SE: K-State WBB Stays Aggressive, Stays Perfect in Season-Opening Win
Nov 30, 2020 | Women's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
One way to learn about a team is how they respond after getting punched in the face.
That punch is usually a metaphor for, you know, adversity.
But there was nothing metaphorical about the smack that gave Ayoka Lee a bloody nose in K-State's season opener against Southern on Sunday afternoon.
With their star center sidelined for most of the first half, K-State found themselves in a back-and-forth battle with the Jaguars, before pulling away in the fourth quarter to grab a 66-51 win at Bramlage Coliseum.
"[Our] players are not in sync with each other, but that's just part of it," Jeff Mittie said. "We have different players that have been in and out like a lot of teams this year, and that's just one of the things that is going to be a challenge."
With respect to the very real punch - a completely unintentional one, by all accounts - she took on Sunday, Lee bounced back nicely in the second half.
The All-Big 12 center scored 15 of her 17 points against Southern in the second half, just missing her first double-double of the season with nine rebounds. Lee also finished with four blocks to lead the Wildcats.
After a breakout freshman season, Lee faced the kind of double teams and extra attention that you would expect from the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
"I think it's definitely something I have to make a quicker adjustment to," Lee said. "Keeping the ball high is a big thing…Also just finding gaps, especially in the zone, was probably something I struggled with and we struggled with a little bit."
Even with a bloody nose, Lee improved on her scoring average from a season ago and began the second half with nine-straight points to get the Wildcats going.
K-State needed the spark, because how the Wildcats responded to the more figurative punch thrown on Sunday was the bigger story for their head coach.
At halftime, K-State led Southern by just one point.
Mittie stressed the need for improved ball movement this season, after the Wildcats settled for too many contested shots against Southern.
"That's been our biggest struggle," he said. "As the game went on, we were a little bit better, but we are still late moving to the ball and late on seeing things."
This K-State team is loaded at guard, with Texas Tech transfer Sydney Goodson, Christianna Carr, Emilee Ebert, Jada Moore and Cymone Goodrich all part of the rotation.
Mittie said it was the first time in 30 years of coaching that he's played so many point guards.
It speaks volumes about K-State's depth at the position, but it also comes at a cost: If the Wildcats aren't moving the basketball with all those guards, the open shots just aren't going to be there.
K-State hit only five outside shots in the first half against the Jaguars, with four of them coming from Carr. The junior helped power the offense with 11 early points on Sunday.
"I just told the team that we need to keep being aggressive. We can't just take breaks when Yokie is off the court," Carr said. "That was kind of my mindset and what I was communicating to the team, as well, just be aggressive, keep running the court and beating them up the floor and we'll make up for those points until she gets back in."
That's where a player like Emilee Ebert was so important to the Wildcats.
Ebert made her first career start against Southern and the sophomore seemed to grow into the game – she played a career-high 25 minutes in the season opener.
"I thought she had a fantastic second half. Really used her size well and kept them in front, and then has the athletic ability to get up the floor quickly," Mittie said. "We had a significant amount of players who played 10 or more minutes without a board, and she was one of them. But she made the correction, and really played well in the second half."
Even with the Wildcats struggling on the glass, Ebert came up with four blocks and a steal-and-score to help K-State pull away from the Jaguars.
The final score won't count against them on a tournament resume – ESPN had the Wildcats as a 10-seed in their latest Bracketology – but the win against Southern will have plenty to offer in film study this week.
And K-State's biggest test of the non-conference schedule is almost here. On Thursday, the Wildcats will take on No. 11 Kentucky and 2020-21 Preseason Associated Press All-American Rhyne Howard.
"You're going to have to make shots against a quality team like Kentucky," Mittie said. "You have to be able to score with them."
One way to learn about a team is how they respond after getting punched in the face.
That punch is usually a metaphor for, you know, adversity.
But there was nothing metaphorical about the smack that gave Ayoka Lee a bloody nose in K-State's season opener against Southern on Sunday afternoon.
With their star center sidelined for most of the first half, K-State found themselves in a back-and-forth battle with the Jaguars, before pulling away in the fourth quarter to grab a 66-51 win at Bramlage Coliseum.
👏👏 for the 'Cats#KStateWBB x Honor The Journey pic.twitter.com/hntaqVvBpR
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) November 29, 2020
"[Our] players are not in sync with each other, but that's just part of it," Jeff Mittie said. "We have different players that have been in and out like a lot of teams this year, and that's just one of the things that is going to be a challenge."
With respect to the very real punch - a completely unintentional one, by all accounts - she took on Sunday, Lee bounced back nicely in the second half.
The All-Big 12 center scored 15 of her 17 points against Southern in the second half, just missing her first double-double of the season with nine rebounds. Lee also finished with four blocks to lead the Wildcats.
Find the big kid #KStateWBB x @Yokie50 pic.twitter.com/OHfmo5e8bm
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) November 29, 2020
After a breakout freshman season, Lee faced the kind of double teams and extra attention that you would expect from the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
"I think it's definitely something I have to make a quicker adjustment to," Lee said. "Keeping the ball high is a big thing…Also just finding gaps, especially in the zone, was probably something I struggled with and we struggled with a little bit."
Even with a bloody nose, Lee improved on her scoring average from a season ago and began the second half with nine-straight points to get the Wildcats going.
K-State needed the spark, because how the Wildcats responded to the more figurative punch thrown on Sunday was the bigger story for their head coach.
At halftime, K-State led Southern by just one point.
Mittie stressed the need for improved ball movement this season, after the Wildcats settled for too many contested shots against Southern.
"That's been our biggest struggle," he said. "As the game went on, we were a little bit better, but we are still late moving to the ball and late on seeing things."
This K-State team is loaded at guard, with Texas Tech transfer Sydney Goodson, Christianna Carr, Emilee Ebert, Jada Moore and Cymone Goodrich all part of the rotation.
Smooth & Sweet ... first of many 🏀 for Jada Moore. #KStateWBB x Honor the Journey pic.twitter.com/FGZ3rJl17N
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) November 29, 2020
Mittie said it was the first time in 30 years of coaching that he's played so many point guards.
It speaks volumes about K-State's depth at the position, but it also comes at a cost: If the Wildcats aren't moving the basketball with all those guards, the open shots just aren't going to be there.
K-State hit only five outside shots in the first half against the Jaguars, with four of them coming from Carr. The junior helped power the offense with 11 early points on Sunday.
"I just told the team that we need to keep being aggressive. We can't just take breaks when Yokie is off the court," Carr said. "That was kind of my mindset and what I was communicating to the team, as well, just be aggressive, keep running the court and beating them up the floor and we'll make up for those points until she gets back in."
That's where a player like Emilee Ebert was so important to the Wildcats.
Ebert made her first career start against Southern and the sophomore seemed to grow into the game – she played a career-high 25 minutes in the season opener.
"I thought she had a fantastic second half. Really used her size well and kept them in front, and then has the athletic ability to get up the floor quickly," Mittie said. "We had a significant amount of players who played 10 or more minutes without a board, and she was one of them. But she made the correction, and really played well in the second half."
Even with the Wildcats struggling on the glass, Ebert came up with four blocks and a steal-and-score to help K-State pull away from the Jaguars.
The final score won't count against them on a tournament resume – ESPN had the Wildcats as a 10-seed in their latest Bracketology – but the win against Southern will have plenty to offer in film study this week.
And K-State's biggest test of the non-conference schedule is almost here. On Thursday, the Wildcats will take on No. 11 Kentucky and 2020-21 Preseason Associated Press All-American Rhyne Howard.
"You're going to have to make shots against a quality team like Kentucky," Mittie said. "You have to be able to score with them."
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