Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, November 8
Dallas, Texas
4 p.m.
Kansas State University
2-0,0-0Big 12
46
at
44
SMU
1-1,0-0ACC
1
2
3
4
F
Kansas St.
6
12
13
15
46
SMU
7
18
11
8
44
Photo by: K-State Photo
Photo by: K-State Photo
Photo by: K-State Photo
Photo by: K-State Photo
Photo by: K-State Photo
Photo by: K-State Photo
Photo by: K-State Photo
(rv/25) K-State, Garcia Clip SMU at the Buzzer
Nov 08, 2025 | Women's Basketball
DALLAS, Texas – (rv/25) K-State trailed by as much as eight in the fourth quarter at SMU on Saturday, but the Wildcats used an 11-1 run and a buzzer-beating layup by freshman Gina Garcia to secure a 46-44 win at Moody Coliseum.
K-State (2-0) was paced by junior forward Nastja Claessens tallied eight points, 11 rebounds, four steals and two assists. Garcia tallied eight points, four assists and two rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- With 4:36 to play in the fourth quarter, SMU (1-1) went in front by eight, 43-35, following a three-pointer from Kyla Deck.
- K-State answered with a layup from Claessens and two free throws from freshman guard/forward Brandie Harrod to pull to within four, 43-39.
- The Mustangs made 1-of-2 free throws with 1:53 remaining to go in front by five, 44-39.Â
- On K-State's next possession, Garcia found junior guard Taryn Sides in the corner for an open 3-pointer to bring the margin to two, 44-42, with 1:40 left.
- Garcia then took over, finishing a driving layup with 47 seconds left to tie the game at 44. After a missed jumper by SMU, K-State grabbed the rebound and advanced the ball with 16 seconds left.
- After the timeout, K-State inbounded to Garcia. She was able to drive to the rim through contact and finish her layup at the rim as time expired and was confirmed after a brief replay review.
- At halftime, K-State trailed 25-18 and were held to 26.9 percent shooting (7-of-26), including 1-of-9 from long range.
- K-State shot 30.9 percent (17-of-55) from the field, including just 14.3 percent (3-of-21) from beyond the arc. The Wildcats held the advantage in points in the paint, 28-26.
- Defensively, the Wildcats held SMU to 28.1 percent (18-of-64) shooting including 20.0 percent (4-of-20) from long range.
- K-State held the edge on the glass, 46-41.
QUICK FACTS
- K-State leads the series with SMU, 2-1. This was K-State's first visit to the SMU campus in the series. Head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 10-8 (.556) against SMU.
- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 674-378 (.641), including a mark of 220-143 (.606).
- The Wildcats are 300-329 (.477) in road games in its 58-season history. Under Mittie, K-State is 51-72 (.415) in road games.
- The Wildcats are 168-55 (.753) in games played in the month of November, including wins in 56 of its last 68 games in the month. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 54-12 (.818) in games during the 11th month.Â
TEAM NOTES
- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Brandie Harrod, Tess Heal and Taryn Sides and forwards Nastja Claessens and Jenessa Cotton. This was the second time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 76th career start for Heal and her second at K-State. This was the second career starts for Claessens, Cotton, Harrod and Sides.
- K-State improves to 67-0 in the Jeff Mittie era when holding an opponent to 49 points or less. During the last five seasons, K-State is 67-3 (.957) when holding foes to 60 points or less.
PLAYER NOTES
- Claessens' 11 rebounds were a career-high. This was her second game this season with five or more rebounds and her first in double digits.
- Claessens' four steals were a career-high.
- Harrod's 10 rebounds were a career-high. This was her second game this season with five or more rebounds and her first in double digits.
- Sides hauled in five rebounds. This was her second game this season and the 18th of her career with five or more rebounds.
FROM THE HEAD COACH
K-State Head Coach Jeff Mittie
On the offensive struggles in the first half…
"It was a mixed bag. I still felt that at times it was way too individual. But there were some players getting to a spot. I thought (Izela) Arenas got to good spots in that first half. It's hard to argue where she was getting to. She's got that ability. I thought for the most part, our threes looked rushed to me, and so I didn't like those. I felt like we could work the ball better. I didn't feel like we had a concerted attack that was getting us any knowledge of how SMU wanted to continue to defend us. And that's the problem with early shots and maybe forced shots, is you don't learn anything as a coach to help them. But you know, first real game on the road, solid opponent, not unexpected that we would face this kind of a struggle. It was a little unexpected that we're both in the 40s. But you know, there's going to be nights like this, and we certainly didn't make enough shots to score much more."
On the defensive performance…
"I felt like we were pretty good in terms of what we asked them to do. From a scout perspective, we felt like that they were a drive team. I did not feel like they shot it from three well off the bounce. So once they started bouncing, we wanted to close those gaps. I thought our team was solid for the most part, and then second half, the key was we were in better position to rebound, and we did a better job of chasing it. I thought Claessen's was huge in that area and ends up with 11 rebounds. I thought Harrod had a good look to her. But I also thought everybody contributed in that stretch."
On the final possession and Garcia's game-winner…
"We just wanted to make sure we had the momentum if it goes to overtime. We felt pretty comfortable about it going to overtime. We wanted to get the last shot. Garcia had a good look to her in that high ball screen action. We thought we would get a good look out of it. I didn't know that she'd be able to get all the way to the rim, but, you know, we've got good shooters, so there's some gravity that we can play off of. And she made a gritty, tough play."
UP NEXT
K-State returns to Bramlage Coliseum on Monday to begin a four-game homestand. The Wildcats host Lamar at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for Monday's game are available by calling (800) 221-CATS, online at kstatesports.com/tickets and on gameday at the Bramlage Coliseum ticket windows.Â
Monday's game is a Pre-Game Fan Favorites night. Stop by the concession stands prior to select weekday women's basketball games to receive $1 off water, fountain drinks, hot dogs, and nachos from the time doors open until the playing of the National Anthem (while supplies last).
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and can be heard on the K-State Sports Network, online at kstatesports.com and on the K-State Sports app and the flagship stations of K-State women's basketball in Manhattan, Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN.
K-State (2-0) was paced by junior forward Nastja Claessens tallied eight points, 11 rebounds, four steals and two assists. Garcia tallied eight points, four assists and two rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- With 4:36 to play in the fourth quarter, SMU (1-1) went in front by eight, 43-35, following a three-pointer from Kyla Deck.
- K-State answered with a layup from Claessens and two free throws from freshman guard/forward Brandie Harrod to pull to within four, 43-39.
- The Mustangs made 1-of-2 free throws with 1:53 remaining to go in front by five, 44-39.Â
- On K-State's next possession, Garcia found junior guard Taryn Sides in the corner for an open 3-pointer to bring the margin to two, 44-42, with 1:40 left.
- Garcia then took over, finishing a driving layup with 47 seconds left to tie the game at 44. After a missed jumper by SMU, K-State grabbed the rebound and advanced the ball with 16 seconds left.
- After the timeout, K-State inbounded to Garcia. She was able to drive to the rim through contact and finish her layup at the rim as time expired and was confirmed after a brief replay review.
- At halftime, K-State trailed 25-18 and were held to 26.9 percent shooting (7-of-26), including 1-of-9 from long range.
- K-State shot 30.9 percent (17-of-55) from the field, including just 14.3 percent (3-of-21) from beyond the arc. The Wildcats held the advantage in points in the paint, 28-26.
- Defensively, the Wildcats held SMU to 28.1 percent (18-of-64) shooting including 20.0 percent (4-of-20) from long range.
- K-State held the edge on the glass, 46-41.
QUICK FACTS
- K-State leads the series with SMU, 2-1. This was K-State's first visit to the SMU campus in the series. Head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 10-8 (.556) against SMU.
- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 674-378 (.641), including a mark of 220-143 (.606).
- The Wildcats are 300-329 (.477) in road games in its 58-season history. Under Mittie, K-State is 51-72 (.415) in road games.
- The Wildcats are 168-55 (.753) in games played in the month of November, including wins in 56 of its last 68 games in the month. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 54-12 (.818) in games during the 11th month.Â
TEAM NOTES
- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Brandie Harrod, Tess Heal and Taryn Sides and forwards Nastja Claessens and Jenessa Cotton. This was the second time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 76th career start for Heal and her second at K-State. This was the second career starts for Claessens, Cotton, Harrod and Sides.
- K-State improves to 67-0 in the Jeff Mittie era when holding an opponent to 49 points or less. During the last five seasons, K-State is 67-3 (.957) when holding foes to 60 points or less.
PLAYER NOTES
- Claessens' 11 rebounds were a career-high. This was her second game this season with five or more rebounds and her first in double digits.
- Claessens' four steals were a career-high.
- Harrod's 10 rebounds were a career-high. This was her second game this season with five or more rebounds and her first in double digits.
- Sides hauled in five rebounds. This was her second game this season and the 18th of her career with five or more rebounds.
FROM THE HEAD COACH
K-State Head Coach Jeff Mittie
On the offensive struggles in the first half…
"It was a mixed bag. I still felt that at times it was way too individual. But there were some players getting to a spot. I thought (Izela) Arenas got to good spots in that first half. It's hard to argue where she was getting to. She's got that ability. I thought for the most part, our threes looked rushed to me, and so I didn't like those. I felt like we could work the ball better. I didn't feel like we had a concerted attack that was getting us any knowledge of how SMU wanted to continue to defend us. And that's the problem with early shots and maybe forced shots, is you don't learn anything as a coach to help them. But you know, first real game on the road, solid opponent, not unexpected that we would face this kind of a struggle. It was a little unexpected that we're both in the 40s. But you know, there's going to be nights like this, and we certainly didn't make enough shots to score much more."
On the defensive performance…
"I felt like we were pretty good in terms of what we asked them to do. From a scout perspective, we felt like that they were a drive team. I did not feel like they shot it from three well off the bounce. So once they started bouncing, we wanted to close those gaps. I thought our team was solid for the most part, and then second half, the key was we were in better position to rebound, and we did a better job of chasing it. I thought Claessen's was huge in that area and ends up with 11 rebounds. I thought Harrod had a good look to her. But I also thought everybody contributed in that stretch."
On the final possession and Garcia's game-winner…
"We just wanted to make sure we had the momentum if it goes to overtime. We felt pretty comfortable about it going to overtime. We wanted to get the last shot. Garcia had a good look to her in that high ball screen action. We thought we would get a good look out of it. I didn't know that she'd be able to get all the way to the rim, but, you know, we've got good shooters, so there's some gravity that we can play off of. And she made a gritty, tough play."
UP NEXT
K-State returns to Bramlage Coliseum on Monday to begin a four-game homestand. The Wildcats host Lamar at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for Monday's game are available by calling (800) 221-CATS, online at kstatesports.com/tickets and on gameday at the Bramlage Coliseum ticket windows.Â
Monday's game is a Pre-Game Fan Favorites night. Stop by the concession stands prior to select weekday women's basketball games to receive $1 off water, fountain drinks, hot dogs, and nachos from the time doors open until the playing of the National Anthem (while supplies last).
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and can be heard on the K-State Sports Network, online at kstatesports.com and on the K-State Sports app and the flagship stations of K-State women's basketball in Manhattan, Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN.
Team Stats
KState
SMU
FG%
.309
.281
3FG%
.143
.200
FT%
.643
.500
RB
46
41
TO
20
15
STL
7
12
Game Leaders
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballK-State Women's Basketball | Postgame Highlights vs Omaha
Tuesday, November 04
K-State Women's Basketball | Head Coach Jeff Mittie Press Conference - November 3, 2025
Tuesday, November 04
K-State WBB | Coach Mittie Press Conference vs Omaha
Monday, November 03
K-State WBB | Game Highlights vs Omaha
Monday, November 03