MANHATTAN, Kansas - (13/12) K-State (11-1) closes out its non-conference regular season schedule on Wednesday, as the Wildcats host New Mexico State (6-4) at 6:30 p.m.
• Wednesday’s game will air on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Kindred Orpin (analyst) and Hannah Whetstone (sideline) will have the call.
Starting 5
Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball
1. Cats in Double Figures
• K-State currently features six players averaging double figures in scoring: Ayoka Lee (16.4 ppg), Serena Sundell (12.3), Taryn Sides (11.4), Temira Poindexter (11.3), Zyanna Walker (10.5) and Jaelyn Glenn (10.2). K-State has ended a season with four or more players averaging double figures five times with the last occuring in the 2007-08 season.
2. League Leaders
• K-State leads the Big 12 in five categories: scoring margin (+37.17), field goal percentage defense (.314), assists per game (22.75), assist/turnover ratio (1.98) and defensive rebounds per game (32.17).
3. Assistance Available
• K-State leads the Big 12 and is second in the nation for assists per game (22.8). The Wildcats have registered an assist on 68.6 percent of its made field goals this season, which ranks ninth in the nation.
4. Sides Hustle
• Sophomore guard Taryn Sides has been on a hot streak from beyond the arc this season, as she is shooting .556 (35-of-63) from long range. Sides is second in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, ninth in 3-point field goals made and 11th in 3-point field goals made per game (3.18).
5. Glenn Closing in on 1K Club
• With 23 points, senior guard Jaelyn Glenn would become the 46th player in program history to score 1,000 or more points during their time at K-State. Glenn would join current teammates Ayoka Lee (2,336 pts) and Serena Sundell (1,390 pts) on the list. When Glenn reaches the mark, she would be the fourth active player on the roster with 1,000 or more career points with Lee, Sundell and Temira Poindexter (1,673 pts; 1,560 at Tulsa).
Number to Know
20+
• The Wildcats have tallied 31 quarters this season with 20 or more points, including three quarters with 30 or more points.
• K-State owns an 11-0 mark when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter of a game.
• The Wildcats have scored 20 or more points in the third quarter of games 10 times this season. K-State has scored 20 or more points in a third quarter in an active streak of six straight games.
• K-State is averaging 20 or more points in three of four quarters this season - third (24.3 ppg), first (22.8 ppg) and second (20.8 ppg). The Wildcats are just under 20.0 points per game in fourth quarters this season (19.3).
2024-25 K-State Coach & Player Milestones to Watch
Jeff Mittie
• Needs six wins to move into second on the K-State Women’s Basketball wins list (Judy Akers, 206)
Ayoka Lee
• Needs four double-doubles to move into second in Big 12 history for career double-doubles
• Needs 215 rebounds to move into second in Big 12 history for career rebounds
• Needs 32 made free throws to set the school record for career free throws made
Serena Sundell
• Needs 80 points to reach 1,500 career points
Jaelyn Glenn
• Needs 23 points to reach 1,000 career points
• Needs 67 steals to move into third on K-State career steals list
• Needs seven rebounds to move into 28th on the K-State career rebounds list
At a Glance: New Mexico State
• New Mexico State (6-3) has lost two of its last three games including a 65-52 loss at Belmont on Dec. 7.
• On the sideline, the Aggies are led by third-year head coach Jody Adams. A 1994 graduate of Tennessee, Adams has been a head coach at Murray State, Wichita State and New Mexico State and has compiled a career record of 231-168 (.579).
• On the floor, New Mexico State is led by Molly Kaiser and Fanta Gassama.
• Kaiser, a grad student guard from Watauga, Texas, leads the Aggies with 20.4 points per game on a .528 field goal percentage with 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Kaier led New Mexico State at Tarleton State with 19 points.
• Gassama, a senior forward from Mataro, Spain, is second on the team with 10.9 points per game on a .446 field goal percentage and paces the Aggies on the boards with 9.9 per contest.
Wildcats Reach 400 Wins in Bramlage
• K-State is 404-156 (.721) all-time inside Bramlage Coliseum, which is in its 37th season of existence.
• This season, K-State is 8-0 in home games.
• In the 2023-24 season, the Wildcats were 16-2 (.889) in Bramlage. The .889 winning percentage last season was the best since going 13-1 in 2008-09.
• The Wildcats recorded a 15-game home court winning streak, which was the longest in-season win streak since 2002-03 (19). When including its two wins in the 2023 WNIT at the end of the 2022-23 season, K-State won 17 consecutive home games, which was the longest in the Jeff Mittie era, the fifth-longest in program history and the second-longest at Bramlage.
• This was the 33rd time in program history that the Wildcats reached double figures in home victories. It is the 25th season K-State has won 10 or more games in Bramlage.
• In his career in games played in his home venue, Mittie is 408-113 (.783) including a 134-48 (.736) record at K-State.
• Kansas State has protected Bramlage Coliseum with determination against non-conference foes with a record of 237-30 (.888). Mittie is 83-9 (.902) in non-conference games in Bramlage.
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 50.1 points per game on a .314 field goal percentage. The Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 and fifth in the nation in scoring defense and paces the Big 12 and ranks third in the nation in 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 nine opponents to 60 points or less this season (9-0).
• During the last 21 seasons, K-State is 143-3 (.979) when holding an opponent to 49 points or less including a 62-0 mark in the Mittie era. During Mittie’s tenure K-State has held 20 opponents to 40 or fewer points.
• Under Mittie, K-State is 135-15 (.900) when holding its foes to 60 points or less including a 55-3 (.948) 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).
• K-State’s field goal percentage defense ranked third in program history since the 1981-82 season and fifth overall in program history.
Wildcats Solid From the Arc
• K-State has opened the 2024-25 season with a barrage from deep.
• For the season, K-State is shooting 39.0 percent (108-of-277) from 3-point range. The Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 and 13th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage. K-State is receiving 30.9 percent of its total points (324 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 has made 10 or more 3-pointers in five straight games for the first time in program history.
• In the Jeff Mittie era, the Wildcats have made five or more 3-pointers in a game 241 times in 337 total games including 44 games with 10 or more connections (w-l: 38-6) from deep.
• In the 11 seasons under Mittie, K-State has buried 2,082 three-pointers which is 6.18 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.
Glenn Nears 1K
• Jaelyn Glenn is approaching an important career scoring milestone.
• With 23 points, Glenn would become the 46th player in program history to score 1,000 or more points in her K-State career.
• When she reaches the 1,000-point mark, Glenn will become the 28th player in program history with 1,000 or more points and 500 or more rebounds.
• This season, Glenn is averaging 10.2 points on a .450 field goal percentage including seven games with 10 or more points.
Lee The Queen of the Block
• Ayoka Lee remains one of the top shot blockers in the nation and has the numbers to back it up.
• In her career, Lee has 327 career blocked shots which is the school record for career blocks. Lee’s 327 blocked shots ranks fifth in Big 12 history. She is the active NCAA Division I career leader for blocked shots and blocks per game.
• She is the first player in school history to reach the 300-block mark. She owns the school record for career blocks per game at 2.64.
• She owns 88 career games with two or more blocks and 21 career games with five or more blocks. She owns the school record for career games with five or more blocks. Lee holds the school record for career games with seven or more blocks (6).
• In the 2023-24 season, Lee averaged 2.78 blocks per game (75 blocks). Lee was 18th in the nation for total blocks and second in the Big 12 and ninth in the nation for blocks per game.
• In two games last season, Lee registered a season-high seven blocks as she reached the mark at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14.
• In the 2021-22 season, Lee was a semifinalist for the 2022 Naismith Women’s National Defensive Player of the Year and was named to her first Big 12 All-Defensive Team and was selected as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by the Waco Tribune. She had a career-high 95 blocks (2.88 bpg) and was fourth in the nation in total blocks and sixth for blocks per game. She also has a career-high 39 steals (1.2 spg).
• Her total of 95 blocks ranked second in school history for blocks in a season and set the school record for blocks by a junior. This was the second time in her career Lee reached 90 or more blocks in a season (91; 2019-20). She was the first player in school history with at least two seasons with 90 or more blocks.
• Lee’s combined total of blocks and steals, 134, during the 2021-22 season established a new career-high and was the third-highest single season total in program history.