MANHATTAN, Kan. – (11/10) K-State used a perimeter attack in the second half, connecting on seven 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes, to down Arizona State, 81-69, on Sunday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum. The win improves K-State’s win streak to 14. The 14-game win streak is tied for the second-longest win streak in program history and matches last season’s 14-game win streak.
K-State (19-1, 7-0 Big 12) improved its overall record to 19-1 for the second time under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie. This is the second straight season and just the second time in program history K-State has opened a season with a 19-1 record.
K-State featured four players in double figures led by senior forward and Cheryl Miller Award candidate Temira Poindexter with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field including 5-of-7 from long range, five rebounds and four assists. In her last three games, Poindexter is 12-of-25 (.480) from behind the three-point line.
Joining Poindexter was senior guard Serena Sundell, an All-America candidate and the national leader in assists and assists per game, with 15 points, five assists and six rebounds.
Sophomore guard Taryn Sides led a K-State bench that outscored Arizona State’s bench, 22-5, with 11 points, six assists and three rebounds.
Senior guard Jaelyn Glenn notched 10 points, all in the second half, on 4-of-4 shooting, three rebounds and two assists.
The Wildcats equaled their season-high from the 3-point line by making 13 on 24 attempts (.542).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Arizona State (8-11, 2-4) used a 10-0 run to build a 26-21 lead with 5:55 to play in the second quarter. The Sun Devils were boosted by Jalyn Brown with six points during the run. Brown would score 18 in the opening half and a game-high 32.
- A jumper from Ayoka Lee with 5:15 to play in the second quarter started a 15-4 run for K-State. Poindexter would score eight of the 15 points during the run, including a pair of 3-pointers to give the Wildcats a 36-30 lead at halftime.
- Poindexter and Zyanna Walker combined to score K-State’s first eight points of the third quarter to push the Wildcats into a 44-33 lead and force an Arizona State timeout with 7:52 remaining in the period.
- K-State would make six 3-pointers, on seven attempts, in the third quarter to win the frame, 29-18, and build a 65-48 lead entering the fourth quarter. Glenn would pace the Wildcats in the quarter with eight points.
- The Sun Devils trailed by as many as 17 points, 68-51, with 8:18 to play in the fourth quarter but battled back to within seven, 74-67, with 3:20 to play. Sundell would score six of K-State’s final eight points to send the Wildcats to their seventh straight Big 12 win and 13th consecutive home win.
- For the game, K-State shot 52.7 percent (29-of-55) from the field and dished out 26 assists on its 29 made field goals.
- Arizona State ended the afternoon shooting 47.2 percent (25-of-53) from the field.
QUICK FACTS
- Arizona State leads the series, 3-2. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 1-1 in his career against Arizona State. This was the first meeting between the teams in Manhattan.
- The Wildcats are 239-242 (.497) in Big 12 games.
- K-State is 409-156 (.724) in its 37-season history inside Bramlage Coliseum, including a 13-0 record this season. This is the 34th season in program history with 10 or more home wins in a season, including the 26th season at Bramlage Coliseum.
- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 663-371 (.641), including a mark of 209-136 (.606).
- K-State owns a record of 267-96 (.736) as an AP ranked team. K-State is 31-5 (.861) all-time when ranked 11th in the nation.
- The Wildcats are 265-193 (.579) in games played in the month of January, including a 13-1 record over the last two seasons. Under Mittie, K-State is 45-41 (.523) in games during the first month. K-State has notched a .500 or better record in the month of January 35 times.
TEAM NOTES
- K-State's starting five consisted of guards: Zyanna Walker, Jaelyn Glenn and Serena Sundell; forward Temira Poindexter and center Ayoka Lee. This was the 18th time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 132nd career start for Lee, the 123rd career start for Sundell, the 119th career start for Jaelyn Glenn, the 107th career collegiate start and 20th at K-State for Poindexter and the 20th career start for Walker. Lee improves on her school record for career starts. Lee also moves into sole possession of third in program history for career games played. With her 123rd career start, Sundell is tied for fifth in program history for career starts. With her 119th career start, Glenn remains in 10th in program history for career starts.
- The Wildcats held a 36-30 lead at halftime on Sunday. Under Mittie, K-State is 168-19 (.898) when leading at halftime. The Wildcats have led at the half in 18 games this season (18-0).
- K-State has scored 20-or more points in a quarter 45 times this season, including the third quarter on Sunday. Since the start of the quarter-system in 2015-16, the Wildcats are 151-62 (.709) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter of a game.
- K-State shot 50.0 percent or better in a quarter in the third quarter on Sunday. The Wildcats have 50 quarters this season, which are the most in program history for a full season, of 50.0 percent or better shooting.
- K-State improved to 107-8 (.930) when handing out 20 or more assists in a game. The Wildcats have dished out 20 or more assists in 15 games this season (15-0).
PLAYER NOTES
- With her 19 points on Sunday, Poindexter increased her collegiate point total to 1,818 points (1,560 at Tulsa; 258 at K-State). This was her 93rd career game and her 12th this season with 10 or more points.
- Poindexter made five 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her 21st career game with four or more connections, her 67th career game and her 13th this season with two or more connections.
- Poindexter pulled in five rebounds on Sunday. This was her 54th career game with five or more rebounds.
- Sundell owns 1,522 career points and moves into 13th on the K-State career scoring list. Sundell notched her 87th career game with 10 or more points.
- Sundell’s five assists on Sunday improved her career total to 699. This was her 82nd career game with five or more assists and her 17th this season including her 14th straight.
- Sundell hauled in a team-high six rebounds on Sunday to improve her career total to 509. This was the 20th time in her career she has led K-State in rebounding. This was Sundell’s 48th career game with five or more rebounds.
- Glenn moved into sole possession of 42nd on the K-State career scoring list with 1,047 points. This was her 50th career game with 10 or more points.
- Glenn connected on two 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her 59th career game with two or more 3-pointers made. She improves her career total to 192 three-point field goals made and remains in eighth in school history.
- Sides registered her 12th career game with 10 or more points.
- Sides made three 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her 22nd career game and her 14th this season with two or more made 3-pointers.
- Sides dished out six assists, her 11th career game with five or more assists.
- With her seven points on Sunday, Lee boosted her career total to 2,482 and moved into sixth on the Big 12 career scoring list. Lee has scored in every game of her career, 132 games, and is second in school history for consecutive games scoring.
FROM THE HEAD COACH
K-State Head Coach Jeff Mittie
Overall thoughts…
“Well, proud of our group for this. It was a challenge all day long, certainly to get them stopped defensively was a real challenge. They really have some quick guards that can play off the bounce, and gave our guards fits a lot of the day. Obviously, (Jalyn Brown) was just phenomenal really coming off of a tough game for her at Kansas. We thought she'd respond. I didn't think she'd respond that way. I thought we'd do a better job on her, but she's tough to cool off once she gets going. She got going early and continued on for all four quarters. Proud of our group, we made some plays, made some huge threes, hit a great stretch there, where we stretched it out and needed every bit because that Arizona State team is a really good offensive team that can put up some points in a hurry, and they gave us fits all day long, whether it was from layups or free throws. They were getting the spots on the floor that were a problem for us.”
On Arizona State’s intensity…
“You'd have to ask them that. We have not practiced well this week. So it didn't surprise me that we got hit in the mouth a little bit early, because that's how we practiced yesterday but I knew how quick they were, and I knew how quick they could score, because they'd seen it and we'd showed it, but you know, you'd have to ask them that.”
On Ayoka Lee’s Injury…
"It's not good, guys. I don't have a definitive update, but it's not going to be a week or two. To my knowledge, she stayed in the building. I talked to her 10 minutes ago, but I haven't spoken to the doctors or trainers yet. Yeah, it's probably not good."
On how the other players responded to Ayoka Lee’s injury…
"I don't know that our players really discussed it. I'm not sure they knew she wasn't coming back out. They just knew she didn't start the second half. There have been times when a player comes back after an X-ray or something similar, so I don't think they were certain. I thought our group on the floor did well. [Eliza] Maupin gave us a big lift, Gisela Sanchez stepped up, and [Temira] Poindexter made a lot of shots. We moved the ball well in the third quarter when we needed to and found enough offense."
On playing Eliza Maupin and Gisela Sanchez more minutes than Kennedy Taylor…
"I just decided to see what it was like. Honestly, it wasn't anything specific, just a gut feeling to try small ball and see how they reacted. We were able to get some layups in transition and open up the floor more. Once [Eliza] Maupin had that run, I decided to see how [Gisela] Sanchez would look in that situation. Gisela did some good things, too."
On what changes with Ayoka Lee out of rotation…
"It's the sheer strength she brings. She doesn’t give up much ground there. Honestly, nobody has a backup player like Lee. Across the country, if you take someone like Paige Bueckers out, UConn doesn’t have a backup for her. Same with Notre Dame and Hidalgo. It's a significant change for us on both ends of the floor. Defensively, she patrols the paint so well that it allows you to get beat off the bounce. In the second half, you saw we didn’t have the usual rim protection, and those guards were pretty free once they got inside the 10-foot mark. Lee gives us rim protection, and we definitely missed it in the second half."
Arizona State Head Coach Natasha Adair
Opening statement…
“I just met with the team about our effort. I thought that we fought. I thought it was a really competitive game. We talked about getting off to a good start. I thought at the start of the game, we were ready to go. We set the tone and the tempo, and just challenged our group to be aggressive getting to the free throw line 21 times. I thought our offense, we had been talking about our offensive efficiency and execution, and I thought it was probably one of the best that we've seen thus far. But, for our group, we don't want moral victories, but we have to understand where we're growing and where we're getting better. We talked about being the best team going into March, and this was an evaluation against the 11th team in the country. And so we're going to challenge our group to continue right to put 40 together that third quarter. That was something that we'll go back and watch, but the fourth quarter was the fight and how we were competing to the final buzzer. So proud of the competitiveness, things we'll go back and watch and clean up, because the goal is to put together 40 but it wasn't for a lack of fight and team playing together.”
On guarding Temira Poindexter…
“She's just that four-level scorer. She can pretty much score from anywhere on the floor. Our goal was to just make it harder for her. She can score in the perimeter, she can get downhill. They had a height advantage. So, they could post up some of our smaller guards, but she's just that hybrid player. She's effective from pretty much everywhere on the court, so just making her make tough shots, tough twos, tough threes, and making it hard for her. She's just an elite player.”
On their performance overall…
“Our elite players stepped up. They have phenomenal players, yes, and so do we. We talk about everyone seeing our best on any given night, it could be any one of our players, whether it's our perimeter players or inside. And so for us, it's a group, a new group. No two or three people on this team have played together before, so there's still a chemistry brewing. There's still a chemistry building, but we have elite players as well.”
On Arizona State’s defense in the second half…
“Some of our rotations, we were pressing, we were aggressive in lanes, and it was just a scramble out of it. So, maybe we were just a little delayed. We made the adjustment to go over their flares, go over their hand offs and some of their actions, but I think it was just more about our rotations and just maybe being a half a second slow. They made some tough contested shots, too. I mean, we were there, we were in their face, and they made some tough twos and threes while being contested.”
On what makes it difficult to play Kansas State…
“I think their sixth man is that crowd out there. I mean, but that's home court advantage. That's an added edge when you're going on the road and you're playing in an arena where it's hard to think, it's hard to hear. So they do a good job of creating that environment and that six man for them. They just have weapons inside and out. But that's every team in this league. I just think that they are really good at running their system right. They have offensive efficiency. You have to game plan against Lee as she's one of the top players in the country. But I think for them, honestly, in addition to their talent, their six man and their crowd.”
FROM THE FLOOR
K-State Senior Forward Temira Poindexter
On the team’s 3-point shooting…
“I think it is contagious. I feel like once somebody hits like two or three, I feel like that's when we continue to roll on, keep going.”
On the team's performance in the second half…
“I think we handled it very well. Eliza came in and stepped up. She knew what she had to do, and I feel like she did really good. And I am proud of her.”
On her performance against Arizona State…
“I felt pretty comfortable picking the shots that are open, and I felt like my teammates do a good job and give me confidence, too. I feel like I'm very comfortable. I’m just trying my best and my teammates as well have a lot to do with that. I wouldn't be able to make three pointers without the passes.”
On the team's performance against Arizona State…
“I feel like everyone's very unselfish and everyone will do whatever they can to win and just like the passion. Especially Arizona State, where [there] is like different types of style of play, so we needed to go through something like this. I mean, like we weren't doing as well. I think the last game, we didn't start off good. In this game, we didn't start off good. So I felt like we needed to go through this. It'll help us in the future.”
K-State Sophomore Guard Taryn Sides
On what playing Arizona State taught them…
“I think every game you can take something away from it. I think this game started off kind of slow. Coach Mittie talked about how they're going to be quick in transition. Their guards are quick, and I think we didn't match up well in transition and that's where they kind of got off to a good start. That's something we can learn from and grow in.”
On the open shots in the second half…
“I think when we get the ball moving and we don't over dribble, we can get so many open shots. It's hard to guard us, because anyone can hit the shot, and everyone's pretty versatile. So I think when we just play well together, then that's when we get those open shots, and when we all move and cut and fill and do all those little things at a high pace and in a smart way, that's when we get those looks.”
On Ayoka Lee sitting out the second half…
“I think it's just next man up mentality. I think Eliza came in and played really well for us. We don't really know, like a whole lot about Yokie. Hopefully she's okay, but just next man up, you got to fill that role when someone's out or in foul trouble.”
Arizona State Junior Guard Jalyn Brown
On getting to the free throw line…
“We go through film, we look at who is foul prone, we look at how they guard drivers, and I realized that if I go off of two feet, they're likely to foul me. Because of my athleticism, I can jump over people. Sometimes I'm able to just slither through some spaces. So I think once I kind of figured out where my gaps were going to be, it just opened everything.”
UP NEXT
K-State returns to action on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. (CT), as the Wildcats visit Colorado.