The 12th-seeded Kansas State Wildcats orchestrated one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent tournament memory, erasing a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit with an incredible 21-0 scoring surge to defeat 21st-ranked Texas Tech 58-51 in Thursday’s Big 12 tournament second round action in Kansas City, Missouri.
Leading the charge for Kansas State (17-16) was Nastja Claessens, who contributed 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and recorded four steals in the upset victory. Taryn Sides chipped in 13 points while Aniya Foy provided 12 points for the Wildcats, who had advanced past Cincinnati in Wednesday’s opening round. Tess Heal also reached double figures with 10 points for Kansas State.
The Red Raiders (25-7) appeared to have control of the contest when they held a commanding 51-37 advantage with just over seven and a half minutes remaining on the clock. Texas Tech seemed poised for victory after Jalynn Bristow and Snudda Collins, who finished with 14 points, connected on consecutive baskets to start the final period.
However, the Red Raiders completely fell apart down the stretch, failing to convert their final 13 shots from the field while committing four critical turnovers during their shocking meltdown. The collapse marked Texas Tech’s fourth defeat in their last six outings.
The turning point came when Claessens converted one of two free throw attempts with 2:39 left on the clock, giving Kansas State its first lead of the game at 52-51. Heal followed with a driving layup, and both Sides and Heal connected on a pair of free throws each to seal the stunning upset.
The victory advances Kansas State to Friday’s quarterfinal round, where they will face fourth-seeded Oklahoma State.
BYU 70, Utah 52
Ninth-seeded BYU continued their hot streak with a dominant second-half performance, outscoring eighth-seeded Utah 43-16 after halftime to secure their fifth straight victory. Delaney Gibb led the Cougars’ charge with an impressive stat line of 19 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and four steals.
The Cougars (22-10) received additional support from Lara Rohkohl, who contributed 12 points and eight rebounds before fouling out, and Brinley Cannon, who also scored 12 points. BYU overcame a seven-point deficit by closing the third quarter on a 15-0 run and maintained their momentum throughout the final period.
Utah’s Lani White paced the Utes (19-12) with 20 points, but her team struggled mightily in the second half, shooting just 7 of 27 from the field and a dismal 1 of 14 from three-point territory. The Utes had built their largest lead at 11 points early in the third quarter following a basket by Chyra Evans, but they couldn’t maintain their advantage against their conference rivals.
BYU’s victory sets up a quarterfinal showdown with top-seeded TCU on Friday, marking the third time this season the Cougars have defeated Utah.
Arizona State 77, Iowa State 68
Tenth-seeded Arizona State strengthened their NCAA Tournament resume with a complete performance against seventh-seeded Iowa State, led by Gabby Elliott’s outstanding triple-double effort of 22 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists before fouling out late in the game.
The Sun Devils (24-9) controlled the game from start to finish, building a 16-point cushion in the fourth quarter before withstanding a late rally attempt by the Cyclones. Heloisa Carrera added 17 points and McKinna Brackens contributed 16 points to Arizona State’s balanced attack.
Iowa State (22-9) was paced by Audi Crooks’ 21 points and seven rebounds before she also fouled out. Addy Brown recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Mackenzie Hare added 12 points for the Cyclones, who struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 7 of 36 three-point attempts (19.4%).
The loss marked Iowa State’s third defeat in four games, while Arizona State earned a quarterfinal meeting with second-seeded West Virginia on Friday.
Colorado 55, Kansas 48
Sixth-seeded Colorado used their size advantage to overpower 11th-seeded Kansas, dominating the boards 39-25 while advancing to Friday’s quarterfinal against Baylor. The Buffaloes (21-10) were led by Logyn Greer’s 10 points, six rebounds, and four blocked shots, with Desiree Wooten also contributing 10 points.
Colorado seized control early and never relinquished their lead over the final three quarters, effectively ending Kansas’ hopes for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. The Jayhawks (19-13) received 14 points and four steals from S’Mya Nichols but couldn’t overcome their rebounding disadvantage.
The defeat was particularly damaging for Kansas, who had won four of their previous five games before this setback significantly hurt their postseason prospects.
