Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, January 25
Manhattan, Kan.
2 p.m.
Kansas State University
8-9,2-4Big 12
92
vs
74
Oklahoma
10-9,3-4Big 12
1
2
3
4
F
Oklahoma
22
19
16
17
74
Kansas St.
27
18
28
19
92
Lee Reaches New Milestone in K-State Win
Jan 25, 2020 | Women's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kansas – With a dynamic third quarter and the first 20-20 game in program history turned in by redshirt freshman Ayoka Lee, Kansas State carded a 92-74 win over Oklahoma in Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday.
Kansas State secured its first three-game winning streak against Oklahoma since winning five straight during the 1988-89 to 1990-91 seasons.
"I'm the rebounding coach, and that surpassed my career rebound numbers," said K-State head coach Jeff Mittie about Lee's rebounding. "I thought our group played very well today. Any coach is proud of their group when they can execute gameplans, stick to it fairly well, stay the course, and we did that."
Lee, a center from Byron, Minnesota, finished the afternoon with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting, a school record-tying 20 rebounds, five blocks and two steals. Lee is the first player in program history with a double-double of 20 or more points and 20 or more rebounds. This was her ninth double-double of the season.
"I think for a center to play well, not necessarily the rebounds, but for a center to play well, it takes everybody to get her the basketball in a timely manner," said Mittie. "I think she would agree with this, that she was able to get the ball in better space today, which is timely.
The Big 12 Freshman of the Year candidate is the fourth player in program history to pull in 20 rebounds in a game and the first since Shalee Lehning on December 6, 2005, against Louisiana Tech.
Leading by just four after a 9-0 run by the Sooners to end the first half, K-State (8-9, 2-4 Big 12) opened the third quarter with a 10-2 run to increase its lead to 55-43 with 7:17 to play in the frame. The Wildcats would build its advantage to 16 on two occasions, including a 73-57 lead entering the fourth frame.
In total, K-State outscored the Sooners, 28-16, in the third quarter and shot 57.9 percent (11-of-19) during the 10-minute segment.
To begin the fourth quarter, the Wildcats increased its lead to 17, 76-59, after a Lee jumper with 8:07 to play. Oklahoma (10-9, 3-4) answered with an 10-1 run to pull within eight, 77-69, with 4:50 left.
K-State sprinted to the finish line with a 15-5 run to close out the game. Lee and Jasauen Beard each tallied four points to aid the Wildcats in closing out the win.
Joining Lee with a double-double was senior forward Peyton Williams with a game-high 24 points with 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. This was the 29th career double-double for Williams and her eighth this season.
Senior guard Angela Harris tied her season-high with 20 points while adding five assists, four rebounds and two steals to her final line.
Beard also reached double figures with 12 points, two steals and a block.
Kansas State shot 48.5 percent (33-of-68) from the field and were a solid 76.9 percent (20-of-26) from the free throw line. This was the second time this season K-State made 20 or more free throws in a game.
Oklahoma was held to a 38.0 percent (27-of-71) effort and were 7-of-25 from 3-point range. The Wildcats outrebounded the Sooners, 49-32, and held a 48-28 advantage in points in the paint.
K-State will remain in the state of Kansas, as the Wildcats travel to Lawrence, Kansas, to face Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Wednesday's game will available on FSN and on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.
What They Said
JEFF MITTIE, HEAD COACH
Opening statement...
"I'm the rebounding coach, and that surpassed my career rebound numbers. I thought our group played obviously very well today. Any coach is proud of their group when they can execute gameplans, stick to it fairly well, stay the course, and we did that. This is a very explosive Oklahoma team, so I don't think any lead is safe. They were down 15 to Oklahoma State with 2:18 left and came back and won that game; they're that explosive. I never felt comfortable with the lead, but I sure liked the look of our group and the way that we were playing."
On how the team closed out the game...
"I think we just stayed aggressive. At that point, they did. They made a good push at us, and that's a great example of us staying aggressive, because we're pushing the ball up the floor. She's got a three from the corner, and they foul her. Obviously knocking the three free throws down is big, but then we had another push in us. I just think our group was engaged. I'll say this though, and they know this because I tell them all the time, we had a really good practice yesterday. We had a really good practice. I walked out of practice going 'That group was mentally locked in.' We had as good of a practice as we'd had. We're disappointed with the way we've started the Big 12, but they're coming into practice and getting better. They're coming in engaged mentally, and yesterday was a great example and they reaped the rewards of doing that today."
On Ayoka Lee's performance…
"I think for a center to play well, not necessarily the rebounds, but for a center to play well, it takes everybody to get her the basketball in a timely manner. I think she would agree with this, that she was able to get the ball in better space today, which is timely. Our offensive rebounds, she goes and gets it when people miss, so a lot of hard work on her part, but it takes everybody to do that and I thought our group was on point with that today and getting that done."
PEYTON WILLIAMS, SENIOR FORWARD
On today's win…
"Like coach said, we tried to maintain good energy through practice. We had a good practice yesterday and talked in the locker room about being the ones to hit first this time. We have to focus on the gameplan and try to execute, because that has been our achilles' heel in a lot of ways is not being able to execute in a timely manner. We came in and we got the job done early, and it allowed us to stay ahead the whole game."
On the offensive gameplan…
"I feel like we had several people going at different parts of the game. Angela (Harris) had a good section when she was hitting shots. I had a good section, and then we got it to (Ayoka Lee) inside. We had a lot of diversity in our offense, which we haven't had sometimes previously in the Big 12. It was easy to kind of allow the offense to happen when everyone is in their rhythm, and that is what started it off for me was trusting each other to hit whatever shot was available to you."
AYOKA LEE, REDSHIRT FRESHMAN CENTER
On today's win…
"One thing that the coaches talk about is when things aren't going well, we don't talk as much or we don't do what we need to do. Today, it was having those realizations. When they go on runs, we need to lock up and do things better."
On the offensive gameplan…
"I think it started with our defense and our intensity on defense really opening up things for us on offense. Everyone did their job, so we were able to get a lot of people going."
SHERRI COALE, HEAD COACH
On her thoughts following the game...
"They just played better than us in all facets of the game."
On Ayoka Lee's performance…
" Well, shes 6' 5", that's where it starts. She does a good job of keepin it high and being strong. She's just a hard matchup."
On their rally falling short in the fourth…
"Well, I believe we fouled a three point shooter in the corner when it was in single digits, and that's how it got back to double digits. That seemed to be a problem for us all night long, fouling. We lost Mandy (Simpson) early in the fourth, and that hurts us a bit offensively. She's a hub of what we do. We gave up second shots. We didn't score, then gave up second shots. That was the story."
Kansas State secured its first three-game winning streak against Oklahoma since winning five straight during the 1988-89 to 1990-91 seasons.
"I'm the rebounding coach, and that surpassed my career rebound numbers," said K-State head coach Jeff Mittie about Lee's rebounding. "I thought our group played very well today. Any coach is proud of their group when they can execute gameplans, stick to it fairly well, stay the course, and we did that."
Lee, a center from Byron, Minnesota, finished the afternoon with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting, a school record-tying 20 rebounds, five blocks and two steals. Lee is the first player in program history with a double-double of 20 or more points and 20 or more rebounds. This was her ninth double-double of the season.
"I think for a center to play well, not necessarily the rebounds, but for a center to play well, it takes everybody to get her the basketball in a timely manner," said Mittie. "I think she would agree with this, that she was able to get the ball in better space today, which is timely.
The Big 12 Freshman of the Year candidate is the fourth player in program history to pull in 20 rebounds in a game and the first since Shalee Lehning on December 6, 2005, against Louisiana Tech.
Leading by just four after a 9-0 run by the Sooners to end the first half, K-State (8-9, 2-4 Big 12) opened the third quarter with a 10-2 run to increase its lead to 55-43 with 7:17 to play in the frame. The Wildcats would build its advantage to 16 on two occasions, including a 73-57 lead entering the fourth frame.
In total, K-State outscored the Sooners, 28-16, in the third quarter and shot 57.9 percent (11-of-19) during the 10-minute segment.
To begin the fourth quarter, the Wildcats increased its lead to 17, 76-59, after a Lee jumper with 8:07 to play. Oklahoma (10-9, 3-4) answered with an 10-1 run to pull within eight, 77-69, with 4:50 left.
K-State sprinted to the finish line with a 15-5 run to close out the game. Lee and Jasauen Beard each tallied four points to aid the Wildcats in closing out the win.
Joining Lee with a double-double was senior forward Peyton Williams with a game-high 24 points with 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. This was the 29th career double-double for Williams and her eighth this season.
Senior guard Angela Harris tied her season-high with 20 points while adding five assists, four rebounds and two steals to her final line.
Beard also reached double figures with 12 points, two steals and a block.
Kansas State shot 48.5 percent (33-of-68) from the field and were a solid 76.9 percent (20-of-26) from the free throw line. This was the second time this season K-State made 20 or more free throws in a game.
Oklahoma was held to a 38.0 percent (27-of-71) effort and were 7-of-25 from 3-point range. The Wildcats outrebounded the Sooners, 49-32, and held a 48-28 advantage in points in the paint.
K-State will remain in the state of Kansas, as the Wildcats travel to Lawrence, Kansas, to face Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Wednesday's game will available on FSN and on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.
What They Said
JEFF MITTIE, HEAD COACH
Opening statement...
"I'm the rebounding coach, and that surpassed my career rebound numbers. I thought our group played obviously very well today. Any coach is proud of their group when they can execute gameplans, stick to it fairly well, stay the course, and we did that. This is a very explosive Oklahoma team, so I don't think any lead is safe. They were down 15 to Oklahoma State with 2:18 left and came back and won that game; they're that explosive. I never felt comfortable with the lead, but I sure liked the look of our group and the way that we were playing."
On how the team closed out the game...
"I think we just stayed aggressive. At that point, they did. They made a good push at us, and that's a great example of us staying aggressive, because we're pushing the ball up the floor. She's got a three from the corner, and they foul her. Obviously knocking the three free throws down is big, but then we had another push in us. I just think our group was engaged. I'll say this though, and they know this because I tell them all the time, we had a really good practice yesterday. We had a really good practice. I walked out of practice going 'That group was mentally locked in.' We had as good of a practice as we'd had. We're disappointed with the way we've started the Big 12, but they're coming into practice and getting better. They're coming in engaged mentally, and yesterday was a great example and they reaped the rewards of doing that today."
On Ayoka Lee's performance…
"I think for a center to play well, not necessarily the rebounds, but for a center to play well, it takes everybody to get her the basketball in a timely manner. I think she would agree with this, that she was able to get the ball in better space today, which is timely. Our offensive rebounds, she goes and gets it when people miss, so a lot of hard work on her part, but it takes everybody to do that and I thought our group was on point with that today and getting that done."
PEYTON WILLIAMS, SENIOR FORWARD
On today's win…
"Like coach said, we tried to maintain good energy through practice. We had a good practice yesterday and talked in the locker room about being the ones to hit first this time. We have to focus on the gameplan and try to execute, because that has been our achilles' heel in a lot of ways is not being able to execute in a timely manner. We came in and we got the job done early, and it allowed us to stay ahead the whole game."
On the offensive gameplan…
"I feel like we had several people going at different parts of the game. Angela (Harris) had a good section when she was hitting shots. I had a good section, and then we got it to (Ayoka Lee) inside. We had a lot of diversity in our offense, which we haven't had sometimes previously in the Big 12. It was easy to kind of allow the offense to happen when everyone is in their rhythm, and that is what started it off for me was trusting each other to hit whatever shot was available to you."
AYOKA LEE, REDSHIRT FRESHMAN CENTER
On today's win…
"One thing that the coaches talk about is when things aren't going well, we don't talk as much or we don't do what we need to do. Today, it was having those realizations. When they go on runs, we need to lock up and do things better."
On the offensive gameplan…
"I think it started with our defense and our intensity on defense really opening up things for us on offense. Everyone did their job, so we were able to get a lot of people going."
SHERRI COALE, HEAD COACH
On her thoughts following the game...
"They just played better than us in all facets of the game."
On Ayoka Lee's performance…
" Well, shes 6' 5", that's where it starts. She does a good job of keepin it high and being strong. She's just a hard matchup."
On their rally falling short in the fourth…
"Well, I believe we fouled a three point shooter in the corner when it was in single digits, and that's how it got back to double digits. That seemed to be a problem for us all night long, fouling. We lost Mandy (Simpson) early in the fourth, and that hurts us a bit offensively. She's a hub of what we do. We gave up second shots. We didn't score, then gave up second shots. That was the story."
Cats Win!
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) January 25, 2020
Williams (24 pts./11 reb.) & Lee (23 pts./20 reb.) post double-doubles, while Harris (20) & Beard (12) also reach double figures in the W! #KStateWBB 92
Oklahoma 74
Final pic.twitter.com/GAjqQlI2uy
2️⃣3️⃣ points.
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) January 25, 2020
2️⃣0️⃣ rebounds.
First 20-20, double-double in K-State Women's Basketball history.
Tied school record for rebounds in a single contest.
👀 Nice game Ayoka Lee (@Yokie50). #KStateWBB pic.twitter.com/TWKdTKAL1Y
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Team Stats
OU
KState
FG%
.380
.485
3FG%
.280
.300
FT%
.765
.769
RB
32
49
TO
15
17
STL
8
11
Game Leaders
Pts
24
FGM
10
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
20
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
5
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
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