K-State Hosts Oklahoma Wednesday Night at 6 p.m.

January 9, 2024 Kansas Sports, Regional Sports
k-state-vs-oklahoma-womens-bball-preview-1924

KSU ATHLETICS / kstatesports.com

GAME #17

Oklahoma (9-5, 3-0 Big 12) at (12/12) K-State (15-1, 3-0 Big 12)

Wednesday, January 10, 2024  |  6 p.m. |  Bramlage Coliseum (11,010)  |  Manhattan, Kan.

 

PROMOTIONS & TICKETS

Promotions

MHK Night | Wildcat 4 Pack

 

Tickets

Call (800) 221-CATS or visit kstatesports.com

 

TELEVISION

ESPNU

Play-by-Play: Brenda VanLengen

Analyst: Sheryl Swoopes

 

RADIO

K-State Sports Network

Flagship: Sunny 102.5 & 1350 KMAN

Online: kstatesports.com

Play-by-Play: Brian Smoller

Analyst: Kristin Waller

 

Game also available on SiriusXM Channels 132 or 199 and the SiriusXM app

 

LIVE STATS

www.kstatesports.com

 

SERIES HISTORY vs. Oklahoma

31-44

  • Oklahoma leads the series with K-State, 44-31.
  • Head coach Jeff Mittie is 10-20 against Oklahoma in his career.
  • K-State has won six of the last 13 meetings.

 

 

(12/12) K-State Hosts Oklahoma Wednesday Night at 6 p.m.

 

MANHATTAN, Kansas – (12/12) K-State (15-1, 3-0 Big 12) begins a two-game home stand in Bramlage Coliseum this week by hosting Oklahoma (9-5, 3-0) on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

 

  • The Wildcats have started 15-1 for the first time since the 2008-09 season. With a win, K-State would achieve the fourth 16-1 start to a season in school history.
  • Wednesday’s game can be seen on ESPNU, as Brenda VanLengen (play-by-play) and Sheryl Swoopes (analyst) will have the call.

 

Starting 5

Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball

  1. K-State Among Top Defenses in Nation
  • K-State leads the Big 12 and ranks fifth in the nation in scoring defense (50.9 ppg). The Wildcats lead the league and are third in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.318). K-State has held 14 foes to under 60 points in a game this season.
  1. Lee Named Big 12 Player of the Week
  • Ayoka Lee tied the school record for career Big 12 Player of the Week honors, collecting her seventh this week by averaging 19.5 points on a .708 field goal percentage, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in wins against Houston and UCF.
  1. Lee Making Run at 2K/1K Club
  • Senior center Ayoka Lee needs 23 points to become the second active NCAA Division I WBB player with 2,000 or more career points and 1,000 or more career rebounds. She would be the only active Big 12 player in the 2K/1K club.
  1. Sundell Reaches 1K
  • Junior guard Serena Sundell became the 45th player in school history to score 1,000 or more career points in her K-State career. She is the first Wildcat with 1,000 or more points, 400 or more assists and 50 or more blocks.
  1. We’re Going Streaking!
  • K-State has won nine straight games and with a win against Oklahoma, the Wildcats would set the longest winning streak in the Jeff Mittie era.

 

Number to Know

37

 

  • K-State is 37-7 (.841) over the last three seasons in games played in Bramlage Coliseum.
  • This is the highest home winning percentage over a three-season span in the Jeff Mittie era and the highest since the 2002-03 to 2004-05 seasons tallied a 43-3 (.935) home record.
  • The 37 combined wins are tied for the third-most in a three-season span during the Mittie era.

 

Last Time Out

(11/12) K-State 72, at UCF 56 (Jan. 6, 2024; Orlando, Fla.)

  • K-State collected its fourth straight road win with a 42-point first half to down UCF.
  • The Wildcats shot 56.1 percent for the day, the highest field goal percentage allowed by the Knights this season.
  • K-State was led by Serena Sundell with 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Sundell surpassed the 1,000-point mark in her career.
  • Jaelyn Glenn added 16 points on 7-of-7 shooting and pocketed  four steals. Ayoka Lee added 12 points, six rebounds and a season-high seven blocks.

 

At a Glance: Oklahoma

  • Oklahoma (9-5, 3-0 Big 12) enters Wednesday’s matchup following a 77-64 home win over Cincinnati on Saturday.
  • The Sooners are fourth in the Big 12 in scoring offense with 79.1 points per game.
  • Oklahoma is guided on the sideline by third-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk. The 2004 graduate of Iowa owns a career record of 252-117 (.683) including a 60-21 (.741) mark in Norman.
  • The Sooners feature four players averaging double figures in scoring and are led by Skylar Vann and Aubrey Joens.
  • Vann, a senior forward from Edmond, Oklahoma, is averaging 13.9 points on a .430 field goal percentage and a team-best 7.1 rebounds.
  • Joens, a senior guard from Iowa City, Iowa, is averaging 11.4 points per game and has made a team-high 28 three-point field goals while shooting 38.4 percent from long range.

 

Wildcats Off to Fast Start

  • Kansas State has opened the season with a 15-1 overall record.
  • This is the best start for K-State in the Jeff Mittie era through the first 16 games and the best start for the Cats since 2008-09.
  • In program history, K-State has opened a season 15-1 four times.

 

Wildcats With 375+ Wins in Bramlage

  • K-State is 388-154 (.716) all-time inside Bramlage Coliseum, which is in its 36th season of existence.
  • This season, the Wildcats are 8-0 in Bramlage. When including its two wins in the 2023 WNIT at the end of the 2022-23 season, K-State is currently on a 10-game home court winning streak, the longest in the Jeff Mittie era.
  • Over the last three seasons, K-State is 37-7 (.841) in home contests. This is the highest home winning percentage over a three-season span under Mittie.
  • The Wildcats carded a 15-4 record at home in the 2022-23 season and tied the longest home-court winning streak in the Mittie era to open the season with nine wins.
  • This was the 32nd time in program history that the Wildcats reached double figures in home victories. It marked the 24th season K-State has won 10 or more games in Bramlage.
  • In his career in games played in his home venue, Mittie is 392-111 (.779) including an 118-46 (.720) record at K-State.
  • Kansas State has protected Bramlage Coliseum with determination against non-conference foes with a record of 228-29 (.887) with an active 28-game winning streak against non-con opponents. Mittie is 74-8 (.902) in non-conference games in Bramlage Coliseum.

 

Filling Up the Purple Palace

  • This season, the Wildcats rank 36th in the nation and sixth in the Big 12 for total attendance (27,715). K-State is 42nd in the nation and sixth in the league in average attendance (3,464 average; 8 home games).
  • In the 2022-23 season, the Wildcats ranked 31st in the nation and fifth in the Big 12 for total attendance (61,896). K-State was 37th in the nation and sixth in the league in average attendance (3,258 average; 19 home games).
  • When the crowd is 7,500 or more in Bramlage Coliseum, K-State is 43-12 (.782) including a record of 18-5 (.783) when the crowd is 10,000 or more.
  • The Wildcats moved into Bramlage Coliseum prior to the start of the 1988-89 season and have seen 1,996,051 fans pass through the doors. K-State reached the 1,500,000 mark for women’s basketball attendance on Feb. 21, 2015.

 

Wildcats’ Defense Forges Identity

  • K-State has continued to be a force on the defensive end during head coach Jeff Mittie’s 10 seasons on the bench.
  • In the 2023-24 season, K-State is holding opponents to 50.88 points per game and a field goal percentage of .318. The Wildcats lead the Big 12 and rank fifth in the nation for scoring defense, leads the Big 12 and is third in the nation for field goal percentage defense and leads the Big 12 and is second nationally for 3-point field goal percentage defense (.218).
  • In the season-opener, K-State held Presbyterian to 35 points. This marked the fewest points allowed by the Wildcats since holding UT Martin to 30 points on November 12, 2021.
  • During the last 21 seasons, K-State is 135-3 (.978) when holding an opponent to 49 points or less including a 54-0 mark in the Mittie era. During Mittie’s tenure K-State has held 18 opponents to 40 or fewer points.
  • The Wildcats held Iowa on Nov. 16 to 58 points, 34 points below its 2023-24 season average and their fewest points since 2019.

 

Cats Send Back Shots Under Mittie

  • During the Jeff Mittie era, K-State has dealt out rejection to its opponents and has maintained a high rate in the 2023-24 season.
  • This season, K-State has registered 97 blocked shots (6.1 bpg) and are second in the Big 12 and 10th in the nation for blocks per game. Of the 13 active players on the roster, 11 have recorded at least one blocked shot.
  • K-State have a blocked shot differential of +60 this season (97-37). Since blocks became official in 1982-83, K-State has 21 seasons with a positive blocked shot differential including a school record +73 (163-90) in the 2005-06 season.
  • The Wildcats have three games with 10 or more blocks, with 12 against McNeese State on Dec. 6, 11 blocks against Presbyterian on Nov. 6 and 10 against Oral Roberts on Dec. 18. The 12 blocks against McNeese State are tied for the third-most for a single-game in program history.
  • Of the 33 missed shots by the Blue Hose, 33 percent were due to a Wildcat blocked shot.
  • Under Mittie, K-State has blocked 10 or more shots in a game 15 times, including a school record of 14 at Tulsa on Nov. 13, 2015. K-State is 14-1 during the Mittie era when blocking 10 or more shots.
  • During the Mittie era, Kansas State has sent back 1,446 shots for 4.71 per game in the 307 games. K-State has blocked 120 or more shots in each of Mittie’s previous nine seasons, the longest streak of 120 or more blocks in program history.
  • The 1,446 blocks in the 10 seasons are the most in any 10-season span in program history.

 

K-State Attacking the Paint

  • With the return of 2022 All-American center Ayoka Lee, the Wildcats continue to find buckets in the paint.
  • K-State has scored 662 points (41.4 ppg) in the paint through 16 games which is 53.6 percent of K-State’s overall point total this season.
  • The Wildcats recorded a season-high of 58 against McNeese State on Dec. 6, 2023. This was the most points in the paint since scoring 58 against Oklahoma on Jan. 23, 2022.
  • The Wildcats have scored 30 or more points in the paint in 14 games this season.
  • K-State has scored 900 or more points in the paint in eight of head coach Jeff Mittie’s 10 seasons including a high of 1,064 points (31.3 ppg) during the 2016-17 season.

 

Nobody Scores It Like Ayoka Lee

  • Ayoka Lee has moved into the top-5 for career scoring at K-State and has a chance to achieve the school career scoring record.
  • In her career, Lee has scored 1,977 points in 103 career games (19.2 ppg) and ranks fourth in school history for career points scored. Her career scoring average of 19.2 ranks first in school history, ninth in Big 12 history and fifth among active NCAA Division I players.
  • To surpass Kendra Wecker (2001-05; 2,333), Lee needs to score 356 points.
  • She was the 44th player in school history with 1,000 or more career points and was the fastest player in program history to reach 1,500 career points, needing 77 games to reach the milestone. She was the first player in school history to reach the 1,000-career point mark and the 1,500-career point mark in the same season.
  • Lee has scored in every game of her career (103 games) and has reached double figures in 94 games which includes a career-best streak of 28 straight games in double figures dating back to the final five games of the 2020-21 season until Feb. 9, 2022.
  • This season, Lee is averaging a team-high 19.8 points per game and ranks third in the Big 12. She has scored in double figures in 15 games this season.
  • In the 2021-22 season, Lee averaged a career-best 22.0 points per game which ranked 10th in the nation and second in the Big 12. Lee was fifth in the nation in total points scored (727).
  • Her 22.0 points per game in the 2021-22 season was the highest per game average in school history and was the third time a K-State player averaged 20 or more points in a season and first since Brittany Chambers in the 2012-13 season.
  • With her 727 points scored, Lee established a new career single-season high, broke the school record for points in a junior season and ranked second in school history for points in a single-season. She was the first center in school history to score 700 or more points in a season.
  • Lee was the fifth player in school history with three or more consecutive seasons with 400 or more points in a season.
  • With her efforts of 61 points against Oklahoma on Jan. 23 and 43 points against Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, Lee was one of three players in the nation during the 2021-22 season with two games of 40 or more points scored in a game.
  • Her total of 86 points in two games from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23, set the school record for most points in consecutive games. She also set the school record for points in a 10-game span from Dec. 11, 2021 to Jan. 26, 2022, with 277 points. During that 10-game span, Lee scored 20 or more points in six games including four games with 30 or more points.

 

Lee The Queen of the Block

  • Ayoka Lee remains one of the top shot blockers in the nation and has the numbers to back it up.
  • In her career, Lee has 275 career blocked shots and ranks second in school history for career blocks. Lee’s 275 blocked shots ranks 10th in Big 12 history.
  • She was the second player in school history to reach the 275-block mark. She owns the school record for career blocks per game at 2.67. Among active NCAA Division I players, Lee ranks fourth for career blocks and is sixth for career blocks per game average.
  • She has 74 career games with two or more blocks and 18 career games with five or more blocks. She owns the school record for career games with five or more blocks. Lee holds the school record for career games with seven or more blocks (5).
  • This season, Lee is averaging 2.50 blocks per game (40 blocks) and leads the Wildcats and is third in the Big 12 and 13th in the nation for blocks per game. Lee is 11th in the nation for total blocks.
  • In the 2021-22 season, Lee was a semifinalist for the 2022 Naismith Women’s National Defensive Player of the Year and was named to her first Big 12 All-Defensive Team and was selected as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by the Waco Tribune. She had a career-high 95 blocks (2.88 bpg) and was fourth in the nation in total blocks and sixth for blocks per game. She also has a career-high 39 steals (1.2 spg).
  • Her total of 95 blocks ranked second in school history for blocks in a season and set the school record for blocks by a junior. This was the second time in her career Lee reached 90 or more blocks in a season (91; 2019-20). She is the first player in school history with at least two seasons with 90 or more blocks.
  • Lee’s combined total of blocks and steals, 134, during the 2021-22 season established a new career-high and was the third-highest single season total in program history.
  • Lee set a new career-high and tied for second in program history for a single-game with eight blocks against North Dakota State on Nov. 29. Her eight blocks tied for the eighth-highest total for a single-game in the 2021-22 season in the nation and were the most by a Big 12 player.

 

Glow of Sundell

  • Serena Sundell continues to fill up the stat sheet with her diverse skills and is approaching a rare career stat line.
  • Sundell is the first player in program history with 1,000 or more career points, 400 or more career assists and 50 or more career blocked shots.
  • In her career, Sundell owns 31 career games with 10 or more points and five or more assists.
  • At the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, Sundell owned the most diverse stat line in the nation. She was the only player in the nation during the 2022-23 season with 500 or more points, 180 or more assists and 60 or more steals.
  • Since 2009-10, she was one of two Wildcats (Kayla Goth, 2017-18) to achieve these marks in a single-season. In the same time frame, Sundell was one of three players in the Big 12 to achieve these marks in a single season (Goth; Danielle Robinson, Oklahoma, 2009-10).

 

Glenn Finds the Range

  • Jaelyn Glenn continued to be a perimeter threat for K-State.
  • This season, the product of Kansas City, Missouri, is shooting 19-of-62 (.306) from beyond the arc. She has seven games with two or more connections from long range including a season-high three against Wisconsin and Jackson State.
  • In her career, Glenn is 132-of-396 (.333) from long range. She has 41 career games with two or more connections from 3-point range including five games with four or more.
  • The guard from Kansas City, Missouri, shot 71-of-195 (.364) from 3-point range in the 2022-23 season. Her 71 three-point field goals made last season were a personal single-season high and tied for fourth-most in a sophomore season in program history.
  • Glenn was one of 13 sophomores in the nation in the 2022-23 season with 70 or more connections from 3-point range, including one of four in a Power 5 conference.
  • Last season, she had a career-best 23 games with two or more connections from long range, including a season-high four against Northern Arizona on Nov. 25, at Iowa State on Jan. 11 and at West Virginia on Feb. 25.
  • She was 10th in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game (1.97).
  • Glenn was unique nationally, as she was the only player in NCAA Division I with 70 or more 3-point field goals made and 90 or more steals.
  • Glenn was the eighth player in program history and the second in the Jeff Mittie era (Kindred Wesemann) to tally 100 or more career 3-point field goals made and 125 or more career steals.

Full Game Notes Below

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