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The victory extends K-State’s winning streak to 10. This marks the first occasion since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons that the Wildcats have recorded consecutive double-digit winning streaks.
K-State improved its overall performance to 15-1 for the second time under the leadership of head coach Jeff Mittie. This is the second consecutive season K-State has begun with a 15-1 record. In its history, K-State has commenced a season with 15-1 or superior five times.
The Wildcats had four players score in double digits on Saturday, spearheaded by All-America candidate Ayoka Lee, who notched 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting, alongside eight rebounds, a block, and a steal. With her 19 points, Lee elevated her career total to 2,436, surpassing Nina Davis of Baylor (2014-17) for seventh place on the Big 12 career scoring chart.
With her eight rebounds, Lee ascended to sixth on the Big 12 career rebounds list (1,211) and surpassed Iowa State’s Angie Welle (1999-02; 1,209).
Senior guard and All-America contender Serena Sundell achieved her team-leading fifth double-double of the season with 13 points, 11 assists, three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
Lee and Sundell have now both scored in double figures in the same game in 44 of their 73 career contests together.
The bench duo of senior forward Kennedy Taylor and Taryn Sides contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively. This partnership helped the Wildcats to a 30-15 edge in bench points on Saturday.
HOW IT UNFOLDED
– With the game time adjusted three hours earlier to mitigate a larger problem with an approaching winter storm, K-State (15-1, 3-0 Big 12) maintained a 38-32 advantage at halftime and shot 55.6 percent (15-of-27) from the floor, registering 13 assists on its 15 made field goals in the initial half.
– K-State executed a 24-4 surge in the initial eight minutes of the third quarter, establishing a 62-36 lead with 2:10 remaining in that frame. Throughout this period, the Wildcats received contributions from six different players, led by Taylor with six points.
– The Wildcats claimed the third quarter, 28-9, and restricted Texas Tech (12-4, 1-2) to 14.3 percent shooting (2-of-14). K-State recorded eight steals, resulting in a 17-0 advantage in points off turnovers during the third quarter. The Wildcats shot 56.3 percent (9-of-16) during this period, distributing eight assists on the nine made field goals.
– K-State finished the afternoon with a shooting percentage of 49.2 percent (29-of-59), which included a 44-26 lead in paint points, and a 76.2 percent (16-of-21) performance from the charity stripe. The Wildcats provided 25 assists on their 29 made field goals, marking the seventh instance this season that K-State has recorded 25 or more assists in a game.
– K-State compelled the Lady Raiders to 24 turnovers, with 16 resulting from steals, culminating in a 29-19 advantage in points off turnovers.
– Texas Tech shot at 38.2 percent (21-of-55) from the field and was limited to 14.3 percent (3-of-21) from long range.
QUICK STATS
– K-State leads the head-to-head series with Texas Tech, 31-17. Head coach Jeff Mittie holds a 21-8 (.724) record in his career against Texas Tech.
– The Wildcats stand at 235-242 (.493) in Big 12 matchups.
– K-State boasts an all-time record of 407-156 (.723) in its 37-year history at Bramlage Coliseum, including an unblemished 11-0 record this season. This marks the 34th season in program history with 10 or more home victories in a season, and the 26th season at Bramlage Coliseum.
– K-State head coach Jeff Mittie has a career record of 659-371 (.640), with a tally of 205-136 (.601). Mittie is two wins shy of moving up to second place on the K-State career victories list.
– K-State holds a record of 263-96 (.733) as an AP ranked team and is 20-4 (.833) historically when ranked 12th in the nation.
– The Wildcats have a 261-193 (.575) record in games played during January. Under Mittie, K-State has achieved a 41-41 (.500) record in games throughout the first month.
TEAM NOTES
– K-State’s starting lineup featured guards: Zyanna Walker, Jaelyn Glenn, and Serena Sundell; forward Temira Poindexter, and center Ayoka Lee. This marks the 14th time this lineup has played together this season. This was Lee’s 128th career start, Sundell’s 119th career start, Glenn’s 115th career start, Poindexter’s 103rd career collegiate start and 16th at K-State, and Walker’s 16th career start. With her 128th career start at K-State, Lee ties Kendra Wecker (128; 2001-05) for third in program history for career starts. Sundell, with her 119th career start, ranks ninth in program history for career starts.
– The Wildcats achieved a 38-32 lead at halftime on Saturday. Under Mittie, K-State boasts a 164-19 (.896) record when ahead at halftime. The Wildcats have led at the half in 14 games this season (14-0).
– K-State scored 20-or more points in a quarter 38 times this season, including throughout the first and third quarters on Saturday. Since the inception of the quarter system in 2015-16, the Wildcats have a record of 147-62 (.703) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter of a match.
– K-State shot at least 50.0 percent in a quarter for three quarters on Saturday (first, second, and third periods). The Wildcats have logged 40 quarters this season with shooting percentages of 50.0 percent or better.
– K-State elevated to 104-8 (.929) when achieving 20 or more assists in a single match. The Wildcats have delivered 20 or more assists in 12 matches this season (12-0).
– K-State enhances its record to 59-3 (.952) over the past four seasons when limiting opponents to 60 points or fewer.
PLAYER NOTES
– With her 19 points on Saturday, Lee raised her career total to 2,436, moving into seventh place on the Big 12 career scoring list. Lee notched her 117th career game with 10 or more points. Her 117 career games with 10 or more points tie her with Nicole Ohlde (2000-04; 117) for second in program history. Lee has scored in every one of her career games, totaling 128 games, and maintains a record for consecutive games scoring in school history.
– Lee grabbed eight rebounds on Wednesday. This was the 83rd occasion in her career leading K-State in rebounding. Lee’s career total for rebounds stands at 1,211, further establishing her own school record for career rebounds and landing sixth in Big 12 history for career boards. She has recorded 111 career games with five or more rebounds.
– Lee registered a block on Saturday, increasing her career total to 340. Lee stands fourth in Big 12 history for career blocks.
– Sundell achieved her 83rd career game with 10 or more points. Sundell has accumulated 1,464 career points, placing her 14th on the K-State career scoring list.
– Sundell converted nine free throws on 10 attempts on Saturday, setting a season high for free throws made by a Wildcat this season. This was her fifth game this season and her fourth consecutive with five or more made free throws.
– Sundell’s11 assists on Saturday elevated her career total to 668. This marked her ninth career match and her fifth this season with 10 or more assists. This was her 78th career game with five or more assists and her 13th this season, counting her 10th consecutively.
– Sundell grabbed three rebounds on Saturday, increasing her career total to 493.
– Sundell rejected two shots on Saturday. She raised her career total to 88 and stands ninth in school history for total blocks, holding the school record for blocks by a guard. This represented Sundell’s 20th career game with two or more blocks.
– Sides reached double digits for points for the eighth time this season and for the 11th time in her career.
– Sides sank two 3-pointers on Saturday. This was her 19th career game and her 11th this season with two or more made 3-pointers.
– Taylor achieved double digits for the seventh time this season and the 50th time in her career.
– Sophomore guard Zyanna Walker equaled her career-high with five steals. This was her fifth career game with four or more steals and her 19th with two or more.
– Senior Jaelyn Glenn recorded two steals on Saturday. She increased her career total to 230 and remains in sixth place in school history for total steals.
FROM THE HEAD COACH
K-State Head Coach Jeff Mittie
On how effective the team is currently…
“I haven’t felt entirely pleased with our sense of urgency in practice over the last few days. One of my major concerns, to be frank, was our performance leading up to the break. We allowed a 21–2 run in one match and a similar sequence against Houston, which was quite troubling. However, today, I appreciated how we intensified our defense. We prevented them from going on any significant runs. They had one run triggered by some turnovers, but that was quickly halted by effective offensive play. That’s been my primary emphasis—if you aspire to be an outstanding defensive team, you can’t permit those types of runs frequently. And if you wish to be a robust offensive team, you must respond when those runs occur. In those prior matches, we failed to do that. Today, I informed the team in the locker room that if we maintain that same urgency in practice, our bench will continue to improve, and all 10 players who took the court today possess the ability to create a substantial impact. I genuinely believe we can achieve greatness, but we are not there yet. Today exemplified a typical Big 12 physical contest, a grind-it-out victory. I appreciated how we reacted in the third quarter, especially immediately following the break. We played exceptionally well and executed a lot of positive plays.”
On what exactly changed during the third quarter run…
“In the third quarter, there were two crucial adjustments made at halftime. Defensively, we wanted our help defense to step up and be more cognizant of Bailey Maupin, who had a strong first half. I believe we improved in that respect. Offensively, I was not satisfied with how we dealt with their press in the middle of the floor during the first half; it felt at times like they were receiving a free press. We concentrated on ensuring they paid for that and getting the ball to Lee in the half-court, as she was performing exceptionally well. Foul trouble in the second quarter hindered us, but Kennedy provided us with a significant boost. Overall, there was much to appreciate about today’s performance; I thought it was a solid, hard-fought victory.”
On performing better against high-pressure defenses…
“I noticed glimpses of improvement, but we still committed 17 turnovers, including some late in the game. Individually, we must enhance our performance in that area; personal accountability to take better care of the ball, protect it, and possess greater game awareness is essential, particularly when the opposing team is taking risks. We must be capable of punishing teams when they approach the game in that manner. [Texas] Tech became very aggressive when they were trailing, willing to bump, hold, and create chaos. When we managed it well, we achieved some positive outcomes. However, when we faltered, it became messy, and that’s an area that requires improvement.”
On going on large runs to outpace teams…
“Well, that’s uncommon. We have won matches in a variety of ways, but it is rare to do it as we did today, without sinking threes. In other contests, we’ve experienced a barrage of threes that brought us success. Today, it was all about creating turnovers. That’s something we haven’t done effectively lately; we haven’t been accumulating steals. There are a few elements I haven’t favored in recent times. I haven’t sensed that we possessed a killer instinct in our traps. I believe we have allowed teams to escape and I haven’t been pleased with our positioning. It hasn’t felt like those minute details have held enough significance during practice. Nonetheless, today, I feel like we were largely in the right spots. I’ll review the film, but my impression suggests we progressed. That was a major focus in yesterday’s practice. I continuously emphasized the necessity of getting this right because we will face more formidable opponents who will capitalize on our mistakes if we don’t. Today, my observation indicates we were significantly better, and it was reflected in the results. We’ve succeeded through various means in the past, whether through [Ayoka] Lee, via three-pointers from [Taryn] Sides and [Temira] Poindexter, or from the corners. However, today, it was the steals and additional possessions that made the difference.”
Texas Tech Head Coach Krista Gerlich
On the challenge of coming back once Kansas State gains momentum…
“Clearly, they have a very well-rounded roster. I mean, they field exceptional players from one through five, with additional talent coming off the bench at six, seven, and eight. When a significant part of your game plan revolves around one player—who, of course, is [Ayoka] Lee—but then Jeff [Mittie] has done a remarkable job of surrounding her with shooters, right? You must decide whether to concede two-pointers or three-pointers; which poison will you choose? They’ve consistently played well together for an extended period. Their chemistry is excellent, and they can capitalize on your mistakes; you might cover one aspect, yet they exploit you elsewhere. For us, particularly in the third quarter, I felt we became too careless with the ball, resulting in excessive turnovers and allowing them easy scoring opportunities. Furthermore, they’re too competent of a team to permit them easy looks. We cannot offer them free points; we must compel them to earn every opportunity, and they’re simply too skilled for us to turn the ball over this frequently and give them numerous additional chances.”
On pressuring K-State’s guards…
“Our pressure is the foundation we aim to build our system around, focusing on play in the full court. I believe the only method to safeguard post defense is to maintain ball pressure. It’s crucial to make it exceedingly tough for them to deliver the ball into the post. If you don’t, [Ayoka] Lee will score every time, you know? Moreover, if you place two defenders around her without ball pressure, they’ll dismantle you and sink three-pointers. Therefore, our defensive strategy comprises three parts. We must apply ball pressure, prevent post entry passes, and have backside support. And yes, they exploited us significantly at times.”
FROM THE FLOOR
AYOKA LEE, SENIOR CENTER
On their readiness to come out strong in the second half…
“Absolutely, I firmly believe that. When we get our transition game going, when we are hitting from the perimeter, and when we secure interior looks, it seems like we’re clicking in every respect.”
On how they manage to distance themselves from opponents…
“I think we excel at building off one another’s energy. When we’re enthusiastic about Serena’s [Sundell] and-one or Temira’s [Poindexter] three, that excitement really propels us forward, especially
like, returning back down on defense, and then it’s like the minor details on defense, and then we’re just like, we’re just in it connected.”
Regarding her positioning and finishing…
“I believed it was quite good today. Personally, I felt that we did an excellent job getting it inside. We performed well in reading when they were providing help, and when they weren’t, we had to adapt a bit since they started playing behind. That required communication, not just with me, but with the guards also. Like Serena [Sundell] was really sharp in discussing that with me. So it just made my task simpler. I think we executed well by playing off of it.”
SERENA SUNDELL, SENIOR GUARD
On how strong the team is…
“We’re improving since our inaugural game this year. So that’s always the target, to enhance with every game and every practice. I think you witnessed a glimpse of how strong we can be in that third quarter. We have numerous chances to excel. It’s just the minor aspects right now that we are struggling with. We’re managing to resolve it as the game unfolds. We have the potential to be quite good.”
On Kansas State’s significant 3rd quarter…
“Everyone was executing the correct cuts and passing the ball to the open player. We were locating Ayoka [Lee] in the paint. She was doing a fantastic job attracting two defenders, and then our guards, if they were assisting on Ayoka, were effectively making plays off my skip passes and driving to the basket, then we made some shots in that third quarter. So, yeah, it was just enjoyable basketball. We were collaborating well.”
On how they are capable of distancing themselves from teams…
“I mean, I wish we had a straightforward answer to provide you. Each time I ponder, it’s truly about our concentration. It necessitates every single player on the court to be dedicated to the principles that coach [Jeff} Mittie is imparting, to be aligned. But I know that this team genuinely wants to prevail. We have many players who love to compete. We have lots of players who seek to make the right decision. I’m not sure what the trigger is yet, still working on that, it’s advantageous to have.”
On whether there was any focus on attempting to draw fouls …
“No, I just sensed right from the start of this game that it was intense. That was Big 12 basketball. So I just understood that I needed to be robust, because if you’re somewhat avoiding the basket, the referees aren’t going to award you those calls. Clearly, I didn’t shoot particularly well tonight, but if I can make it to the free throw line. I’ve practiced my free throws, so that was thrilling for me to shoot well from the charity stripe. But not really a point of emphasis.”
UP NEXT
K-State embarks on a two-game journey through the Beehive State, as the Wildcats face off against Utah on Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. (CT).
Wednesday’s match will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and will also be accessible on the K-State Sports Network and the flagship stations of K-State women’s basketball in Manhattan, Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN.
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