K-State Travels to (1/1) South Carolina for Big 12/SEC Challenge

GAME #9 | 2021 Big 12/SEC Challenge
Kansas State (7-1, 0-0 Big 12) at (1/1) South Carolina (8-0, 0-0 SEC)
Friday, December 1, 2021 | 6 p.m. (CT) | Colonial Life Arena | Columbia, S.C.

TELEVISION
SEC Network Plus
Play-by-Play: Brett Ball
Analyst: Dave Weinstein

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Online: kstatesports.com
Play-by-Play: Brian Smoller
Analyst: Randy Peterson

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com

COACHES
Kansas State: Jeff Mittie (Missouri Western '89)
Overall: 586-333/30th season | At K-State: 132-98/8th season

South Carolina: Dawn Staley (Virginia '92)
Overall: 511-183/22nd season | At South Carolina: 339-103/14th season

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (based on previous game)
Kansas State (7-1, 0-0 Big 12)
G: #3 Jaelyn Glenn | G: #4 Serena Sundell | G: #5 Brylee Glenn | G: #24 Emilee Ebert | C: #50 Ayoka Lee

(1/1) South Carolina (8-0, 0-0 SEC)
G: #1 Zia Cooke | G: #3 Destanni Henderson | F: #4 Aliyah Boston | F: #5 Victaria Saxton | G: #12 Brea Beal

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Series tied, 2-2
In Columbia: 0-1
Last Meeting: March 20, 2016; South Carolina won 73-47 (2016 NCAA Tournament Second Round)
Head Coach Jeff Mittie vs. South Carolina: 0-1
• The Wildcats are 71-66 all-time against current members of the SEC.

MANHATTAN, Kansas - K-State will play its second top-5 opponent in five games, as the Wildcats travel to Columbia, South Carolina, to face top-ranked South Carolina in the 2021 Big 12/SEC Challenge on Friday at 6 p.m. (CT).

• Friday's game can be seen live on SEC Network Plus, as Brett Ball (play-by-play) and Dave Weinstein (analyst) will have the call.
• K-State has been led this season by junior Ayoka Lee and freshman Serena Sundell. Lee, a center from Byron, Minnesota, is second in the nation for total points scored (195) and is third in the nation in scoring average (24.4 ppg). She also leads the nation in field goals made (82) and blocked shots (33) and is second in total rebounds (93) and ninth in rebounds per game (11.6 rpg).
• Sundell is second on the team in scoring (10.4 ppg) and is second in the Big 12 in total assists (36) and is third in assists per game (4.6).

Starting 5
Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women's basketball
1. Wildcats with Rare Non-Con Meeting with AP #1
• When K-State tips off Friday's game in Columbia, it will be the Wildcats' first out-of-conference non-con matchup with an Associated Press top-ranked team since Dec. 11, 2016, when K-State hosted UConn. K-State has played five games against AP number one teams from outside the Big 12/Big Eight Conference.
2. Lee Doubles the Fun
• Ayoka Lee has tied her own school record with an active streak of six straight double-doubles. Lee originally set the school record for consecutive double-doubles with six in the 2019-20 season. During the last six games, Lee is averaging 23.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks.
3. Lee with 20-10-4 Stat Line
• Junior center and 2022 All-America candidate, Ayoka Lee, is the only player in the nation to average 20+ points, 10+ rebounds and 4+ blocks this season. Lee has two games this season with at least a 20 and 10 double-double with four or more blocks including her latest double-double of 22 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks against North Dakota State on Nov. 29.
4. The D is the Key
• K-State has held its opponents to 49.9 points per game, a .310 field goal percentage and a .195 three-point field goal percentage. The Wildcats rank 16th in the nation in scoring defense, 11th in the nation in field goal percentage defense and 10th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage defense.
5. Brushing Up in the Paint
• The Wildcats are averaging 40.0 points in the paint this season (320 total points). The Wildcats have scored 40 or more points in the lane in five games, including a high of 56 against Central Arkansas on Nov. 9. K-State has doubled its opponent output in the paint this season, 320-160.

Number to Know
158

• Through eight games this season, K-State has 158 assists this season (19.8 apg). The Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 and 10th in the nation in assists per game and are third in the nation for total assists
• All 10 Wildcats that have seen the floor this season have registered at least two assists with seven dishing out 10 or more.
• Of the 10 active Wildcats, eight have a positive assist-turnover ratio aiding K-State to a 1.65 ratio, which leads the Big 12 and ranks second in the nation.

At a Glance: South Carolina
• (1/1) South Carolina enters Friday's Big 12/SEC Challenge game with an unblemished 8-0 record, following a 79-42 win over DNorth Carolina A&T on November 29.
• On the sideline, the Gamecocks are led by 14th-year head coach Dawn Staley. The 1992 graduate of Virginia owns a record of 339-103 (.767) during her time in Columbia and has guided South Carolina to the 2017 NCAA National Championship and three NCAA Final Four appearances in the last six tournaments. During the summer of 2021, Staley guided the U.S. Women's National Team to a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• On the floor, South Carolina returned all five starters from the 2020-21 season and features three players averaging double figures led by junior center Aliyah Boston with 16.3 per game. Boston is shooting 60.9 percent from the field, including 33.3 percent from 3 and 82.4 percent from the free throw line. Against North Carolina A&T, Boston registered a perfect night as she scored 29 points on 13-of-13 shooting with 14 rebounds, three blocks and two steals in just 21 minutes.
• Joining Boston in double figures is junior guard Zia Cooke with 12.5 points per game, bolstered by a 43.6 percent effort from the field, and senior Destanni Henderson with 12.3 points per game including a 48.6 percent shooting effort which is boosted by a 50.0 percent (14-of-28) from 3-point range.

Last Time Out
at K-State 78, North Dakota State 57 (Nov. 29, 2021; Manhattan)
• K-State locked down the Bison in the first quarter, 16-5, and held back an NDSU run in the fourth quarter.
• The Wildcats were a season-high 22-of-25 (.880) from the free throw line and scored 24 points off 18 NDSU turnovers.
• K-State had three players in double figures and were led by Ayoka Lee with 22 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks, Brylee Glenn with 15 points, Emilee Ebert with 10 points three rebounds and three assists.

K-State Among Top-20 in NCAA History for Wins
• K-State women's basketball is in its 54th season of action and ranks among the top programs in NCAA history for all-time wins.
• K-State's all-time record stands at 985-627 (.611) and the Wildcats entered the 2021-22 season ranked 19th in NCAA Division I women's basketball history for program wins. The Wildcats are the 19th program in NCAA Division I history to reach 975 or more wins as a program and the third among the Big 12 (Texas, Baylor). K-State is averaging 18.6 wins per season.
• The Wildcats have accumulated 25 20-win seasons and have secured 358 victories inside Bramlage Coliseum.
• K-State has 205 wins in the Big 12 Conference.
• Kansas State has registered 220 victories when they were ranked in the Associated Press top-25 poll and achieved 83 wins against teams ranked in the AP poll.

Wildcats on the Road
• K-State has a 281-304 (.480) record in road games during the program's 54-year history.
• Since the 2000-01 season, K-State owns an 121-124 (.494) mark in road contests. K-State is 15-17 (.469) in the last four seasons in road games.
• In his career in games played on the road, head coach Jeff Mittie is 157-183 (.462) including a 32-46 (.410) mark during his time at K-State.

K-State Against Ranked Opponents
• The Wildcats are 83-223 (.271) against teams ranked in the Associated Press (AP) poll including a 52-65 (.444) mark against AP ranked teams in Manhattan.
• K-State is 11-47 (.190) against AP ranked opponents in head coach Jeff Mittie's eight seasons in Manhattan.
• In the 2020-21 seaosn, the Wildcats ended an eight-game losing streak against AP ranked opponents with a 62-53 win over South Dakota State on December 10, 2020. This was K-State's first win against a ranked non-conference opponent since defeating Drake on March 18, 2017, in the NCAA Tournament.

K-State's 12th Month Record
• In the 54th year of women's basketball at K-State, the Wildcats own a record of 230-100 (.697) in the month of December.
• Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 29-15 (.659) in the month of December.
• K-State has had a .500 or better record in the month of December 46 times in its history, including a current streak of 26 consecutive seasons.

Cats Cash in at the Charity Stripe
• Kansas State continues to earn trips to the free throw line, which is a trend during head coach Jeff Mittie's time at K-State.
• To open the 2021-22 season, K-State is shooting 102-of-141 (.723) from the foul line. K-State is receiving 16.8 percent of its point total from the charity stripe.
• K-State made a season-high 22 free throws and converted at an 88.0 percent clip against North Dakota State on Nov. 29.
• In the 2020-21 season, the Wildcats were 326-of-443 (.736) from the line. K-State received 19.2 percent of its points from the foul line this season. K-State ranked fifth in the Big 12 in free throw percentage.
• K-State's free throw percentage last season ranked second in school history and the highest since the 2009-10 season.
• In Big 12 action, K-State ranked third in the Big 12 for free throw percentage at .768 (228-of-297).
• K-State averaged 16.4 trips to the foul line in the 2020-21 season and are converting 12.1 per game.
• The Wildcats recorded a season-high 29 made free throws against TCU on March 1. The 29 made free throws were the most in the Mittie era and the highest number of made free throws since January 13, 1990, when K-State made 31 against Colorado.
• K-State registered a season-high 34 free throw attempts against TCU on March 1. The 34 free throw attempts were the most since February 27, 2019, against West Virginia when the Wildcats attempted 34 free throws.
• K-State was perfect from the line twice last season: 8-of-8 from the free throw line at West Virginia on January 20 and 10-of-10 against Texas Tech on March 11.

K-State Attacking the Paint
• The Wildcats have found buckets in the paint this season and are converting at a high rate.
• This season, K-State has scored 320 points in the paint which represents 52.8 percent of their overall point total. The Wildcats have recorded 40 or more points in the paint in five games.
• K-State was aggressive in its efforts to score in the lane in the season-opening against Central Arkansas. The Wildcats recorded 56 points in the paint, which marked the highest single-game total since Nov. 14, 2016, against Tulsa, when K-State poured in 60 points in the paint.
• The Wildcats used its height advantage to its benefit in the lane in the 2020-21 season, as they outscored opponents 768-708 in the lane or 45.1 percent of its overall points. The Wildcats averaged 28.4 points per game in the paint. K-State had the edge in the lane in 16 games last season.
• K-State's 45.1 percent of its overall point total marks the fourth time in the seven seasons under head coach Jeff Mittie that K-State has carded at least 45.0 percent or better of its overall point total from inside the lane including a high of 49.5 percent in the 2019-20 season.
• Under head coach Mittie, Kansas State has scored 900 or more points in the paint in six straight seasons including a high of 1,064 points (31.3 ppg) during the 2016-17 season.

Nobody Does It Like Ayoka Lee
• Ayoka Lee is quickly climbing the K-State career scoring list and has opened the 2021-22 season on a scoring tear.
• In her career, Lee has scored 1,129 points in 62 career games (18.2 ppg). Her career scoring average of 18.2 ranks tied for second in school history. She was the 44th player in school history with 1,000 or more career points and ranks 30th on the K-State career scoring list.
• This season, Lee is averaging 24.4 points per game which ranks third in the nation. Lee is second in the nation in total points scored (195). Lee is one of four players in the nation to average 20.0+ points and 10.0+ rebounds.
• In the opening four games of the season, Lee set the school record for points in any four-game span in school history with 117. Lee was the first player in NCAA Division I to score 100 points, reaching the mark in four games.
• Against Central Arkansas on November 9, Lee scored a career-high and school record 43 points on 17-of-25 shooting from the field and 9-of-12 from the free throw line to go with nine rebounds, four blocks, three assists and three steals. According to HerHoopStats.com, no player since at least 2009-10 has recorded a single-game stat line like Lee achieved in the season-opener.
• Her 43 points tied for the 11th highest single-game total in Big 12 history.
• Lee has two additional 30-point efforts this season and has tied the school record for career games with 30 or more points in a game with six.
• During the 2020-21 season, Lee averaged a career-best 19.1 points per game while scoring a career-high 478 points. She ranked seventh in the Big 12 and 41st in the nation in scoring.
• According to HerHoopStats.com, Lee led the Big 12 and ranked third in the nation in PER (39.9). PER measures a player's value based on their box score stats.

K-State Travels to (1/1) South Carolina for Big 12/SEC Challenge

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Players Mentioned

Emilee Ebert

Brylee Glenn

Jaelyn Glenn

Ayoka Lee

Serena Sundell

Kansas State University Athletics