The Wildcats have done it again, this time taking down Oklahoma State 74-73 and becoming the first 12-seed in Big 12 Tournament history to reach the semifinals. This isn’t the first record Kansas State has broken, and it likely won’t be the last.
Kansas State women’s basketball becomes first 12-seed to reach Big 12 tournament semifinals
The Wildcats shouldn’t be in this position – not by a long shot. They ended Big 12 conference play with an 8-10 record and were projected to exit the tournament in either the first or second rounds.
Needless to say that didn’t happen. It started with a dominant 91-66 win over Cincinnati, a game the Wildcats knocked down a tournament-record 17 three-point shots. Against Texas Tech, they scored 21 unanswered points on the way to a 58-51 victory, only the second against a ranked opponent all season.
Now, the No. 4 seeded Cowgirls are out of the equation after a rim-riding three pointer by Jordan Speister and a last-second free throw attempt fell for Tess Heal. Friday’s game saw a similar 9-0 run that put the Wildcats up by five with just under two minutes left.
Wildcats guard Jordan Speiser ended the game as one of four scorers in double figures, leading the team with 21 points. Speiser knocked down five threes and finished the game 8-of-13 from the floor.
It was another career-high outing, topping Monday’s performance against the Bearcats. She wasn’t alone, either. Both Nastja Classens and Taryn Sides ended the game with five rebounds. Gina Garcia led the way in the assist column with nine.
Kansas State emerging as bid stealers entering March Madness
Because of their record, the Wildcats are an unlikely team to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. If there’s any hope for a bid, they need to win out.
The road ahead is rocky, beginning Saturday with a matchup against the winner of BYU and TCU. Win that one, and it’s on to the championship.
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