MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team returns to Morgantown for the first time in a month on Saturday, Jan. 8, as the Mountaineers welcome Kansas State to the WVU Coliseum for the Big 12 Conference home opener.
 
Tipoff against the Wildcats is set for 7 p.m. ET. Saturday's contest will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Andrew Caridi, Warren Baker and Amanda Mazey on the call. Additionally, fans can listen to the game on the WVU Gameday App, WVUsports.com or on the Mountaineer Sports Network, including 100.9 WZST-FM, with Dan Zangrilli on the call. Live stats will be available on WVUsports.com.
 
Saturday's game is Family Night at the Coliseum. Fans can purchase a women's basketball weekend Family Day package, which includes four tickets and a $15 concession voucher for only $25 per package. Kids of all ages can enjoy interactive games at the Kids Zone inside the Gold Gate concourse every weekend Family Day this season.
 
The first 500 fans in attendance to Saturday's game will receive a WVU Varsity Pennant. Mutts Gone Nuts will highlight the halftime entertainment.
 
Additionally, a post-game Teddy Bear Toss will occur after the contest against the Wildcats. Fans are encouraged to bring new or gently-used teddy bears to toss onto the Coliseum court post-game, benefitting WVU Medicine Children's.
 
West Virginia (7-4, 0-1 Big 12) and Kansas State (12-2, 2-0 Big 12) meet for the 22nd time on Saturday. WVU is 15-6 all-time against KSU, including 7-2 in Morgantown. Additionally, the Mountaineers have taken four of the last five matchups against the Wildcats, including three straight games.
 
Last season, West Virginia went 3-0 against K-State, including 2-0 in the regular season. In the 2021 Big 12 Championship vs. Kansas State on March 12, 2021, junior guard KK Deans came up with the highlight moment of the year for WVU, as she hit a last-second, full-court layup to advance the Mountaineers to the semifinals of the tournament.
 
At home against K-State on Jan. 20, 2021, the Mountaineers trailed the Wildcats by 12 points with 4:36 remaining in the game but finished the contest on a 21-0 run that helped WVU win the game, 65-56.
 
Kansas State comes into Saturday's contest riding a five-game win streak, dating back to Dec. 8 at Omaha (87-56). During that stretch, K-State also has picked up wins over South Dakota State, 79-73; Oregon, 68-56; then-No. 10 Baylor, 68-59, and Oklahoma State, 60-49.
 
The Wildcats are 12-2 on the year, including 2-0 in the Big 12, which is the second-best mark in the league. Of note, KSU's two losses this season have come at the hand of then-No. 5/4 NC State, 90-69, on Nov. 19; and No. 1 South Carolina, 65-44, on Dec. 3.
 
Kansas State is led by junior center Ayoka Lee, who is coming off a week in which she was named the Big 12 and USBWA National Player of the Week honors, after a 32-point, 10-rebound performance against then-No. 10 Baylor. Lee currently ranks inside the top three in the Big 12 in points (23.9), rebounds (10.6), field-goal percentage (58.5) and blocks (3.6).
 
West Virginia returns home after suffering an 88-72 loss to No. 14 Iowa State on Jan. 2, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
 
WVU is led by junior guard KK Deans, who has 166 points this season and a scoring average of 15.1 points per game. She has led the team in scoring six times this year.
 
The Mountaineers have scored at least 70 points in three of their last four games, including back-to-back games. With 72 points at Iowa State, WVU has now score 70-plus in six games in 2021-22.