MANHATTAN, Kansas - K-State (26-7, 13-5 Big 12), the 4-seed in the Albany 2 Region, will face the 5-seed, Colorado (23-9, 11-7 Pac 12), in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Sunday at 1 p.m., in Bramlage Coliseum.
• Friday’s game can be seen on ESPNews, as Brenda VanLengen (play-by-play) and Holly Warlick (analyst) will have the call.
• With a win, K-State would reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2002.
Starting 5
Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball
1. Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament
• K-State is making its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance and the fifth under head coach Jeff Mittie. The Wildcats own a record of 15-17 in its 18 appearances and have advanced at least one round 13 times.
2. K-State Against AP Foes in 2023-24
• The Wildcats have collected five wins against Associated Press top-25 foes this season, tied for the second most in program history.
3. Cats Equal Blocks Record
• With one blocked shot, the 2023-24 edition of K-State women’s basketball will set the school single-season record for blocks. The current record for 170 was set in 2021-22 and this season.
4. Happy Helpers
• Serena Sundell (174) and Gabby Gregory (113) have combined for 287 assists this season, which is third in school history for combined assists by two players in a season.
5. Gregory & Lee With Big NCAA Effort
• Gabby Gregory (22) and Ayoka Lee (21) were the first Wildcat teammates since Kendra Wecker and Laurie Koehn on March 19, 2005, against Bowling Green to score 20 or more points in the same NCAA Tournament game.
Number to Know
618
• K-State has dished out 618 assists (18.7 apg) this season, which tied for the most in school history for a single season.
• The Wildcats have tallied 600 or more assists for the third time in program history and the first time since 2002-03.
• This marks the third straight season K-State has handed out 500 or more assists. This is the second time the Wildcats have registered 500 or more assists in three or more straight seasons and the first time since carding five straight seasons of 500 or more assists from 2001-06.
• K-State’s 18.7 assists per game ranks 13th in the nation and would rank second in school history for a single season.
• The Wildcats feature four players with 50 or more assists this season: Serena Sundell (183), Gabby Gregory (114), Taryn Sides (91) and Jaelyn Glenn (67).
At a Glance: Colorado
• Colorado (23-9, 11-7 Pac 12) reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament with an 86-72 win over Drake on Friday.
• On the sideline, Colorado is led by eighth-year head coach JR Payne. The 1999 graduate of Saint Mary’s owns a record of 142-102 (.582) during her time in Boulder.
• The Buffaloes are led on the floor by the trio of Aaronette Vonleh, Jaylyn Sherrod and Frida Formann.
• Vonleh leads Colorado with 14.2 points on a .557 field goal percentage. She also has hauled in 5.1 rebounds per game. She had 18 points and 10 rebounds against Drake.
• Sherrod, an honorable mention Associated Press All-American, is averaging 13.1 points on a .450 field goal percentage, and leads the squad in assists with 5.0 per game and steals with 2.2 per game. Sherrod tallied 16 points, eight assists and three steals against Drake.
• Formann is Colorado’s top 3-point shooter with 79 connections on a .427 percentage. She is averaging 12.6 points with 33 steals.
Last Time Out
(15/16) K-State 78, Portland 65 (March 22, 2024; Manhattan, Kan.)
• K-State led wire-to-wire against Portland to claim a first round win in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
• The Wildcats have advanced at least one round in the NCAA Tournament 13 times in its history.
• K-State was led by Gabby Gregory with a NCAA Tournament career-high 22 points, while Ayoka Lee carded an NCAA Tournament career-high 21 points and nine rebounds. Serena Sundell added 16 points and an NCAA Tournament career-high nine assists and five rebounds.
K-State Against Ranked Opponents
• The Wildcats are 92-241 (.276) against teams ranked in the Associated Press (AP) poll including a 58-69 (.457) mark against AP ranked teams in Manhattan.
• The Wildcats are 5-3 this season against AP top-25 opponents and are one of 11 teams in the nation with five wins against AP top-25 foes.
• This is the fifth time in program history that K-State has won five or more games against AP ranked foes in a season. The five wins are the most since the 2003-04 season when the Wildcats won five games against ranked opponents.
• The Wildcats captured its second-ever win over an Associated Press number two ranked foe and first since the 1982-83 season by defeating then-second-ranked Iowa, 65-58, on Nov. 16, 2023 in Iowa City. K-State is 24-114 (.174) all-time in games against AP top-10 opponents.
• This was the highest ranked opponent K-State has defeated on the road.
• According to ESPN Stats & Info, K-State became the first NCAA Division I women’s basketball program in the last 25 years to be unranked and defeat the same Associated Press top-5 team in consecutive seasons.
• According to Stats Perform, K-State is the sixth team to defeat an AP second-ranked team on the road since 1999-00.
• The wins over Iowa and 10th-ranked Texas marked the third and fourth top-10 wins for the Wildcats in three seasons, as K-State downed fourth-ranked Iowa on Nov. 17, 2022, and 10th-ranked Baylor on Jan. 2, 2022.
• K-State is 20-64 (.238) against AP ranked opponents in head coach Jeff Mittie’s 10 seasons.
Halftime Lead = K-State ‘W’
• Since the 2001-02 season, K-State is 375-51 (.880) when leading at the break, including a 20-1 record in the 2023-24 season.
• K-State is 149-18 (.892) when leading at the break under head coach Jeff Mittie.
• Since the start of the 2007-08 season, K-State is 281-19 (.937) when leading with five minutes to play including a 165-8 (.954) record under Mittie.
Magic Number is 70 Points
• Since the 2014-15 season, K-State is 106-21 (.835) when scoring 70 or more points in a game.
• The Wildcats are averaging 72.3 points per game this season and have scored 70 or more points in a game 18 times (15-3).
• K-State has scored 2,387 points this season. This is the third straight season K-State has registered 2,000 or more points and the seventh time in the Jeff Mittie era (2014-present).
• Kansas State tallied a season-high 102 points against Oral Roberts on Dec. 18 and tallied 101 points against McNeese State on Dec. 6.
• This is the first time since the 2002-03 season in which the Wildcats have scored 100 or more points in two or more games in a season.
• In its history, K-State has scored 100 or more points in a game 28 times (28-0) including five times under Mittie.
Three is not a Crowd, It’s a Benefit
• Since 2011-12, when three or more players reach double figures in scoring in the same game, K-State is 177-84 (.678) including a 20-4 record this season.
• The Wildcats had a season-high five players reach double figures against Oklahoma on Jan. 10 and again at Iowa State on Feb. 14.
• This season, the duo of Ayoka Lee and Gabby Gregory have scored in double figures in the same game nine times including a combined 43 points against Portland on March 22.
• Gregory (22) and Lee (21) were the first Wildcat teammates since Kendra Wecker and Laurie Koehn on March 19, 2005, against Bowling Green to score 20 or more points in the same NCAA Tournament game.
• The combination of Lee and Serena Sundell have scored in double figures in the same game 36 times since 2021-22, including 17 times this season (13-4).
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 170 blocked shots (5.1 bpg) and lead the Big 12 and are 12th in the nation for blocks per game and tied for 12th for total blocks. Of the 13 active players on the roster, 11 have recorded at least one blocked shot.
• K-State has a blocked shot differential of +89 this season (170-81). 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.
• With a block, K-State will set the school record for blocked shots in a season. K-State’s total this season is tied for the single-season record in program history.
• The Wildcats have 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 are 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.
• During the Mittie era, Kansas State has sent back 1,519 shots for 4.69 per game in the 324 games. K-State has blocked 120 or more shots in each of Mittie’s 10 seasons, the longest streak of 120 or more blocks in program history.
• The 1,519 blocks in the 10 seasons are the most in any 10-season span in program history.
Sundell Top-5 for Career Assists
• Serena Sundell has established herself at the point for K-State with her distribution skills.
• Sundell, a 2023-24 All-Big 12 First Team recipient, owns a career total of 543 and ranks fourth on the K-State career assists list. She is the fifth player in school history with 500 or more career assists.
• Sundell ranks second in school history for career assists per game at 5.32. She ranks 23rd in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists and 10th in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists per game.
• Her combined assist total from 2022-23 (184) and this season (183) of 367 ranks fifth in program history for most assists over consecutive seasons.
• She has 64 career games with five or more assists including four games with 10 or more assists and a career-high of 11 assists. Her 64 career games with five or more assists ranks third in school history. She ranks fourth in program history for career games with 10 or more assists.
• Her career assist to turnover ratio of 1.70 is fourth in program history (min. 100 career assists).
• This season, Sundell is averaging 5.55 assists per game (183 assists) and leads the Big 12 for assists per game and total assists. In league action, Sundell was second in the league at 5.71 assists per game.
• Sundell’s 183 assists this season ranks seventh in program history for assists in a single season. This season marks her third straight with 150 or more assists. She is 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 last season set the school record for assists in a sophomore season and ranked as the sixth-most in a season in program history.
Sundell Moves into Top-25 of Scoring
• In addition to her distribution skills, guard Serena Sundell adds a scoring punch to the K-State lineup.
• During her career, Sundell has scored 1,252 points (12.3 ppg) and was the 45th player in school history to score 1,000 points in her career and currently ranks 23rd on the K-State career scoring list. She has tallied double figures in 70 career games, including 15 career games with 20 or more points.
• This season, Sundell is second on the team in scoring with 12.1 points on a career-high .535 field goal percentage. She registered a personal season-high 22 points at UCF on Jan. 6 and has 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 last 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.
• At Oklahoma on March 1, Sundell carded a career-high 33 points on 11-of-17 shooting. She joined Gabby Gregory as the only Wildcats last season with 30 or more points in a game.
• Against Kansas on Feb. 22, Sundell registered the most unique stat line in the nation. According to Stats Perform, Sundell was the only player last season, one of four since 1999-00 and the only player in the Big 12 since 1999-00 to record 24 points on 80 percent shooting and also registering seven assists, five rebounds, four steals and one block.
Gregory From Long Range
• Guard Gabby Gregory established a new career-best from 3-point range in the 2022-23 season and has been a 3-point threat over the course of her career.
• In her career, Gregory is 231-of-722 (.320) from long range including 134-of-429 (.312) during her time at K-State. She has made two or more 3-point field goals in a game 70 times and has 12 games with four or more connections. She has made a career-high six 3-pointers in a game three times, twice at K-State.
• This season, Gregory leads the Wildcats with 50 connections from long range (50-of-172, .291). Her 50 made 3-pointers this season are the second-most in a season in her career.
• In the 2022-23 season, Gregory led the Wildcats and was third in the Big 12 with 84 connections and was sixth in the league with 2.40 three-point field goals made per game. She ranked 31st in the nation for 3-point field goals made.
• Gregory’s 84 threes made in the 2022-23 season were fourth in school history in a senior season and were 10th all-time for a single season. Her 257 attempts last season ranked tied for fourth in school history for a single season. She notched 26 games with two or more connections including seven games with four or more.
• Gregory achieved a new personal single-season career-high for 3-point field goals made and attempted in a season with 84 and 257, respectively. Her 84 connections were the most by a Wildcat since Kindred Wesemann made 90 in the 2016-17 season.
• Against Utah Tech on Nov. 20 and the following game against Clemson on Nov. 24, Gregory tied her career-high with six 3-pointers made. Over the two games, Gregory was 12-of-25 (.480) from 3-point range.
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 2,184 points in 113 career games (19.3 ppg) and ranks third in school history for career points scored. Her career scoring average of 19.3 ranks first in school history, ninth in Big 12 history and seventh among active NCAA Division I players.
• To surpass Kendra Wecker (2001-05; 2,333), Lee needs to score 150 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 (113 games) and has reached double figures in 104 games. She is the fourth player in program history with 100 or more career games with 10 or more points scored.
• This season, Lee is averaging a team-high 20.1 points per game. She has scored in double figures in 25 games this season. She is second in the Big 12 and ranks 22nd in the nation for scoring average.
• With her 523 points this season, Lee joins 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 is the fourth player in program history with 500 or more points and 200 or more rebounds in two or more seasons.
• When combining her point total with her last active season of 2021-22, Lee’s two-season total of 1,250 ranks second in school history 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 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.