MANHATTAN, Kansas - (11/10) K-State (17-1, 5-0 Big 12) starts a two-game homestand on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m., as the Wildcats welcome in Arizona (11-7, 2-3) for the first meeting in the series between the schools.
• K-State has opened this season with a 17-1 record for the second straight season and the third time since 2008-09. With a win Thursday, K-State would achieve the fourth 18-1 or better start to a season in school history and its second straight.
• Thursday’s game will air on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Missy Heidrick (analyst) and Hannah Whetstone (sideline) will have the call.
Starting 5
Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball
1. We’re Going Streaking!
• K-State owns an active win streak of 12. This is the second straight season (14, Dec. 1, 2023 - Jan. 31, 2024) the Wildcats have recorded a double figure win streak. The 12-game win streak is tied for the fifth-longest active win streak in the nation.
2. K-State On Point
• With its 92 points at BYU on Jan. 11, K-State recorded its sixth game of 90 or more points this season. The six games with 90 or more points are the most since the 2001-02 season (6) and the fifth time in program history with six or more games in a season with 90 or more points.
3. Cats Pacing the Nation
• K-State leads the nation in field goal percentage (.509), scoring margin (+33.2), field goal percentage defense (.322) and assists per game (23.1).
4. Mittie Surpasses a K-State Legend
• With his 207th win as K-State head coach, Jeff Mittie (207-136, .603; 2014-present) passed Judy Akers (206-94, .687; 1968-79) for second on the K-State career wins list.
5. Lee Approaching Big 12 Top-6
• With 12 points, senior center and All-America candidate Ayoka Lee (2,469) will pass Sophia Young of Baylor (2003-06; 2,480) for sixth on the Big 12 career scoring list.
Number to Know
47
• This season, K-State has shot 50.0 percent or better in 47 quarters.
• Of the 72 quarters played this season, the Wildcats have registered a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent or better in 65.3 percent of those quarters. This would surpass the highest percentage of 34.5 in 2023-24.
• Since the quarter system began in NCAA Division I women’s basketball in 2015-16, K-State’s top mark for quarters with a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent or better is 48 in the 2023-24 season.
2024-25 K-State Coach & Player Milestones to Watch
Ayoka Lee
• Needs three double-doubles to move into second in Big 12 history for career double-doubles
• Needs 168 rebounds to move into second in Big 12 history for career rebounds
• Needs 19 made free throws to set the school record for career free throws made
Serena Sundell
• Needs nine points to reach 1,500 career points
Jaelyn Glenn
• Needs 56 steals to move into third on K-State career steals list
• Needs 15 assists to move into 17th on K-State career assists list
• Needs 34 rebounds for sole possession of 20th on the K-State career rebounds list
At a Glance: Arizona
• Arizona (11-7, 2-3 Big 12) enters Thursday night’s game dropping three of their last four outings, including two straight home games last week to Baylor (81-76, ot) and Iowa State (79-58).
• On the sideline, Arizona is led by ninth-year head coach Adia Barnes. Barnes, a 1998 graduate of Arizona, is 161-106 (.603) during her time in Tucson. She led the program to a national runner-up finish in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
• On the floor, the Wildcats feature two players in double figures: sophomores Breya Cunningham and Jada Williams.
• Cunningham, a forward from Chula Vista, California, is averaging 12.4 points on a .642 field goal percentage while also leading the squad in rebounding (7.2 rpg) and blocks (32; 1.9 bpg). Against the Cyclones, Cunningham tallied seven points, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals.
• Williams, a guard from Kansas City, Missouri, is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 per game and is leading the team in assists (51; 3.0 apg). Against Iowa State, Williams tallied 17 points, four rebounds and four assists.
K-State Among the Rankings
• K-State moves up to number 11 in the Associated Press (AP) top-25 poll in week 11.
• Since making its poll debut on Nov. 20, 2023, K-State has been ranked for 30 consecutive weeks. This is the longest consecutive streak for K-State since being ranked for 69 straight weeks from the end of the 2001-02 season to the end of the 2004-05 season.
• In its history, K-State has now been ranked for a total of 204 weeks in the AP poll, including 63 weeks as a top-10 team.
• As an AP ranked team, K-State owns a 265-96 (.734) record.
• Kansas State made its 2024-25 preseason debut at 13th in the AP top-25 poll. This was the fourth time in program history and the first time since the 2004-05 season that K-State appeared in the AP preseason poll. This was the program’s highest preseason ranking since 2003-04 when the Wildcats entered the season ranked fifth.
• During the 2023-24 season, the Wildcats achieved the program’s highest ranking in the Jeff Mittie era (2014-present), as the team was ranked 2nd on Jan. 29, 2024. It was the highest ranking for the program in the AP poll since Nov. 25, 2002 when K-State was ranked 2nd.
• According to Stats Perform, K-State was the first women’s program since the start of the AP poll in 1976 to go from unranked in the preseason to either No. 1 or No. 2 in the same season.
• The Wildcats remains in 10th in this week’s USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll.
• The Wildcats have been ranked in 30 straight USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls dating back to Nov. 20, 2023.
• K-State debuted in the Coaches poll in the 2024-25 preseason at 13th. This was the fourth time K-State has appeared in the preseason Coaches Poll and the first time since 2004-05. This was K-State’s highest preseason ranking in the poll since 2003-04 when the Wildcats entered the season ranked fifth.
• K-State reached a high of 2nd in the Coaches Poll for two straight weeks in the 2023-24 season, its highest Coaches Poll ranking since being ranked 2nd in the third poll of the 2002-03 season.
Wildcats Off to Fast Start
• Kansas State has opened the season with a 17-1 overall record.
• This is the second straight season and equals the best 17-game start for K-State in the Jeff Mittie era.
• In program history, K-State has opened a season 17-1 five times.
Wildcats Build Extended Streak
• K-State has strung together one of the longest winning streaks in program history to boost its overall win total this season.
• The Wildcats’ current 12-game winning streak is the sixth-longest in program history.
• This is the 11th double-digit winning streak in school history.
• This is the first time since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons in which K-State has registered a double-digit win streak in consecutive seasons.
• Last season the Wildcats won 14 consecutive games from Dec. 1, 2023 to Jan. 31, 2024. This was the longest winning streak in the Jeff Mittie era and tied for the second-longest in school history.
• K-State’s nine-game winning streak in Big 12 play last season was the longest conference win streak in the Mittie era and tied for the longest conference win streaks in program history joining the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. K-State was the first team since Baylor in 2019-20 to win its first nine Big 12 games.
Time Cards Punched
• A trio of long time Wildcats are climbing the ranks of the program’s career games started and minutes lists.
• Seniors Ayoka Lee, Serena Sundell and Jaelyn Glenn are among the top-10 in program history for career starts. Lee is tied for first in program history with 130 career starts, while Sundell ranks ninth with 121 career starts and Glenn is tied for 10th with 117 career starts.
• Lee is tied for seventh in program history for career games played with 130.
• Sundell ranks eighth in school history for career minutes played with 3,935 and ninth for minutes per game (32.5). With 65 minutes of action, Sundell will be the seventh player in program history with 4,000 or more career minutes played.
• Glenn needs 96 minutes played to move into 10th in program history for career minutes played. She owns 3,770 minutes played in her career.
Magic Number is 70 Points
• Since the 2014-15 season, K-State is 123-21 (.854) when scoring 70 or more points in a game. The Wildcats have scored 70 or more points in 17 games this season.
• K-State is averaging 84.4 points per game this season to lead the Big 12 and rank 11th in the nation. K-State’s field goal percentage of .509 leads the nation.
• K-State tallied a season-high 111 points against Milwaukee on Nov. 20. This was the highest single-game point total in the Jeff Mittie era. It was the second-highest single-game point total in program history, trailing the school record of 115 on Dec. 2, 2002, against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
• The Wildcats recorded 110 points against USC Upstate in a 110-24 win on Dec. 5. This is the first time in program history K-State has scored 110 or more points in two or more games in the same season.
• K-State’s margin of victory of 86 against USC Upstate was the largest in program history, surpassing the previous record of 78 on Dec. 2, 2002, against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
• In its history, K-State has scored 100 or more points in a game 30 times (30-0) including seven times under Mittie.
• The Wildcats have scored 90 or more points in a game six times this season, which is the fifth time in program history K-State has scored 90 or more points in six or more games in a season and the first time since 2001-02 (6). The school record for games with 90 or more points came in 1983-84 with eight.
Cats Send Back Shots Under Mittie
• During the Jeff Mittie era, K-State has dealt out rejection to its opponents including a record total in 2023-24 season.
• This season, K-State is averaging 6.4 blocks per game (115 blocks) and ranks second in the Big 12 and fifth in the nation. The Wildcats feature seven players with five or more blocks this season.
• K-State has a blocked shot differential of +63 this season (115-52). Since blocks became official in 1982-83, K-State has 22 seasons with a positive blocked shot differential including a school record of +95 last season.
• K-State recorded a season-high nine blocks against Milwaukee on Nov. 20 and against DePaul on Nov. 27.
• During the Mittie era, Kansas State has sent back 1,642 shots for 4.79 per game in the 343 games. K-State has blocked 120 or more shots in each of Mittie’s previous 10 seasons, the longest streak of 120 or more blocks in program history.
• The 1,642 blocks in the 11 seasons are the most in any 11-season span in program history.
• Last season, K-State registered a school record 178 blocked shots (5.2 bpg) and led the Big 12 and were 13th in the nation for blocks per game and 13th for total blocks. Of the 13 active players on the roster, 11 recorded at least one blocked shot.
• The Wildcats had four games with 10 or more blocks, with 12 against McNeese State on Dec. 6 and Oklahoma on Jan. 10, 11 blocks against Presbyterian on Nov. 6 and 10 against Oral Roberts on Dec. 18. The 12 blocks against McNeese State and Oklahoma tied for the third-most for a single-game in program history. The 12 blocks against Oklahoma set the school record for blocked shots in a conference game.
• Under Mittie, K-State has blocked 10 or more shots in a game 16 times, including a school record of 14 at Tulsa on Nov. 13, 2015. K-State is 15-1 during the Mittie era when blocking 10 or more shots.
Poindexter Attacks from 3
• Senior Temira Poindexter has sparked K-State from deep in the 2024-25 season.
• This season, Poindexter is 40-of-108 (.370) from 3-point range. She has 11 games with two or more connections from long range. She ranks 13th in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game (2.22).
• Against Belmont on Nov. 7 and at BYU on Jan. 11, Poindexter made a personal season-high five 3-point field goals.
• In her collegiate career, Poindexter is 221-of-691 (.320) from distance. She owns 65 career games with two or more 3-point field goals made, including 19 career games with four or more 3-point field goals made. She made a career best six against Wichita State on Jan. 20, 2024, while at Tulsa.
Sundell 2nd for Career Assists
• Serena Sundell has established herself at the point for K-State with her distribution skills.
• Sundell, a 2024-25 Lieberman Award Watch List member, owns a career assist total of 686 and ranks second on the K-State career list. She is the second player in school history with 600 or more career assists.
• Sundell, a 2023-24 All-Big 12 First Team recipient, ranks second in school history for career assists per game at 5.67. She ranks third in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists and fifth in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists per game.
• She has 80 career games with five or more assists including 10 games with 10 or more assists and a career-high of 13 assists (twice). Her 80 career games with five or more assists ranks second in school history. She ranks third in program history for career games with 10 or more assists.
• Her combined assist total from the 2023-24 (189) and 2024-25 seasons of 326 ranks tied for seventh in program history for most assists over consecutive seasons.
• Her career assist to turnover ratio of 1.84 is second in program history (min. 100 career assists).
• This season, Sundell is averaging 7.61 assists per game and leads the nation. She leads the nation for total assists (137). She is second in the Big 12 for assist/turnover ratio and ranks 12th in the nation (3.04).
• Against USC Upstate on Dec. 5 and at BYU on Jan. 11, Sundell set a new career-high and tied the school record for assists in a single-game with 13 assists.
• In the 2023-24 season, Sundell averaged 5.56 assists per game (189 assists) and was the Big 12 leader for assists per game and total assists. In league action, Sundell was second in the league at 5.71 assists per game.
• Sundell’s 189 assists last season were a career-high and ranked tied for fifth in program history for assists in a single season. The 2023-24 season marked her third straight with 150 or more assists. She was the first Wildcat since Shalee Lehning (four seasons) and the third overall (Megan Mahoney; three seasons) to hand out 150 or more assists in three or more seasons.
• In the 2022-23 season, Sundell handed out a career-high 184 assists (5.11 apg) including a season-high 10 against Oklahoma State on Jan. 4.
• Sundell was the second player in program history (Shalee Lehning, 368) with 350 or more assists by the conclusion of their sophomore season.
• Sundell’s 184 assists in the 2022-23 season set the school record for assists in a sophomore season and ranked as the sixth-most in a season in program history.
Nobody Scores It Like Ayoka Lee
• Ayoka Lee has established herself as the top scorer in K-State women’s basketball history.
• Lee owns the school record with 2,469 career points, breaking the record in her 122nd career game on Dec. 3, 2024, against Eastern Illinois. She ranks seventh in Big 12 history for career points scored and ranks 94th for career points in NCAA Division I history.
• Her career scoring average of 19.0 ranks first in school history, ninth in Big 12 history and fifth among active NCAA Division I players.
• 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. She was the fastest player to reach the 2,000-career point mark, doing so in 105 career games.
• Lee has scored in every game of her career (130 games) and has reached double figures in 119 games. She ranks third in school history for career consecutive games scoring. She was the fourth player in program history with 100 or more career games with 10 or more points scored and ranks second in school history for games with 10 or more points.
• This season, Lee leads the Wildcats with 17.2 points per game on a career-best .650 field goal percentage. She ranks seventh in the Big 12 in scoring average and leads the league and ranks fifth in the nation in field goal percentage.
• In the 2023-24 season, Lee averaged a team-high 19.7 points per game. She scored in double figures in 26 games. She was third in the Big 12 and ranked 26th in the nation for scoring average.
• With her 533 points last season, Lee joined Nicole Ohlde (2000-04) and Kendra Wecker (2001-05) as the only players in program history with four consecutive seasons with 400 or more points scored. She was the fourth player in program history with 500 or more points and 200 or more rebounds in two or more seasons in their career.
• When combining her point total with her last active season of 2021-22, Lee’s two-season total of 1,260 set the school record for most points in consecutive active seasons.
• 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.
• With her efforts of 61 points against Oklahoma on Jan. 23, 2022, and 43 points against Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, 2021, 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.