Kansas State Wildcats Make Statement at Bramlage with Win Over BYU

Under head coach Jeff Mittie, the "Octagon of Doom" has remained one of the toughest road environments in the conference. It is because the K-State holds a 149–55 home mark during his tenure.

Saturday afternoon belonged to Nastja Claessens. The Waregem, Belgium, native delivered the best performance of her collegiate career, scoring a career-high 25 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting effort. Claessens was lethal from beyond the arc, knocking down 4 of 6 three-point attempts to tie her career high.

Claessens became only the second international player in Kansas State history to record three or more games with at least 20 points. She also filled the stat sheet with four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, putting together a complete two-way performance that fueled the Wildcats on both ends of the floor.

While Claessens led the scoring, Kansas State’s offensive rhythm was built on exceptional ball movement and unselfish play. The Wildcats recorded 22 assists on 30 made field goals, finishing the afternoon shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three-point range.

Junior guard Taryn Sides posted a career-best 13 assists to go along with seven points and five rebounds, all while committing zero turnovers. Her 13 assists tied for the third-most in a single game in program history. Sides also continues to stand alone nationally this season as the only player with multiple games of 12 or more assists without a turnover.

The supporting cast delivered in key moments. Freshman guard Gina Garcia added 12 points, three assists, and three steals. Senior Tess Heal chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Brandie Harrod tied her career high with 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.

The Team Showcased Defense Takes Over After Halftime

The game opened competitively, with Kansas State carrying a 38–30 lead into halftime after BYU cut the margin to five late in the second quarter. Kansas State opened the third quarter with a decisive 14–2 run, stretching the lead to 20 points. During that stretch, Brandie Harrod scored six points while Heal and Garcia each added four.

The Wildcats’ defense was completely locked in, holding BYU to just nine points on 1-of-14 shooting. It is a 7.1 percent effort from the field. It marked the 11th time this season Kansas State has held an opponent to single digits in a quarter.

BYU attempted to make things interesting early in the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to 14. Kansas State responded immediately. The Wildcats held BYU to 21.4 percent shooting in the second half and outscored the Cougars 39–22 over the final 20 minutes.

With the victory, Kansas State improved to 6–0 all-time against BYU and 3–0 against the Cougars in Manhattan. Kansas State will look to keep the momentum rolling as it wraps up its two-game homestand on Tuesday night, against Oklahoma State at 6:30 p.m