Rebounding dominance crushed Texas Tech's perfect start. Kansas State's relentless glass control fueled their victory, handing the Lady Raiders a tough road loss.
Perfection was always going to end somewhere. On Saturday, it ended on the glass in Lubbock.
The Texas Tech Lady Raiders saw their unbeaten start disappear in a hard, physical 65-59 loss to Kansas State Wildcats, a game that felt less like an upset and more like a slow grind that finally tilted the wrong way.
Kansas State didn’t beat Texas Tech with fluff. It was with elbows, box-outs, and an overwhelming rebounding advantage that told the story before the final horn ever sounded.
The Wildcats won the rebounding battle 46-20. That number alone explains most of the afternoon.
Every missed shot became a second chance for Kansas State, and every Lady Raider miss felt heavier than the last.
The Wildcats turned those extra possessions into a 28-14 edge in points in the paint and a 14-3 advantage in second-chance points, negating Tech’s solid work forcing turnovers.
Texas Tech did what it could to respond. Bailey Maupin led the way with 18 points and two steals, while Jada Malone was efficient and composed, scoring 15 on 5-of-8 shooting and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
Snudda Collins added 12 points, two blocks, and one massive four-point play that briefly swung momentum back to the visitors.
After trailing 30-25 at halftime, the Lady Raiders looked ready to write another comeback chapter. An 11-0 run, fueled by Malone’s scoring and Collins’ four-point play, pushed Tech ahead by six with just over eight minutes to play. It felt like the kind of moment undefeated teams survive on.
But Kansas State never blinked.
Led by Tess Heal and balanced scoring across the lineup, the Wildcats methodically erased the lead and closed the game with an 8-1 run over the final two minutes.
After a Collins three with 2:24 remaining, Texas Tech managed just one point the rest of the way with a free throw from Sidney Love with six seconds left.
It wasn’t panic. It was fatigue. And it was rebounding.
The loss snaps the best start in program history and removes the Lady Raiders from the short list of undefeated teams left nationally.
That stings ... and it should. But it also serves as a reminder that in conference play, nothing is given, especially on the road.
The season isn’t defined by one loss. It’s defined by how teams respond to them.
Texas Tech will get that chance Wednesday at BYU. The Lady Raiders won’t be undefeated anymore, but they’re still very much in the fight.