2 run in the first six minutes, ballooning the lead to 20 points at 52-32. During that stretch, Brandie Harrod contributed six points, while Heal and Garcia added four apiece. The Wildcats’ defense was suffocating, holding BYU to just one made field goal in 14 attempts—a paltry 7.1% shooting for the quarter. Entering the final period, Kansas State’s 57-39 advantage looked insurmountable.
BYU mounted a brief rally to open the fourth, narrowing the gap to 14 points after scoring four quick points. But Kansas State slammed the door shut with an 18-3 run, highlighted by a jumper from Ivona Scekic, pushing the lead to a commanding 75-46 with just under four minutes remaining. The Wildcats maintained their dominance until the final buzzer, wrapping up a thorough 77-52 victory.
Junior forward Nastja Claessens was the star of the show, pouring in a career-high 25 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. She added four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, cementing her status as a key international presence for the program. “Really good to get the win after last week, it was a team effort. We played well, passed the ball well. So, to end the game like this, it just feels amazing,” Claessens said after the contest. Her ability to contribute on both ends of the court was evident, and Coach Mittie took notice: “I thought [Nastja Claessen’s] aggressiveness was really good. I did think it started at the defensive end on [Delaney Gibb], she drew a tough assignment there. I thought she did an excellent job with it.”
Claessens wasn’t alone in her standout performance. Freshman guard Gina Garcia chipped in 12 points, three assists, and three steals, while senior guard Tess Heal added 11 points and seven rebounds. Junior guard Taryn Sides orchestrated the offense masterfully, dishing out a career-best 13 assists to go with seven points and five rebounds—remarkably without committing a single turnover. “Well, the 13 assists are pretty special. People have to make shots, but you’re finding the right player. The zero turnovers is really what I'm really impressed with,” Mittie remarked, highlighting Sides’ poise and vision.
For BYU, it was a night to forget. The Cougars struggled mightily on offense, shooting just 30.4 percent from the field and a chilly 21.4 percent in the second half. They were outscored 39-22 after halftime and managed just one field goal during the decisive third quarter. Turnovers were a persistent problem, as Kansas State forced 19 BYU giveaways and converted them into 30 points—a 30-7 advantage in points off turnovers.
Delaney Gibb led BYU with 11 points but was hounded all afternoon by the Wildcats’ defense. Marya Hudgins contributed 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-4 from deep, and added five rebounds and two steals. Bolanle Yussuf provided some spark off the bench with seven rebounds, four points, an assist, a steal, and a block. Olivia Hamlin scored seven points, while Arielle Mackey-Williams was perfect from long range, knocking down both her three-point attempts for six points.
BYU head coach Lee Cummard didn’t mince words about his team’s struggles: “Overall, they were really, really spectacular today. They were on it defensively. I was equally as impressed with them offensively. I thought they had us in rotation. Most of the night kind of had us flying around because they create an advantage and then defensively, see what the film says. Maybe we're easy to guard, but they did a tremendous job guarding as well, and credit to them, scary team.” Cummard acknowledged the impact of turnovers and defensive lapses: “Some of it was sloppy, some of it was them defensively, and then even giving up turnovers. We shouldn’t give up those points. They were just on it. Number four, Claessens got it started early, and she kept it going all night.”
Statistically, the Wildcats dominated across the board. They shot 47.6 percent from the floor (30-of-63) and 40 percent from three-point range (8-of-20), while racking up 22 assists on their 30 made field goals. Their defensive effort was equally impressive, tallying 10 steals and outscoring BYU 40-22 in the paint. Brandie Harrod’s 10-rebound effort, including five offensive boards, also helped Kansas State control the glass despite BYU’s 38-33 rebounding edge.
Saturday’s win pushed Kansas State to 13-12 overall and 6-6 in Big 12 play, while BYU dropped to 16-8 and 5-7 in conference action. The Wildcats’ victory also underscored the program’s strong tradition at Bramlage Coliseum, where they now hold a 419-163 record in 38 seasons, and a 149-55 mark under Coach Mittie.
Looking ahead, Kansas State will aim to carry this momentum into its next matchup, hosting Oklahoma State on February 10 at Bramlage Coliseum. With their offense firing on all cylinders and a defense that stifled a quality BYU squad, the Wildcats are poised to make noise as the Big 12 season heats up.