Texas Tech has had some charmed finishes in Big 12 play during its 19-0 start to the season, holding on for one-point wins at Baylor and West Virginia to keep its undefeated record intact.
That magic ran out Saturday against Kansas State, as the Wildcats handed the 17th-ranked Red Raiders their first loss, 65-59, in Lubbock. Graduate transfer Snudda Collins was poised to be the hero for Texas Tech, as her four-point play put the Red Raiders up six in the fourth quarter. Even as the offense sputtered, Collins had a go-ahead jumper with 2:24 to play. Instead, Texas Tech didn’t score another field goal, and Kansas State clawed back for the upset.
The Wildcats made it a point of emphasis to clog the paint and force the Red Raiders into jump shots, often defending in a 2-3 zone even though Texas Tech came in shooting 35 percent on 3-pointers. The Red Raiders made 9 of 20 from beyond the arc but only 10 two-point baskets. A Texas Tech squad that usually attempts 21 layups per game had 13 such opportunities against Kansas State and only made six due to the Wildcats’ paint defense.
Meanwhile, Kansas State lived in the restricted area, exploiting Texas Tech’s aggressive defense with cuts to the basket. Guards Gina Garcia, Tess Heal and Brandie Harrod all had multiple finishes inside, and Garcia put K-State up for good 59-58 with a layup with 1:38 left.
The Wildcats were a perennial Big 12 contender in the Ayoka Lee era but have started fresh in 2025-26 with nine newcomers, including five freshmen. The growing pains have been evident — see the 10-9 record — but three of the freshmen (Harrod, Garcia and Jordan Speiser) popped in the road win over Texas Tech, the second top-25 victory for Kansas State after beating Ole Miss in December.
The Red Raiders needed more production from their non-Bailey Maupin starters, but got just 13 points combined from the other four players. Perhaps coach Krista Gerlich will consider starting Collins, but there hadn’t been much impetus to make a change before Texas Tech had lost.
The Red Raiders remain in first place in the Big 12 despite the loss, though they will likely fall into a tie with TCU and Baylor by the end of Saturday’s slate. The schedule tightens up from here on out with road games against BYU and Utah, and then two ranked contests against No. 19 Iowa State and No. 10 TCU.