The Big 12 women’s basketball tournament is underway in Kansas City, and it didn’t take long for Kansas State to remind everyone they came to play. This wasn’t just a solid start or a routine tournament win, it was a line in the history books.
Kansas State sets Big 12 Tournament record with 17 threes in win over Cincinnati
It wasn’t just raining inside the T-Mobile Center on Wednesday afternoon – it was pouring. Three Wildcats finished in double figures, including freshman Jordan Speiser, who scored a career-high 20 points in her first postseason game.
Speiser knocked down six threes, finishing 7-of-10 from the floor and matching junior Taryn Sides, who also ended the day with 20 points. The pair became the first duo in this year’s tournament to each score 20 or more in the same game, leading Kansas State past the Cincinnati Bearcats in convincing fashion.
Make no mistake, that wasn’t a one-off performance from Sides, either. She entered the matchup averaging 12 points and three rebounds per game, but she’s heating up down the stretch. So far this season, Sides has scored 26 against Kansas, 23 against Iowa State and 21 against Arizona State in February before adding another 20+ performance in the first round against the Bearcats.
Speiser’s breakout is a different story. The freshman from Warrenton, Missouri previously set a season-high with 19 points against Ole Miss during the nonconference slate, and had yet to pass 17 points in conference play before the first round.
Wildcats gaining momentum in the Big 12 tournament
Kansas State entered the tournament as the No. 12 seed after finishing the season 16-16 and below .500 in conference play. But resume wins over Ole Miss, Texas Tech and now Cincinnati suggest that record might not tell the full story.
MOVIN' ON#Big12WBB x #EMAW pic.twitter.com/l8GZqH5CJw
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) March 4, 2026
That’s the reality of the Big 12. It’s not always about who dominates during the regular season – it’s about who gets hot in March. And when that happens in this conference, things can get dangerous.
Kansas State won’t have an easy path forward, though. A rematch with the Red Raiders awaits Thursday, followed by what could be a second meeting with the Oklahoma State Cowboys if successful in its next outing.
Win another two or three games, and suddenly the Wildcats aren’t just playing spoiler. The at-large conversation becomes very real.
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