K-State Hosts Georgia Tech in WBIT First Round

Thursday, March 19

Manhattan, Kan.

6:30 p.m.

Kansas State University

Georgia Tech

Mar 17, 2026 | Women's Basketball

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Game 36 | 2026 WBIT
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (14-18, 8-10 ACC) at K-State Wildcats (18-17, 8-10 Big 12)
Thursday, March 19, 2026 | 6:30 p.m. | Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) | Manhattan, Kan.

TICKETS
Visit kstatesports.com/tickets or call (800) 221-CATS

TELEVISION
ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Brian Smoller
Analyst: Missy Heidrick
Sideline: Hannah Whetstone

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Online: kstatesports.com
Play-by-Play: Matt Walters
Analyst: Kristin Waller

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com

SERIES HISTORY vs. Georgia Tech
2-0

• K-State leads the series with Georgia Tech, 2-0.
• Head coach Jeff Mittie will face Georgia Tech for the first time in his coaching career.
• This is the first meeting between the schools in a postseason tournament.
• The Wildcats are 11-16 against the ACC, including a 1-1 mark this season.

MANHATTAN, Kansas - K-State (18-17), a 2-seed, will face Georgia Tech (14-18), in the first round of the 2026 WBIT on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., in Bramlage Coliseum.

• The Wildcats are making their fifth straight postseason appearance and 10th postseason trip in the last 12 seasons.
• The game will air on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Missy Heidrick (analyst) and Hannah Whetstone (sideline) will have the call.

Starting 5
Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women's basketball
1. Speiser Earns All-Tourney Honors
• Freshman Jordan Speiser became the sixth player in program history and the second freshman (Kendra Wecker, 2002) to collect Big 12 All-Tournament Team honors. Speiser averaged 15.8 points while shooting 50.0 percent from the field including 48.5 percent from 3.
2. Wildcats Pile Up the Points
• K-State has tallied 2,442 points this season, which ranks sixth in program history for a single season. This is the fifth straight season and the ninth season in the Jeff Mittie era in which K-State has scored 2,000 or more points in a season.
3. Cats with Sticky Paws
• K-State's 341 steals this season are sixth in program history for a single season. The 341 steals are the second-most under Mittie.
4. Moving the Ball
• K-State has handed out 517 assists (14.8 apg) in 2025-26. This is the fifth consecutive season with 500 or more assists. This is the second time in program history in which K-State has dished out 500 or more assists in five straight seasons (2001-02 to 2005-06).
5. Garcia with the Dish
• Gina Garcia leads all Big 12 freshmen and is second in the nation for assists by a freshmen with 177 assists. She is second in program history for assists in a freshman season and needs 13 assists to pass Shalee Lehning (2005-06; 189) for the freshman school record.

Number to Know
268

• K-State's 268 three-point field goals made this season ranks third for a single season in program history.
• Over the last two seasons, K-State has made 575 three-pointers.
• This is the fourth consecutive season and the 15th season in program history with 200 or more made 3-pointers.
• The group of Taryn Sides (78), Jordan Speiser (69), Nastja Claessens (40), Tess Heal (24), Izela Arenas (22) and Aniya Foy (20) marks the sixth season in program history including the fourth straight with five or more Wildcats making 20 or more 3-point field goals in a season.

At a Glance: Georgia Tech
• Georgia Tech (14-18, 8-10 ACC) enters Thursday's WBIT game following a 62-54 loss against Virginia Tech in the second round of the ACC Tournament. This will be Georgia Tech's second appearance in the WBIT, making the field in the inaugural event in 2024.
• On the sideline, the Yellow Jackets are led by first-year head coach Karen Blair. A 1999 graduate of SMU, Blair is the first Georgia Tech women's basketball head coach to lead her team to the postseason in her first season on the bench.
• On the floor, Georgia Tech is led by Talayah Walker and Brianna Turnage.
• Walker, a sophomore gaurd from Odenton, Maryland, was an All-ACC First Team selection by the media and a second team all-league selection by the coaches. Walker finished third in scoring in conference play with 19.3 points per game and fourth in the ACC at 17.1 overall.
• Turnage, a senior guard from Atlanta, led the ACC in rebounding (12.5 rpg) and defensive rebounds per game (10.7) in ACC play. She was an ACC All-Defensive Team recipient by the media and coaches.

Last Time Out
(10/10) TCU 74, K-State 62 (March 7, 2026; Kansas City, Mo.)
• K-State, the first 12-seed to reach the Big 12 Tournament semifinals, held a one-point halftime lead over the top-seeded Horned Frogs.
• The Wildcats were outscored 42-29 in the second half.
• K-State had four in double figures and were led by freshman Jordan Speiser with 16 points. Speiser earned Big 12 All-Tournament Team honors for her performance in the four games. Junior forward Nastja Claessens recorded her fourth double-digit effort in the tournament with 14 points.

Wildcats' 400+ Wins in Bramlage
• K-State is 420-165 (.718) all-time inside Bramlage Coliseum, which is in its 38th season of existence.
• In his career in games played in his home venue, head coach Jeff Mittie is 424-122 (.777) including a 150-57 (.725) record at K-State.
• Kansas State has protected Bramlage Coliseum with determination against non-conference foes with a record of 241-33 (.880). Mittie is 87-12 (.879) in non-conference games in Bramlage.
• In the 2024-25 season, K-State was 17-1 (.944) in home games, which included a 17-game home winning streak, tied for the fifth-longest home win streak in program history and tied for the second-longest in Bramlage. This was the longest in-season home win streak since 2002-03 (19). The .944 winning percentage last season was the best since going 19-1 (.950) in 2002-03.
• This was the 34th time in program history that the Wildcats reached double figures in home victories. It was the 26th season K-State has won 10 or more games in Bramlage.
• The 33 home wins by the Wildcats over the last two seasons are the most wins in Bramlage over a two-season span in program history.

Marching Toward the Finish Line
• During the third month of the year but the final month of the basketball season, K-State owns a 147-111 (.570) record in March.
• K-State head coach Jeff Mittie is 30-27 (.526) in the month of March during his time in Manhattan.

Bench Boost
• K-State has received an offensive boost from its second unit.
• The Wildcats are averaging 25.1 points per game from its bench (877 points), which is third in the Big 12 and is 28th in the nation.
• K-State's 877 bench points is the top mark under Jeff Mittie for a season.
• This is the third time in the Mittie era in which the bench recorded 700 or more points in a season.
• K-State has scored 20 or more bench points in 22 games. The Wildcats have had the edge in bench points in 24 games this season (13-11).
• The Wildcats opened the season with 47 points from its bench against Omaha. The 47 points from the bench were the most since K-State scored 47 against McNeese State on Dec. 6, 2023.

Sharing is Caring
• K-State picked up where it left off last season in its unselfishness with the basketball.
• This season, K-State is averaging 14.7 assists per game (517 assists), an assisted shot rate of 58.4 percent and an assist to turnover ratio of 1.01. The 517 assists is 10th in school history for a single season.
• Gina Garcia (177) and Taryn Sides (130) have combined to dish out 307 assists this season, becoming the fifth tandem in program history to register a combined 300 or more assists in a season and ranks fourth.
• The Wildcats handed out a season-high 25 assists twice this season - vs. Omaha (11/3) and vs. Columbia (11/27).
• Over the last 18 years, the Wildcats are 122-8 (.938) when handing out 20 or more assists, including an 8-0 record this season.

Wildcats Solid From the Arc
• K-State continues to attack from deep in the 2025-26 season.
• K-State is shooting 34.8 percent (268-of-770) from 3-point range. The Wildcats have received 32.9 percent of its points from 3-point field goals made and have buried five or more in a game 27 times, including 10 games with 10 or more.
• K-State's 268 three-point field goals made this season ranks third for a single season in program history. Over the last two seasons, K-State has made 575 three-pointers.
• This is the fourth consecutive season and the 15th season in program history with 200 or more made 3-pointers.
• The 7.66 three-point field goals made per game ranks fourth in school history for a single season.
• The 770 three-point attempts ranks fourth in school history for a single season.
• The group of Taryn Sides (78), Jordan Speiser (69), Nastja Claessens (40), Tess Heal (24), Izela Arenas (22) and Aniya Foy (20) marks the sixth season in program history including the fourth straight with five or more Wildcats making 20 or more 3-point field goals in a season.
• The Wildcats set the school record for 3-point field goals made in a game with 17 against Columbia on Nov. 27 and on March 4 against Cincinnati.
• Against Cincinnati on March 4, K-State set the Big 12 Tournament single game record for 3-point field goals made with its 17. Among its 17 three-pointers made, K-State became the 11th team in the nation since 1999-00 and the first Big 12 team to have three or more players make five or more 3-pointers in the same game: Speiser (6), Claessens (5) and Sides (5).
• K-State set the school and Big 12 records for three-point field goals made in a Big 12 Tournament with 41.
• Against Columbia, K-State shot 65.4 percent (17-of-26) from beyond the arc against the Lions, which was the highest 3-point percentage on 20 or more attempts since carding a 70.0 percent effort (14-of-20) against UCF on February 15, 2025.
• In the three games of the 2025 Cancun Challenge, K-State shot 53.2 percent (33-of-62) from the 3-point line which included eight quarters of 50.0 percent or better and a 76.9 percent (10-of-13) effort in the second against Columbia.
• In the 12 seasons under Mittie, K-State has buried 2,536 three-pointers which is 6.40 per game.
• In the Mittie era, the Wildcats have made five or more 3-pointers in a game 287 times in 396 total games including 60 games with 10 or more connections (w-l: 52-8) from deep.

Advanced Claessens
• Junior forward Nastja Claessens has been effective from the field and from beyond the arc in her first season in the Little Apple.
• Since 1999-00, Claessens is the second junior in program history to record a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent or better, a 3-point percentage of 35.0 percent or better and score 375 or more points. She joins Serena Sundell (2023-24) in achieving this feat.

Garcia with Helpers
• Guard Gina Garcia has been an adept passer to begin her K-State career.
• For the season, Garcia is averaging 5.06 assists per game (177 assists). She ranks second among all NCAA Division I freshmen for total assists, including leading the freshmen in the Big 12. Overall, she ranks seventh in the Big 12 in assists per game. She has led K-State in assists in 23 games this season.
• With her 177 assists, she ranks second in program history for assists in a freshman season. Garcia is the third freshman at K-State since 1981-82 to hand out 175 or more assists in their debut season and first since Serena Sundell in the 2021-22 season (176). Garcia set the school record for assists in any season by an international player.
• Against Iowa State on March 1 and again on March 4 against Cincinnati, Garcia handed out a career-high 10 assists. She is the first freshman guard since at least 2001-02 to register 10 or more assists in consecutive games. She has 18 games this season with five or more assists.
• Garcia holds the school record for career assist-turnover ratio (2.13).
• In her first Big 12 Tournament, Garcia dished out a total of 26 assists (6.5 apg). She led the tournament in total assists and assists per game. Her total of 26 assists set the school record for a Big 12 Tournament and ranked fourth in league history.

Sides Reaches 400/100/100
• Taryn Sides achieved a rare single-season milestone in K-State history.
• This season, Sides has achieved 433 points, 126 rebounds and 130 assists. She has established new career single-season highs for points and assists.
• Sides is the ninth player in program history with 400 or more points, 100 or more rebounds and 100 or more assists in a season.
• At her height of 5'6", Sides is the shortest player in program history to join the 400/100/100 club.
• Sides is one of three players in the nation this season and the only player in the Big 12 in 2025-26 to register 400 or more points, 75 or more 3-point field goals made, 100 or more rebounds, 100 or more assists and 60 or more steals.

Taryn It Up from Long Distance
• Taryn Sides has been a threat from long distance in her career.
• Sides owns a career 3-point field goal percentage of .399 (188-471), which is fifth in school history (min. 2 attempts/game). She was the 11th player in program history with 175 or more made 3-point field goals and is ninth in program history for career 3-point field goals made.
• She has made two or more 3-pointers in a game 53 times, including 14 games with four or more.
• This season, Sides is shooting 39.2 percent from long distance (78-of-199) and has 22 games with two or more connections, including five games with four or more.
• She ranks 46th in the nation for 3-point field goal percentage. Her 67 connections ranks 81st in the nation. She is the ninth player in program history to make 70 or more 3-pointers in their junior season.
• During the 2025 Cancun Challenge, Sides went off from long range as she was 15-of-25 (.600) in the three games. Against Columbia, Sides shot a career-best 8-of-12 from long range including 5-of-6 in the second half.
• Starting with her buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the third quarter against Columbia, Sides made eight consecutive 3-pointers by shooting 3-of-3 in the fourth quarter, 2-of-2 against North Carolina and started by making her first two attempts against South Dakota State.
• With her eight made 3-pointers against Columbia, Sides tied for the fourth most in a game in program history and was the eighth different player in school history to make eight or more three-pointers in a game. Her eight 3-point connections were the most since Temira Poindexter made eight at Kentucky in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
• She was the second K-State player since 1999-00 to shoot 66.7 percent or better from long distance on 12 or more attempts, joining Laurie Koehn who shot 76.9 percent (10-of-13) against Iowa on Jan. 5, 2003.

Speiser From Distance
• Guard Jordan Speiser has been producing from beyond the arc in her debut season.
• For the season, Speiser is 69-of-196 (.352) from distance. Over her last 10 games, she is shooting 47.8 percent (32-of-67) from beyond the arc.
• She has made two or more 3-pointers in a game 20 times this season. Speiser tallied a career-high six 3-pointers against Cincinnati in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. The six 3-pointers tied the school record for 3-pointers made in a Big 12 Tournament game.
• With her 69 connections from long range, Speiser is the fifth freshman in program history with 65 or more 3-point field goals made in a freshman season and ranks third in program history for 3-point field goals made in a freshman season.
• In the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament, Speiser buried 16 three-pointers to set the school record for 3-pointers in a Big 12 Tournament and the second-most in Big 12 history.
• Speiser tied the national mark by a freshman in the last 15 years for three-point field goals made in any conference tournament in NCAA Division I, as she made 16 in the four games.
• The product of Warrenton, Missouri, tied for second in program history for 3-point field goals made (16) in a Big 12 Tournament career. She is second in program history for 3-point field goal percentage (.485) in a Big 12 Tournament career.

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