MANHATTAN, Kan. – (10/11) K-State used an efficient night from preseason All-American Ayoka Lee on Thursday night to throttle Creighton, 86-68, at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats have scored 80 or more points in the first three games of a season for the first time since 2004-05.
Lee led all scorers with 28 points on 13-of-18 shooting in just under 16 minutes of action. The fifth-year senior from Byron, Minnesota, is just 13 points from moving past Nicole Ohlde into second in program history for career points.
Joining Lee in double figures on Thursday evening were seniors Temira Poindexter and Serena Sundell with 12 points each, while senior Kennedy Taylor came off the bench to add 10 points and six rebounds.
Sundell approached a triple-double, as she filled the stat sheet with eight assist and seven rebounds.
Defensively, the K-State held the nation’s top scorer, Lauren Jensen at 27.5 points per game, to just nine points on 4-of-11 shooting.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- K-State (3-0) took control of the first quarter with a 12-5 run to build a 22-9 advantage at the end of the opening frame. Lee scored eight points in the opening quarter, while Jaelyn Glenn buried a pair of three-pointers.
- The Wildcats extended its lead to 18, 29-11, with 6:13 remaining in the second quarter. Poindexter started a 7-0 run with a layup with 8:17 to play. Lee followed with an old-fashioned three-point play and then added a layup.
- After K-State built its lead to 19 twice in the final two and a half minutes, Creighton (1-2) closed to within 16, 39-23, at halftime.
- The Bluejays cut the K-State lead to 13, 42-29, in the opening stages of the third quarter. The Wildcats battled back with a 6-0 burst to increase the lead back to 19, 48-29, and force a Creighton timeout with 7:01 left in the third.
- K-State would outscore Creighton in the third quarter, 29-23, as the Wildcats shot a season-best 73.3 percent from the field in the third frame. Sundell popped for 10 points in the stanza including eight of K-State’s final 13 points in the frame.
- Despite Lee scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Bluejays would capture the final quarter, 22-18, to bring the final margin to 18.
- K-State shot a season-best 53.7 percent (36-of-67) from the field, which included a season-best from 3-point range of 43.8 percent (7-of-16).
- The Wildcats equaled their season-high with 24 assists and committed just eight turnovers.
- Creighton would shoot 40.6 percent (26-of-64) from the field, boosted by a pair of efforts over 45.0 percent in the second half.
QUICK FACTS
- K-State leads the series with Creighton, 16-5. The Wildcats are 20-11 against current members of the Big East Conference.
- K-State is 399-156 (.719) in its 37-season history inside Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats own a 232-30 (.885) record against non-conference opponents inside Bramlage.
- K-State owns a record of 251-95 (.725) as an AP ranked team. K-State is 14-5 (.737) all-time when ranked 10th in the nation.
- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 647-370 (.636) in his 33 seasons as a head coach, including a mark of 193-135 (.588) in his 11 seasons at K-State. Mittie is 403-113 (.781) in games played in his home venue, including a 129-48 (.729) mark in Bramlage Coliseum.
- The Wildcats are 163-54 (.751) in games played in the month of November, including wins in 51 of its last 62 games in the month. Under Mittie, K-State is 49-11 (.817) in games during the 11th month.
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 second time this lineup has started this season. This was the 116th career start for Lee, the 106th career start for Sundell, the 102nd career start for Jaelyn Glenn, the 90th career collegiate start and third at K-State for Poindexter and the third career start for Walker. With her 116th career start at K-State, Lee ties Laurie Koehn (2001-05) and Peyton Williams (2016-20) for 10th in program history for career starts.
- The Wildcats held a 39-23 lead at halftime on Thursday. Under Mittie, K-State is 153-19 (.890) when leading at halftime. The Wildcats have led at the half in all three games this season.
- K-State has scored 20-or more points in a quarter seven times this season. Since the start of the quarter-system in 2015-16, the Wildcats are 135-62 (.685) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter of a game.
- K-State shot 50.0 percent or better in a quarter twice on Thursday night (first and third frames). The Wildcats have six quarters of 50.0 percent or better shooting this season.
- The Wildcats handed out 24 assists on Thursday. The 24 assists tied its season-high (Green Bay, Nov. 4, 2024). Over the last 17 seasons, K-State is 95-8 (.922) when handing out 20 or more assists in a game.
- K-State pulled in 42 rebounds on Thursday to outrebound Creighton (42-30). Over the last four seasons, K-State is 45-3 (.938) when holding the advantage on the glass.
PLAYER NOTES
- Lee needs 13 points to pass Nicole Ohlde (2000-04; 2,241 points) for second in school history for career points. Lee’s career point total stands at 2,229 and trails Nicole Ohlde (2000-04; 2,241) for second on the K-State career scoring list.
- Lee tallied her 53rd career game with 20 or more points. Lee recorded her 106th career game with 10 or more points. Lee has scored in every game of her career (116 games).
- Lee hauled in three rebounds on Thursday. Lee’s career total for rebounds stands at 1,125, improving upon her own school record for career rebounds. Lee is eighth in Big 12 history for career rebounds.
- Lee has shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in 79 career games. With her 13 made field goals on Thursday, Lee joined Ohlde as the only two players in program history with 900 or more career field goals made. Lee has now made 10 or more field goals in a game 31 times in her career.
- Lee improved her career blocked shot total to 313, improving upon her school record for career blocked shots. Lee ranks fifth all-time in Big 12 history for career blocked shots.
- Sundell notched her 73rd career game with 10 or more points. Sundell owns 1,293 career points and remains in 21st on the K-State career scoring list.
- Sundell’s eight assists on Thursday improved her career total to 566 and moved into third in school history for career assists, passing Mary Jo Miller (1988-92; 562). This was her 67th career game with five or more assists.
- Sundell pulled in seven rebounds on Thursday. This was her 42nd career game with five or more rebounds.
- Glenn made two 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her 50th career game with two or more connections from long range. She needs four connections to move into sole possession of 10th on the K-State career 3-point field goals made list.
- Poindexter tallied her 83rd career game with 10 or more points. She improved her collegiate point total to 1,621.
- Taylor registered her 46th career game with 10 or more points and her third at K-State.
- Taylor hauled in six rebounds on Thursday, her 56th career game with five or more rebounds.
- Taryn Sides pulled in five rebounds on Thursday, her fifth career game with five or more rebounds.
- Sides connected on two 3-point field goals on Thursday, equaling her season-high and marking her 10th career game with two or more connections from long range.
- Zyanna Walker owns 13 career games with two or more steals.
- Jaelyn Glenn dished out three assists. She needs 11 assists to move into 25th on the K-State career assists list.
FROM THE HEAD COACH
K-State Head Coach Jeff Mittie
Opening Statement…
“A total team effort. We had to battle through some foul trouble tonight and some players were coming back off injury that hadn't had as many reps. And yet, you look up and we shoot 53% from the field. We do a lot of really good things. It's a quality team. I mean, I have a lot of respect for Creighton. They are a really good basketball team, and you got to see a glimpse of that in the second half. First half, we did a great job on Molly [Mogenson} and [Lauren] Jensen. They can really bust you up for some points. And we saw that certainly in the second half.”
On Ayoka Lee…
“You look at her minutes and you're like we need to keep her on the floor a little longer, but Kennedy [Taylor] has given us such a good lift. I thought Imani [Lester] played well tonight as well. We know we're going to need more than just Lee, but I thought Lee did a great job of getting position.”
On the game plan heading into the game…
“We came in saying they're going to do what they do at the offensive end, which is try to drag [Ayoka Lee] away. And we have to make them pay for playing that way. So if they're going to small ball us, we got to make them pay at the other end. And I thought we got off to a great start. I thought the ball was moving pretty timely, and I think that was critical to this game.”
On the offense…
“One of the things offensively that I'm really liking about our growth is that you saw in that third quarter where [Taryn] Sides gets going then [Temira] Poindexter makes some plays. Serena [Sundell], I thought, had an excellent second half. So we've got pretty good balance and pretty good depth in our scoring. And I think for us, it's just about making the right play. If we can keep that mentality of ‘we over me’ and make the right play, everybody's going to have success. And to put up 86 points is a really good deal, really good number for us.”
Creighton Head Coach Jim Flanery
Opening Statement…
“Kansas State looked really good on film, and they looked really good in person. They're the real deal, they can score it inside. Obviously, that was a really difficult matchup for us to guard both [Ayoka] Lee and [Kennedy] Taylor, who I think has given them a really, I mean, I hate to call it a backup, but, you know, they're tough that way, and then they create a lot of opportunities for their guards too. Their movements are good. We miscommunicated on some guard to guard actions in the first quarter. I thought that helped them get off to a good start. And it's tough to play from behind against that good of a team, good of a team on the road. So I thought we kind of hung in, but we got some things that we need to correct and get better. We knew our schedule was really hard. We've played three really good teams out of the gate. We played three teams that were picked to win their league. So this is the best team we played. So congrats to them. We had stretches where we'd push back, but we just couldn't guard them consistently to ever get back into the game. And they're very good defensively. Their length is an issue and I thought they were well prepared to take questions from student athletes.”
FROM THE FLOOR
K-State 5th Year Senior Center Ayoka Lee
On gaining recruit depth on the court…
“So far, not really. I think we have a really solid team. Obviously yeah, I want to be out there more, but it's not like it's the end of the world because I know Kennedy, Imani [Lester] and Eliza [Maupin] are going to step up and our guards can play.”
On overall success as a team…
“I think our guards did a really good job of just looking and getting good entry passes. Then I think me, Kennedy and Imani just did a good job of getting good steals for the most part”
On Creighton being able to read the team defensively…
“Oh yeah, we knew they're gonna do that. I think we talked about this in the locker room-- our defense was not good in the second half. My defense was not good in the second half. We knew what they wanted to do and we just have to do a better job of executing and not letting them get what they want.”
K-State Senior Guard Serena Sundell
On breaking out in the third quarter…
“I think it just worked out that way. I had a slow start, but collectively we were hot. I think out of the paint when our posts were doing a good job. The fun part about this team is whoever's hot, you just want to keep giving them the ball, and then when it's your turn, then you're hot, and you pass the torch to someone else. I think our offense is a lot of fun right now, just because we have a lot of different scorers, we can score in different ways.”
On opening up the lane with Ayoka Lee back on the court…
“Yeah, it does. Honestly, Kennedy [Taylor] has done a really great job and she's drawing multiple defenders now. If she's not, then we're obviously giving her the ball and on her go to work. Ayoka [Lee] is just such a different presence out there. She's absolutely drawing every time. When she's out, I think it gives you a little more room to create the offense.”
On maintaining a winning mentality…
“Yeah, like I said earlier, I haven't been too concerned with scoring throughout the first two games. I think our team right now has such a mindset of just wanting to win. That's really where I'm at with this team, I just want to win games. We don't care how we do it. I know I'm gonna have to step up in certain moments. It felt good in the third quarter to see the ball go in the basket a little bit, but it hasn't been something I've been worried about.”
Creighton Junior Guard Kiani Lockett
On Creighton’s performance against K-State…
“They're a good team. When a good team like that gets on a hot start, it's kind of tough to dig yourself out of that hole. I mean, sometimes we came back at the end, but I think that our defense usually helps our offense. So if our defense is bad, it kind of leads to harder offense. So definitely a punch in the mouth, and it kind of sucked, and it just seemed like we never got out of that rut after that. I think it was like 15 to 5 after or before the media time out. So that was tough.”
On the most challenging part about playing K-State…
“I thought they were really attentive, and they're really active and they're long. It definitely gives us a different look than a lot of other teams that we've seen. They're all 6’1, 6’2, so that was an adjustment. And I think, just as they hit a couple shots early, I think we missed our first few looks, which also takes something out of your confidence a little bit.”
Creighton Junior Guard Kennedy Townsend
On her performance against K-State…
“I'm focused on winning games right now, and if that's what it takes for us to win games, I'm all for that. They were really attentive to Morgan [Maly] and Lauren [Jensen] tonight, which, as they should be. And I think, it opens up a few opportunities for Kiani and I and Mal [Mallory Brake] and Maly. So I think part of that is just the way basketball goes. But whatever it takes to get our next win against Nebraska and so, [it] obviously sucks. You like to win, if you want to lose, that's kind of weird. But like [Coach Jim Flanery] said in the locker room, these are all tough opponents. We don't have an easy schedule, like some other teams might have to start. I would rather take one and two against, like you said, conference top teams, but it would be nice to get some wins too.”
UP NEXT
The Wildcats continue its five-game home stand on Monday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m., as K-State hosts Little Rock. For tickets, visit kstatesports.com/tickets or call (800) 221-CATS.