Ok-State Undone by Big Second Half from Iowa State

MANHATTAN, Kansas – An enormous second quarter scoring run sparked Ok-State right into a halftime lead, however Iowa State used a 56-point second half to down the Wildcats, 93-79, on Sunday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.

Ok-State (15-16, 8-10 Big 12) was paced by freshmen Jordan Speiser and Gina Garcia. Speiser, a product of Warrenton, Missouri, carded a team-high 17 factors, together with a 4-of-8 effort from 3-point vary, and three steals. Garcia, a guard from Barcelona, Spain, registered her first profession double-double by tying her career-high in factors with 14 and dished out a career-high 10 assists. She additionally pocketed two steals.

Garcia is the third Ok-State freshman since 2009-10 to card a points-assists double-double and first since Serena Sundell registered 16 factors and 10 assists at South Dakota State on Dec. 11, 2021.

Joining the freshmen tandem in double figures have been senior Tess Heal with 16 factors, 4 steals and three assists whereas junior Taryn Sides added 11 factors, three steals, three rebounds and two assists.

Iowa State (22-8, 10-8) was led by Audi Crooks with 41 factors on 16-of-19 taking pictures and 13 rebounds, whereas Jada Williams tallied 23 factors and 9 assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED
– Ok-State used a 15-3 run within the first 5 minutes of the second quarter to construct a 37-31 benefit with 4:42 to play.
– Heal opened the scoring run with a 3-pointer and was adopted by a quick break layup from Gina Garcia. After two Heal free throws, Speiser transformed an old school three-point play with 7:52 remaining. Claessens added two free throws earlier than Aniya Foy buried a 3-pointer in transition.
– The Cyclones closed to inside one, 38-37, with 2:09 left however the Wildcats ended the quarter with the final 5 factors and held a 43-37 lead at halftime.
– Ok-State outscored the Cyclones 21-11 within the second quarter. This marked the seventh time this season and the third time in Big 12 play this season during which Ok-State scored 20 or extra factors within the second quarter. The final time Ok-State notched 20 or extra factors in a second quarter in Big 12 motion was Feb. 7 in opposition to BYU.
– A 28-point third quarter by Iowa State, gave the Cyclones a 65-62 benefit getting into the fourth quarter. Ok-State held a 62-60 lead with 2:15 remaining, however went scoreless for the ultimate 2:14 of the stanza.
– Ok-State closed to inside one, 71-70, as Taryn Sides knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:45 remaining within the fourth quarter. Iowa State used a 7-0 run to go in entrance, 78-70, to power a Wildcat timeout with 5:34 left.
– The Cyclones would push their benefit to 13, 87-74, with 3:02 left. Ok-State would solely be capable of minimize the margin to 10 on two events.
– The 56 second half factors by Iowa State have been essentially the most Ok-State has allowed in a half this season.
– Ok-State shot 37.1 p.c (26-of-70), together with 34.3 p.c (12-of-35) from the 3-point line.

QUICK FACTS
– Ok-State leads the sequence, 55-52. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 9-22 in his profession in opposition to Iowa State. The Wildcats are 29-20 in video games performed in Manhattan.
– Ok-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a profession document of 687-394 (.636), together with a mark of 233-159 (.594).
– In its 30^th season of play within the Big 12, Ok-State owns a document of 253-257 (.496) in Big 12 motion.
– Ok-State is 420-165 (.718) in its Thirty eighth-season inside Bramlage Coliseum, together with a 150-57 (.725) document underneath Mittie.
– The Wildcats are 144-110 (.567) in video games performed within the month of March. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, Ok-State is 27-26 (.509) in video games through the third month.

TEAM NOTES
– Ok-State’s beginning 5 consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Tess Heal, and Taryn Sides and ahead Nastja Claessens. This was the eighth time this lineup has began collectively this season. This is the second-most used beginning lineup for Ok-State this season. This was the 30^th profession begin for Sides. This was the 29^th profession begin for Garcia. Heal made her 18^th begin this season and her 92^nd profession begin. Claessens made her 27^th profession begin. This was Harrod’s 27^th profession begin.
– Since the beginning of the quarter-system in girls’s school basketball within the 2015-16 season, Ok-State is 173-75 (.698) when scoring 20 or extra factors in any quarter in a recreation, together with a 13-10 mark this season. The Wildcats have 41 quarters this season with 20 or extra factors scored.
– With its 12 made three-pointers on Sunday, Ok-State has made 10 or extra 3-pointers in eight video games this season (5-3). Since the 2014-15 season, Ok-State has made 10 or extra 3-pointers in a recreation 59 instances (50-9).
– Ok-State pocketed 15 steals on Sunday. This was the 18^th time this season Ok-State has carded 10 or extra steals, together with the third recreation with 15 or extra steals. For the season, the Wildcats have recorded 301 steals, which is the second straight season Ok-State has tallied 300 or extra steals in a season and the fourth time underneath head coach Jeff Mittie.

PLAYER NOTES
– Speiser carded her 16^th recreation this season with double digits in factors.
– Speiser made 4 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her 16^th recreation this season with two or extra connections from lengthy distance, together with 4 video games with 4 connections.
– Speiser pocketed three steals. This was her eighth recreation this season with two or extra steals.
– Garcia tallied 14 factors. This was her eighth recreation this season with 10 or extra factors.
– Garcia knocked down two 3-pointers on Sunday. This was a career-high and her first profession recreation with two or extra connections from lengthy vary.
– Garcia handed out a career-high 10 assists. She moved into fourth in program historical past for assists in a freshman season with 151. She is the fourth freshman in program historical past with 150 or extra assists in a season and first since Serena Sundell in 2021-22. Garcia set the college document for assists in a season by a world participant. This was her 16^th recreation this season with 5 or extra assists.
– Heal reached double figures for the 91^st time in her profession, together with her 17^th time this season. Heal’s collegiate profession level complete now stands at 1,777 factors.
– Heal tallied two connections from lengthy vary. This was her 31^st profession recreation with two or extra 3-point subject targets made together with seven this season.
– Sides tallied 10 or extra factors for the 35^th time in her profession and 17^th time this season.
– With her lone made 3-point subject objective, Sides moved into sole possession of 10^th on the Ok-State profession 3-point subject targets listing with 177 in her profession.
– With her two assists, Sides moved into sole possession of 16^th on the Ok-State profession assists listing with 308.
– Claessens pulled in 5 or extra rebounds for the 11^th time this season.
– Foy made two 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her third recreation this season with two or extra connections from lengthy distance.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Ok-State Head Coach Jeff Mittie
On Iowa State pulling away within the second half…
“It’s probably my fault. We’re small balling there so we weren’t able to get enough ball pressure. We weren’t able to get enough chaos. [Audi Crooks] had great position down there. They were disciplined enough to get it down there. And those short rebounds are going to be a problem because of those. The long rebounds we can chase down. We didn’t get enough chaos in the second half.”

On Jordan Speiser’s play whereas guarding Audi Crooks…
“[Jordan Speiser’s] a competitor. She competes and I thought she did everything she could. It’s not a fair match up to her. We’ve obviously got to get more size in there, and we will. We’ve got a lot of young ones. But I thought Jordan battled like crazy. I didn’t think it affected her offensively either. Most of the time you put in that much energy down there on that kind of player. So I thought she played well at both ends.”

On the problem of guarding Audi Crooks…
“Brandie [Harrod] picks up two fouls. We’re wanting her to use her athleticism and front her, and so we tried to mix up coverages. [Ivona Scekic] got two fouls right away. We had no answer for her, our only answer was [to have] enough guard pressure, where we created some turnovers, but if they got settled in the half court, we didn’t have an answer.”

On Gina Garcia’s play whereas Taryn Sides was in foul hassle early…
“Her numbers are pretty good. They were giving her some opportunities, but she did some good things. I thought she played well. I thought our team played well when [Taryn Sides] was in foul trouble. We obviously went into the half with the lead. So our team did some good things in that stretch.”

On how the freshmen have dealt with their first 12 months in Big 12 play…
“It’s hard for freshmen to understand, as they sit here today, how much growth they’ve had. Hard for any player, because you want the result, and we’re all in this results world that you want the result, the result says growth, right? And it’s just not the way it is. I’ve seen every one of them grow a lot. I’ve seen their game grow. The problem is that, in many cases, to them, it’s hard for them to see. They’re frustrated, they’re tired, they’re battling. They didn’t get the result they wanted. So I’ve seen all of them. You look at a player like [Aniya Foy], if you go back on film and watch her compete from day one to here, it’s night and day different. It’s not even the same player that you’re watching. So she’s able to play through stretches, and she did some good things today. [Jordan] Speiser’s a great example of being able to do different things. Gina [Garcia] is continuing to do a lot of really good things. Brandie [Harrod], we’ve watched her battle an All-American like Audi Crooks, struggle with that, but we’ve watched her go up against others and play great. So it’s just hard to see sometimes, when you’re in the fight.”

On how he feels on taking part in 5 video games in 5 days heading into the Big 12 Tournament…
“Well, I’d rather have the bye. We were in position to get that. So, no, I don’t think it’s good. It is what it is, right? We didn’t earn the bye. We had a chance, and now our opportunity is to play right away. So we’ve got to make the most of that. I think most of the league is playing today. Not everybody. There were some games yesterday, but for us, it’ll get here quickly. So it looks like [we will be seeded] 12 or 11, I think, right? So we’ll get that answer here later, but we need to be ready to play quickly.”

Iowa State Head Coach Bill Fennelly
Opening Statement…
“First of all, I really want to commend the K State crowd. It was a great crowd, great Sunday afternoon crowd, great for TV. They do it right here, so I really hope that they understand how important that is. We know what it’s like in Hilton, so that’s a great thing. A huge game for our team. Obviously, a huge road win impacts a lot of things, but offensively, we were as good as we could be, except for the turnovers. But we rebound the ball and we made free throws, and that’s been something we struggled with basically all year. So very, very fortunate to come out of here the way we did. And a great way to start March. And I’m looking forward to going to Kansas City.”

On making adjustments within the final half of the sport…
“Well, the first thing we did was we told our guys that we wanted to play more inside out. They were spreading us out a lot, and it’s hard to go rebound. You know, we don’t rebound out of our own area of the floor very well, so we want to keep as many bodies close, which means we’re going to give up a couple threes, there were some people we were going to make them prove they could shoot the three. And then defensive rebounding wise, when we did that. And, you know, Audi Crooks was really good, but Addy Brown makes such a big difference. She’s our best defensive rebounder. So between the two of them, they had 19 defensive rebounds. And I think that is part of it. So I think we want to play more inside out, and when they miss, go get it.”

On Jordan Speiser’s freshman 12 months…
“She’s had a tremendous freshman year. I got to see her a lot. She played for the Iowa Attack, so we saw her a lot up in Ames. I mean, the kid shoots it, and it’s so easy. And I think the thing about her is that when you coach against her, and you watch her play, everyone thought, ‘She can catch and shoot threes.’ She’s a lot more physical. I mean, you know, they asked her to guard Audi. Sometimes they asked her to guard perimeter players. But she’s really skilled, and she’s putting the ball on the deck. Obviously, she’s been coached very well here, and she’s learning more. She shoots the three so deep you got to chase her off of it, then she puts her head down and goes by you, but she’s going to be a tremendous player. She’s one of the best freshmen in our league, and it’s without question.”

On Jada Williams scoring early on…
“Yeah, you know, I think a lot of people have taken a stance. They want to cap Jada a little bit. Hit some mid-range jumpers. We’ve asked Jada to kind of get downhill a little bit, and our courts opened up a little with Addy, so Jada can get to the free throw line. But yeah, when she makes a couple shots early, it changes a lot of things for us. And you know, she had some unforced errors, we made some really loose decisions with the ball. When she doesn’t, she can give us a threat. And now, in a ball screen situation, do you help? Do you not? How do you rotate? And then Audi can maybe do some work. So no question they go together.”

FROM THE FLOOR
Ok-State Senior Tess Heal
On what Iowa State did within the second half that led to their offensive success…
“They got it to [Audi Crooks], and she finished at the rim really well. She’s a great player. She’s hard to stop. She was too big for us.”

On shifting focus to the Big 12 Tournament…
“I mean, basketball is like life. You got to move on quickly. Things happen, and you just have to get on your bike and think about the next thing. So we have a game on Wednesday. That’s our focus. I don’t know who we’re playing. I don’t know if that’s set. I think other games depend, but yeah, whoever we play on Wednesday, our focus will be on them, and then get a win there and play on Thursday, and we’ll focus on that one, and just take it day by day.”

On the season after taking part in her remaining recreation at Bramlage Coliseum…
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity from the coaching staff and K-State in general, just to let me wear this jersey. It’s been an absolute roller coaster, but I’m grateful for every moment of it. It’s an honor to play here and to wear the K-State purple. I’m really grateful for all of it.”

On Jordan Speiser’s play in opposition to Audi Crooks…
“Jordan’s a really unique player. She’s such a good perimeter shooter, and she likes to play on the perimeter, but she’ll battle down low with the post, and she’s incredibly strong. Watching her in the weight room all summer, she outlifts a lot of people. She’s very strong. She’s very versatile, and it’s been awesome to see her growth and her ability to guard big inside, and then play on the perimeter as well.”

Ok-State Freshman Jordan Speiser
On guarding Audi Crooks…
“She’s a great player. The whole world knows that. It’s obviously tough. It’s a mismatch, no matter what even if anyone’s guarding her on our team, but she’s a great player. I tried to do what I could do, but definitely didn’t get the job done. But, I can’t say anything. She’s a great player.”

On what led to her factors…
“My defense carries over to my offense, so just being aggressive on defense just helped me get to my offense, and even my teammates got the ball to me whenever I was open or available.”

On her mindset coming off of the bench…
“I feel like my mindset is to always stay ready, no matter when you go in, how long you stay in, you have to be there for your team. I just felt like we needed energy. They were sort of getting on us in the first quarter, and I wanted to be that for my team, so I tried my best, and I feel like in the first quarter, I helped my team a little bit with energy.”

On what she has seen in her progress…
“You have to grow your game every day. But I knew coming to college, I couldn’t just be a shooter. It’s going to be easier to guard, everyone’s at the same level now. I’m still trying to keep growing my game, but just trying to listen to the coaches helping me expand defensively and offensively. So, just working every day to do that.”

UP NEXT
Ok-State will now prep for the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament in T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Wildcats will start motion on Wednesday with a recreation time but to be decided.

The recreation will air on ESPN+ and could be heard on-line at kstatesports.com, on the Ok-State Sports app and the flagship stations of Ok-State girls’s basketball in Manhattan, Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN.