MANHATTAN, Kansas - (13/12) K-State (7-1) continues its three-game homestand on Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m., as the Wildcats host Eastern Illinois (2-4).
• Tuesday’s game will air on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Missy Heidrick (analyst) and Hannah Whetstone (sideline).
Starting 5
Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball
1. Lee on Cusp of Scoring Record
• Senior center and 2024-25 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Ayoka Lee needs 13 points (2,321 points) to pass Kendra Wecker (2001-05; 2,333 points) for the K-State career scoring record and rank 10th in Big 12 history.
2. Lock Down
• K-State leads the Big 12 and ranks 12th in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.330). The Wildcats have held two foes under 30.0 percent from the field - Little Rock (23.3) and Central Arkansas (28.0).
3. Assistance Available
• K-State ranks second in the nation for assists per game (22.5) and second for assist/turnover ratio (1.88). The Wildcats have registered an assist on 66.9 of its made field goals this season, which ranks 13th in the nation.
4. Opponents Go Bust Under 60
• During Jeff Mittie’s tenure (2014-present), K-State is 131-15 (.897) when holding its foes to 60 points or less including a 51-3 (.944) record over the last four seasons. K-State has held five opponents under 60 points this season.
5. Glenn Joins Rare Company
• Senior guard Jaelyn Glenn became the eighth player in program history and the first since Shaelyn Martin (2014-18) to register 500 or more rebounds and 200 or more steals in a career.
Number to Know
5x4
• Sophomore Zyanna Walker registered a rare stat line against Central Arkansas.
• The product of Wichita, Kansas, tallied nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals.
• She was the sixth Wildcat since 2009-10 to register a 5x4 (five or more in four different stat categories.
• Walker was the first Wildcat to achieve a 5x4 since Jaelyn Glenn on Jan. 23, 2022 against Oklahoma.
2024-25 K-State Coach & Player Milestones to Watch
Jeff Mittie
• Needs three wins to become third K-State Women’s Basketball head coach with 200 or more wins at K-State
• Needs 10 wins to move into second on the K-State Women’s Basketball wins list (Judy Akers, 206)
Ayoka Lee
• Needs 13 points to set the school career scoring record
• Needs four double-doubles to move into second in Big 12 history for career double-doubles
• Needs 229 rebounds to move into second in Big 12 history for career rebounds
• Needs 43 made free throws to set the school record for career free throws made
Serena Sundell
• Needs 131 points to reach 1,500 career points
Jaelyn Glenn
• Needs 69 points to reach 1,000 career points
• Needs 73 steals to move into third on K-State career steals list
• Needs seven rebounds to move into top-30 on K-State career rebounds list
At a Glance: Eastern Illinois
• Eastern Illinois (2-4) has won two straight following a 66-49 win on Nov. 27, over IU Indy.
• On the sideline, the Panthers are led by first-year head coach Marqus McGlothan.
• On the floor, Eastern Illinois is led by senior forward Macy McGlone.
• McGlone, a 6-3 forward from Greenville, Wisconsin, leads the Panthers in scoring at 19.0 points per game on a .494 field goal percentage and rebounds at 9.0 per game. Against IU Indy, McGlone led Eastern Illinois with 14 points and five rebounds.
Sky-High Field Goal Percentage
• When K-State shoots 50.0 percent or better in a game during the Jeff Mittie era, Kansas State has been victorious. Since the 2014-15 season, the Wildcats are 41-5 (.891) when shooting 50.0 percent or better in a game.
• K-State has shot over 50.0 percent in a game four times this season including a season-best of 60.0 percent (45-of-75) against Milwaukee on Nov. 20. The 60.0 field goal percentage was the fourth-highest in under Mittie and highest since Feb. 15, 2023, against Baylor (60.4).
• The Wildcats’ 45 made field goals against Milwaukee were the second-most in K-State history, trailing the school record of 46 set on Nov. 23, 1981 against Pacific Christian.
• For the season, the Wildcats are shooting 50.4 percent from the floor. K-State ranks second in the Big 12 and ninth in the nation for field goal percentage.
• K-State has shot 50.0 percent or better in 17 quarters this season including all four quarters against Milwaukee.
• The Wildcats shot 45.6 percent from the field in the 2023-24 season, which ranked third in the Big 12 and 25th in the nation. It was the highest field goal percentage under Mittie at K-State.
• K-State owned 48 quarters with a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent or better. This was the most quarters with a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent or better since the beginning of the quarter system in 2015-16. Of the 136 regulation quarters played last season, the Wildcats have tallied a 50.0 percent field goal percentage or better in 35.3 percent of quarters played.
Halftime Lead = K-State ‘W’
• Since the 2001-02 season, K-State is 382-52 (.880) when leading at the break, including a 7-0 record in the 2024-25 season.
• K-State is 157-19 (.892) when leading at the break under head coach Jeff Mittie.
• Since the start of the 2007-08 season, K-State is 288-19 (.938) when leading with five minutes to play including a 172-8 (.956) record under Mittie.
Wildcats’ Defense Forges Identity
• K-State continues to be a force on the defensive end during head coach Jeff Mittie’s 11 seasons on the bench.
• This season, K-State is holding opponents to 54.5 points per game on a .330 field goal percentage. The Wildcats rank 32nd in the nation in scoring defense and 12th in the nation in field goal percentage defense.
• The Wildcats held Central Arkansas on Dec. 1 to 39 points on a 28.0 field goal percentage. The 39 points were the fewest since holding Houston to 38 points on Jan. 3.
• During the last 21 seasons, K-State is 140-3 (.979) when holding an opponent to 49 points or less including a 59-0 mark in the Mittie era. During Mittie’s tenure K-State has held 19 opponents to 40 or fewer points.
• Under Mittie, K-State is 131-15 (.897) when holding its foes to 60 points or less including a 51-3 (.944) record over the last four seasons.
• In the 2023-24 season, K-State held opponents to 57.9 points per game and a field goal percentage of .362.
• The Wildcats led the Big 12 and were 17th in the nation for field goal percentage defense, were third in the Big 12 and rank 40th in the nation for scoring defense and were second in the Big 12 and 12th in the nation for 3-point field goal percentage defense (.266). According to HerHoopStats, K-State is sixth in the nation and second in the Big 12 in opponent points per 100 possessions (80.2).
• K-State’s field goal percentage defense ranked third in program history since the 1981-82 season and fifth overall in program history.
• The 21 games holding foes to 60 points or less last season were the most since the 2010-11 season (21; 18-3). In total, K-State owns eight seasons in its history of 21 or more games holding opponents to 60 points or less.
Wildcats Picking Pockets
• The Wildcats continue to swipe the basketball at a high rate.
• This season, K-State has pocketed 66 steals (8.3 spg). Of the 107 opponent turnovers this season, 61.7 percent have come from a K-State steal.
• The Wildcats established a season-high 14 steals against Milwaukee on Nov. 20. K-State has three games this season with 10 or more steals.
• Since joining the Wildcats as freshmen in the 2021-22 season, the trio of Brylee Glenn, Jaelyn Glenn and Serena Sundell have combined for 513 steals (4.62 per game in 111 games). The 513 steals in the last four seasons are 54.5 percent of K-State’s 941 total steals.
• K-State had 294 steals (8.6 spg) in the 2023-24 season. Of the 553 opponent turnovers last season, 53.2 percent came off a K-State steal.
• K-State had 13 games with 10 or more steals last season, including a season-high of 18 against Presbyterian.
Sundell Rises to Top-15 for Points
• In addition to her distribution skills, guard Serena Sundell adds a scoring punch to the K-State lineup.
• During her career, Sundell has scored 1,360 points (12.3 ppg) and was the 45th player in school history to score 1,000 points in her career and currently ranks 14th on the K-State career scoring list. She has tallied double figures in 77 career games, including 15 career games with 20 or more points.
• This season, Sundell is averaging 12.1 points per game on a .514 field goal percentage.
• In the 2023-24 season, Sundell was second on the team in scoring with 12.1 points on a career-high .536 field goal percentage. She registered a personal season-high 22 points at UCF on Jan. 6 and scored in double figures in 25 games, including three games with 20 or more. She scored in double figures in 13 straight games from Jan. 3 to Feb. 25. In Big 12 games, Sundell averaged 13.8 points per game on a .539 field goal percentage. She ranked 12th in the league in scoring and is fourth in the league in field goal percentage.
• During the 2022-23 season, Sundell was second on the team and 12th in the Big 12 in scoring with 13.9 points per game on a career-best .489 field goal percentage. In Big 12 games, she averaged 15.11 points and ranked eighth in the league.
• Sundell recorded a personal career-high 501 points in the 2022-23 season. She was the seventh player in program history to score 500 or more points in their sophomore season. Her total ranked tied for sixth for a sophomore season at K-State.
No Side Eye for Sides
• Guard Taryn Sides has kept the offensive attack rolling in her time on the floor.
• This season, Sides is averaging 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 22.3 minutes per game. She is shooting 48.9 percent from the field including 45.9 percent from 3-point range.
• Against Central Arkansas on Dec. 1, Sides carded a career-high with 15 points, including a career-high five connections from long range.
• In her debut season in 2023-24, the native of Phillipsburg, Kansas, averaged 3.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
• She had three games with five or more assists and no turnovers including a career-high eight assists against McNeese State on Dec. 6. She has eight games with five or more assists.
Lee Efficient from the Field
• Ayoka Lee continues to put the ball in the hoop at a high rate and is among the top-five on the K-State career field goal percentage list.
• In her career, Lee has a field goal percentage of .591 (943-of-1595) and third in program history for career field goal percentage. Her career field goal percentage ranks fifth in Big 12 history.
• Lee is the second player in program history with 900 or more field goals made in a career, joining Kendra Wecker (935; 2001-05). Lee owns the school record for career field goals made and is fifth for career field goals attempted.
• Lee owns 87 career games with a field goal percentage of .500 or better. She has made 10 or more field goals in a game 33 times in her career - a school record.
• In the 2023-24 season, Lee led the Big 12 by shooting .619 (221-of-357) from the field. Her field goal percentage of .619 ranked third in school history for a single season.
• She made five or more field goals in 26 games including a high of 15 against North Florida on Dec. 16. Her 221 field goals made were the second-most of her career and her second straight season with 200 or more made field goals.
• In the 2021-22 season, Lee set a new school record for field goals made in a single season. She ranked fifth in school history for field goals attempted in a season. Her 526 field goals attempted were the most by a Wildcat since Brittany Chambers in the 2012-13 season.
• Against Oklahoma on Jan. 23, Lee set the Big 12 and K-State records for field goals made with 23. Of the 23 made field goals, 22 came inside the paint and needed only three total dribbles.