MANHATTAN, Kansas - (11/10) K-State (18-1, 6-0 Big 12) ends a two-game homestand on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., as the Wildcats welcome in new Big 12 member Arizona State (8-10, 2-4).
• K-State has opened this season with an 18-1 record for the second straight season and the third time since 2008-09. With a win Sunday, K-State would achieve the second 19-1 or better start to a season in school history.
• Sunday’s game will air on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Missy Heidrick (analyst) and Sophie Smith (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 13. This is the second straight season (14, Dec. 1, 2023 - Jan. 31, 2024) the Wildcats have recorded a double figure win streak. The 13-game win streak is the fifth-longest active win streak in the nation.
2. Happy Helpers
• K-State features three players with 50 or more assists this season: Serena Sundell (145), Zyanna Walker (85) and Jaelyn Glenn (58). If Taryn Sides (47) and Temira Poindexter (37) reach 50 assists this season, this would mark the fourth time in program history with five or more players with 50 or more assists.
3. Cats Pacing the Nation
• K-State leads the nation in scoring defense (51.1), scoring margin (+32.2), field goal percentage defense (.322) and assists per game (22.8).
4. Trio of 3-Point Shooters
• The trio of Taryn Sides (45), Temira Poindexter (44) and Jaelyn Glenn (35) are on pace to become the fourth set of K-State teammates and first since 2012-13 to make 50 or more 3-pointers in a season.
5. Lee Approaching Big 12 Top-6
• With six 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
8
• Senior center and All-America candidate Ayoka Lee registered eight blocked shots in K-State’s win over Arizona on Thursday.
• Lee’s eight blocks tied the school record for blocks in a conference game, joining Breanna Lewis who sent back eight shots against Kansas on Jan. 11, 2015. The eight blocks also tied her own career-high, which she first established on Nov. 29, 2021, against North Dakota State.
• Lee was the first player in the nation this season to record eight or more blocks in 21 or fewer minutes played. She was the first since Tayah Irvin of Northern Kentucky on Feb. 16, 2023 to achieve this feat.
• In Big 12 play this season, Lee leads the league in blocks (21) and blocks per game (3.5).
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 six points to move into 6th in Big 12 history for career points
• Needs 162 rebounds to move into second in Big 12 history for career rebounds
• Needs 15 made free throws to set the school record for career free throws made
Serena Sundell
• Needs 31 assists to move into 10th in Big 12 history for career assists
Jaelyn Glenn
• Needs 56 steals to move into third on K-State career steals list
• Needs 11 assists to move into 17th on K-State career assists list
• Needs 28 rebounds for sole possession of 20th on the K-State career rebounds list
At a Glance: Arizona State
• Arizona State (8-10, 2-4 Big 12) enters Sunday’s game on a three-game losing streak including a 75-52 loss at Kansas on Thursday.
• On the sideline, Arizona State is led by third-year head coach Natasha Adair. Adair, a 1994 graduate of South Florida, is 194-193 (.501) in her 13 seasons as a head coach including a 27-50 (.351) mark during her time in Tempe.
• On the floor, the Sun Devils feature four players in double figures: Tyi Skinner (16.8 ppg), Jalyn Brown (16.1), Jyah Lovett (10.7) and Nevaeh Parkinson (10.1).
• Skinner, a grad transfer guard from Washington, D.C., also leads Arizona State in assists (53; 2.9 apg). At Kansas, Skinner carded 18 points and three assists.
1st Month the 1st to 250 Wins
• January was the first month in the history of K-State women’s basketball to surpass the 250-win plateau and the Wildcats own an overall record in the month of 264-193 (.578) in the first month of the year.
• Head coach Jeff Mittie is 44-41 (.518) in January with the Wildcats, including a 12-1 mark the last two seasons.
• K-State has registered a .500 or better record in January 35 times in the history of the program.
Halftime Lead = K-State ‘W’
• Since the 2001-02 season, K-State is 394-52 (.883) when leading at the break, including a 17-0 record in the 2024-25 season.
• K-State is 167-19 (.898) when leading at the break under head coach Jeff Mittie.
• Since the start of the 2007-08 season, K-State is 299-19 (.940) when leading with five minutes to play including a 183-8 (.958) record under Mittie.
Wildcats Solid From the Arc
• K-State has continued to attack from deep in the 2024-25 season.
• For the season, K-State is shooting 38.2 percent (156-of-408) from 3-point range. The Wildcats lead the Big 12 and are seventh in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage and are third in the Big 12 for 3-point field goals made. K-State is receiving 29.6 percent of its total points (468 points) from made 3-point field goals this season.
• The Wildcats registered a season-high 13 connections from 3-point range against USC Upstate on Dec. 5.
• K-State made 10 or more 3-pointers in five straight games (Dec. 1-18) for the first time in program history.
• The trio of Taryn Sides (45), Temira Poindexter (44) and Jaelyn Glenn (35) are on pace to become the fourth set of K-State teammates and first since 2012-13 to make 50 or more 3-pointers in a season.
• In the Jeff Mittie era, the Wildcats have made five or more 3-pointers in a game 245 times in 344 total games including 45 games with 10 or more connections (w-l: 39-6) from deep.
• In the 11 seasons under Mittie, K-State has buried 2,130 three-pointers which is 6.19 per game.
• In the 2023-24 season, K-State shot 31.4 percent (218-of-694) from 3-point range. K-State’s 218 made 3-pointers (6.4 per game) represents 26.8 percent of its point total. This was the highest 3-point field goal percentage since 2016-17.
• The 2023-24 Wildcats were the fourth team in program history to have five or more players make 20 or more 3-pointers in a season. When combined with the effort of the 2022-23 season, this marks the first time in program history K-State recorded consecutive seasons with five or more players on the roster making 20 or more 3-pointers in a season.
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 51.1 points per game on a .322 field goal percentage. The Wildcats lead the nation in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.
• The Wildcats held USC Upstate on Dec. 5 to 24 points on a 21.4 field goal percentage. The 24 points were the fewest allowed in the Jeff Mittie era and the fewest since holding Dartmouth to 20 points on Nov. 12, 2011.
• The 21.4 field goal percentage allowed was the lowest since holding Cincinnati to a 20.0 field goal percentage on Dec. 30, 2023.
• The Wildcats have held 15 opponents to 60 points or less this season (15-0). Under Mittie, K-State is 141-15 (.904) when holding its foes to 60 points or less including a 61-3 (.953) record over the last four seasons.
• During the last 21 seasons, K-State is 146-3 (.980) when holding an opponent to 49 points or less including a 65-0 mark in the Mittie era. During Mittie’s tenure K-State has held 21 opponents to 40 or fewer points.
• 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).
• K-State’s field goal percentage defense ranked third in program history since the 1981-82 season and fifth overall in program history.
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 6.5 blocks per game (124 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 blocked 120 or more shots in each of Mittie’s 11 seasons, the longest streak of 120 or more blocks in program history.
• K-State has a blocked shot differential of +68 this season (124-56). 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, against DePaul on Nov. 27 and against Arizona on Jan. 16.
• During the Mittie era, Kansas State has sent back 1,651 shots for 4.80 per game in the 344 games. The 1,651 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 44-of-116 (.379) from 3-point range. She has 12 games with two or more connections from long range. In the last three games, Poindexter is 12-of-25 (.480) from distance. She ranks 13th in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game (2.32).
• 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 225-of-699 (.322) from distance. She owns 66 career games with two or more 3-point field goals made, including 20 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 Uses Her Length
• Serena Sundell continues to use her length to disrupt her opponents on the defensive end.
• In her career, Sundell owns 92 career blocked shots (0.75 bpg) and ranks ninth in school history and owns the school record for career blocked shots by a guard.
• This season, Sundell is third on the team in blocks (19; 1.0 bpg).
• Sundell has 21 games with two or more blocks including a career-high four at Oklahoma State on Jan. 5, 2022.
• She has tallied 163 steals (1.34 spg) in her career and has 43 career games with two or more steals including nine career games with four or more steals.