TicketsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 13 seed University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team fell to No. 12 seed Kansas State, 91-66, in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday inside the T-Mobile Center.
Cincinnati could not overcome a hot-shooting Kansas State squad that knocked down 17 three-pointers at a 53% clip. The Bearcats conclude the 2025-26 season with an 11-20 overall record.
Senior Mya Perry capped her Bearcat career with her 22nd 20-point performance, finishing with a team-high 23 points and four three-pointers. She closes the season ranked fifth in program single-season history in three-pointers made (82) and 11th in scoring (553 points).
Freshman Caliyah DeVillasee, an All-Big 12 Freshman Team selection, recorded 10 points, three assists and three rebounds. Redshirt junior Destiny Thomas added a season-high 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go with five rebounds.
Cincinnati shot 33% from the field and went 6-of-12 (.500) from beyond the arc. The Bearcats held a 43-37 advantage on the glass.
Thomas opened the game with back-to-back baskets to give Cincinnati an early spark. Kansas State answered with three triples to take a 14-12 lead at the media timeout. The Bearcats endured a three-minute scoring drought late in the quarter and trailed 25-14 after the opening period.
DeVillasee converted three free throws to trim the deficit to eight (27-18) with 7:03 remaining in the second quarter. Ndiba added an offensive putback to bring UC within six, but Kansas State responded with a run to extend its lead to 37-24 at the media break. Perry buried her third three-pointer of the half to make it 40-29 at intermission.
Kansas State scored the first seven points of the third quarter to build a 47-29 lead. DeVillasee answered with five straight points, and Cincinnati pulled within 14 with 4:29 left in the period. However, four Wildcats three-pointers down the stretch of the quarter pushed the game out of reach as Kansas State went on to secure the 91-66 victory.