Kansas State Women’s Basketball Begins Key Homestand

Kansas State enters with complete dominance over Lamar, holding a 5–0 all-time series lead. Their last meeting was back on December 5, 2018. It was when the Wildcats rolled to a 73–55 victory in Manhattan. Head Coach Jeff Mittie remains unbeaten against Lamar with a 10–0 career record. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are 11–1 all-time versus current Southland Conference teams.

Kansas State’s confidence is high after a gritty 46–44 win on the road at SMU on November 8. Despite a low-scoring battle, the Wildcats showed toughness down the stretch, outscoring the Mustangs 11–1 in the final 4:17.

Freshman Gina Garcia played hero with a last-second driving layup to secure the victory, tying with Nastja Claessens for a team-high eight points. Claessens also made a huge impact defensively, recording a career-best 11 rebounds and four steals.

The 46 points were the sixth fewest in a K-State win since the 1999–2000 season. This underscores how resilient and defensively disciplined Mittie’s group has become.

Few arenas in women’s college basketball are as consistently dominant for the home team as Bramlage Coliseum. Since opening 38 years ago, K-State has compiled a stellar 414–157 (.725) record inside its home venue.

Last season alone, the Wildcats were nearly unbeatable at home, finishing 17–1, which tied for the fifth-longest home streak in school history. Over the past two seasons, K-State’s 33 home victories are the most ever in two years. Under Coach Mittie, the Wildcats are 144–49 (.746) inside Bramlage and 85–9 (.904) in non-conference play, making it one of the toughest places for opponents to steal a win.

Attacking the Paint and Defensive Strength

Kansas State’s success begins in the paint. Through two games this season, the Wildcats have scored 76 of their points down low, accounting for 52.1% of their total offense. They opened the season with a commanding 48-point victory against Omaha, shooting an incredible 73.2% on two-point attempts. That inside dominance mirrors last season, when the Wildcats averaged 37.6 points per game in the paint, their highest mark under Mittie.

Defensively, K-State remains elite. In the season opener, they limited Omaha to just nine first-half points and only two field goals across the opening 20 minutes. This season alone, they’ve already held opponents to single digits in four separate quarters, improving to an all-time record of 116–29 (.800) in such games. Last year, K-State was a perfect 20–0 when achieving that mark.

The Wildcats also have a strong track record in tight games. Their comeback win at SMU snapped a seven-game skid when trailing entering the fourth quarter. As the Wildcats begin this crucial homestand, they’ll look to defend their home court and keep their perfect start intact.