Kansas State University Athletics
Sunday, January 23
Manhattan, Kan.
1 p.m.
Kansas State University
15-4,5-2Big 12
94
vs
65
Oklahoma
16-3,5-2Big 12
1
2
3
4
F
Oklahoma
11
16
24
14
65
Kansas St.
19
32
19
24
94
Lee Breaks NCAA Record as K-State Upsets 14th-Ranked Oklahoma
Jan 23, 2022 | Women's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kansas – K-State junior Ayoka Lee added a pile of records to her career resume on Sunday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum, as the 2022 All-America candidate set the NCAA Division I record for points in a single game by scoring 61 in K-State's wire-to-wire upset of 14th-ranked Oklahoma, 94-65. K-State has won five of the last seven meetings in the series with the Sooners.
Lee tallied her 13th double-double of the season with 61 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and a steal in 35 minutes of action. Lee recorded her 61 points on 23-of-30 shooting and a 15-of-17 effort from the free throw line.
Lee's 61 points surpassed the NCAA Division I record of 60 held by Cindy Brown of Long Beach State in the 1986-87 season and Rachel Banham of Minnesota in the 2015-16 season. The 61 points also surpassed the previous Big 12 record of 50 held by Brittney Griner during the 2012-13 season and broke the school record of 43, which Lee established this season in the opener against Central Arkansas.
Lee didn't enter Sunday's game with a record on her mind.
"Coming into this game, I wasn't like, and I don't think anyone is like, 'oh yeah, we're just going to set a record today.' But I think it just goes back to our preparation. This wasn't an easy scout. You knew it wasn't going to be easy but we just executed so well, and it started with our defense."
The product of Byron, Minnesota, got off to a hot start on Sunday, as she set the school records for points in a half (32; first half) and points in a quarter (20; second quarter). Lee is the first player in school history to score 30 or more points in a half.
K-State head coach Jeff Mittie was pleased with how Lee was able to concentrate on both ends of the floor while having her record-setting day.
"I think it says a lot about the type of player that she is when she is trying to take charge in a 20-point game late in the game, and still doing the right things defensively and talking and not taking plays off. This is a complete player. We focus sometimes on the offensive end, but she was tasked with defending guards today at the three-point line. Ayoka is the same person good, bad, everyday."
Lee also set the school record for points in a conference game, field goals made in a game (23) and field goals made in a half (12; first half). She tied the school record for free throws made in a conference game and tied for second in program history for free throws made in a game (15).
When asked about Lee's performance and if she had ever seen anything like that, Oklahoma head coach Jennie Baranczyk ran out of words.
"Well, obviously, she just set an NCAA record. So from that standpoint, no. I don't know, maybe I need another word. What's another word for incredible? Outstanding, amazing, spectacular, All American? Yes, all of those things. She was great."
K-State (15-4, 5-2 Big 12) opened Sunday's game with a 15-0 run, as Lee tallied 12 of the 15 points and forced a Sooner timeout with 5:44 remaining in the first quarter. Defensively, the Wildcats held Oklahoma to 0-of-5 shooting and three turnovers in the opening four-plus minutes.
The Wildcats would end the first quarter with a 19-11 lead, as Lee scored 14 in the opening quarter. K-State limited the Sooners to 23.1 percent (3-of-13) from the field and carded a 43.8 percent (7-of-16) effort of their own.
K-State began the second quarter with a 9-2 run to increase its lead to 28-13 with 7:47 remaining. Lee opened the second with six straight points. Jaelyn Glenn buried her second 3-pointer of the afternoon to force Oklahoma to call its second timeout of the first half.
Glenn finished the afternoon with a diverse stat line of eight points, a career-high 11 rebounds, seven assists and tied her career-high with five steals.
After the Oklahoma (16-3, 5-2) timeout, K-State continued to roll offensively as they would finish the second quarter by outscoring the Sooners, 32-16, and hold a 51-27 halftime lead. Lee outscored the Sooners on her own, 32-27, in the half. K-State would shoot 68.8 percent (11-of-16) from the field in the second quarter.
Lee increased K-State's lead early in the third quarter to 25, 57-32, with 7:40 remaining. Oklahoma would cut K-State's lead to 15, 64-49, with 2:28 remaining in the third quarter on a Kennady Tucker three-pointer.
Lee would break the K-State scoring record and surpass her own career-high with on a layup with 1:55 to play in the third quarter. The basket was the start of a 6-0 run by Lee to rebuild K-State's lead to 21, 70-49, with 43 seconds left.
In the fourth quarter, Lee tallied 12 points as the Wildcats would outscore the Sooners, 24-14, in the final stanza. Lee would break the NCAA record on a layup with 2:53 left in the game and brought the crowd of 4,347 fans to its feet for an extended ovation as she was subbed out shortly after.
Joining Lee in double figures was freshman guard Serena Sundell with 11 points, eight assists with zero turnovers, five rebounds and a steal.
With Lee's 61 points and Sundell's 11, the duo set the school record for combined points by a K-State duo in a single game with 72 points. When including Jaelyn Glenn's eight points, the trio established a new school record for points by three K-State players in the same game with 80.
Defensively, K-State held the top scoring offense in the nation to its lowest point total of the season with 65. The Wildcats outrebounded the Sooners, 44-26, and forced Oklahoma into 17 turnovers which included 12 steals.
As a team, K-State dished out a season-high 28 assists which were the most by a K-State team since Dec. 3, 2019, when the Wildcats handed out 30 assists against UIW.
K-State will make a midweek stop in Austin, Texas, as the Wildcats face (15/14) Texas on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Wednesday's game will be available on Longhorn Network. The game will also be available on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com and for free on the K-State Sports app.
WHAT THEY SAID
JEFF MITTIE, K-STATE HEAD COACH
Opening Statement...
"Good game. I'm proud of our group. I thought defensively we were really good. I think it started for us on a team standpoint on the defensive end. From an offensive standpoint, I think scoring obviously was able to slow them down and we felt like if we scored the ball. I thought Jaelyn (Glenn) was awesome at setting the tone and picking the point guard up and slowing that down a little bit. We wanted to at least get a little bit of traffic in front of them so they couldn't advance the ball with the pass. We hoped that would buy Lee some time to get back and get set. I thought Jae was awesome all day. She got a little fatigued, but she should have been fatigued. She was working hard to do her job and she was really good at it."
On the offensive opportunities against OU...
"Well we felt like they were gonna have to guard us too. And we felt like the minutes Ayoka (Lee) was on the floor needed to be significant for us. What I mean by that is that the pace of this game concerned us greatly and that knowing we'd have to rest a little bit more knowing there may not be a 37-38 minute game by her (Ayoka), but I think a couple things occurred. One, we were able to make some huge runs so there were more stoppages than normal so we were able to gain some rest. Coming in I was really concerned with the prep, I didn't want to overwhelm them because I felt like transition defense from that standpoint is a very simple prep. But if they over thought it too much, if Ayoka got caught up in I'm having to guard flares. She was actually the one yesterday that said yesterday, 'I want to switch 1-5'. if you promise me you will not reach. Then, I made her confess on the floor that she would not reach, and you saw how well she played defensively out there. So there were a lot of concerns coming into this game. We went really short yesterday. I was concerned whether they'd have their legs today and that they really were energetic because the way OU plays is a pace we don't play a whole lot so I thought our group responded well."
On keeping the foot on the gas with a big lead...
"I would say no. One of the things we certainly have learned is that if you take the foot off the gas any team can come back. You're playing the second leading scoring team in the nation and one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the nation. So when you sit here and look at whatever the lead was, let's say its 20. If they bang three straight threes, now you're in an 11-point game with three and a half to go. So no we wanted the keep the foot on the gas. We wanted to keep feeding her (Lee). The only time I thought about taking her out was when it got down to the two and a half mark. I was not aware of the record. I did not look at the scoreboard all day to see how many points she had. I knew she had 32 at half and was scoring it well in the second half. The first time I looked up, she had 58. But no, my focus was on keeping our team, keeping our foot on the gas, playing well, digging deep, playing defense, and I thought our group did that most of the day."
On the defensive performance...
"I thought our switches were pretty solid. I thought our communication was decent. I think our communication was better than decent. It was good. I'm always wanting more. I had mentioned numerous times. I thought Jae (Glenn) really set the tone really well defensively, and then look at her rebounds. She was flying around with 11 rebounds today. We knew this was gonna be a game we were gonna have to gang rebound better. Long threes, long shots, quick pace. The rebounding margin was significant for us. So there were just a lot of really good things going on out there today, but I thought our group played well all day on both ends."
On Lee's performance...
"Well, I think it says a lot about the type of player that she is when she is trying to take charge in a 20-point game late in the game, and still doing the right things defensively and talking and not taking plays off. This is a complete player. We focus sometimes on the offensive end, but she was tasked with defending guards today at the three point line. Ayoka is the same person good, bad, everyday. I think that's one of the things this team has been really good about, not just her, but I've really enjoyed coaching this team and that they're pretty consistent coming in. They are just good people who work hard. They want to play well. They are coming closer as a team, but I think Ayoka sets the standard for that as a veteran, and I was really proud of her in the KU game when things weren't going well for us. You could tell in the huddle there was good conversation going on and good listening going on. That was the one thing I felt good about rewatching film. I'm watching us slide and watching us not do things right, but our connection never wavered. Ayoka is the leader of that. She is a quiet leader, it's not in her nature to want to lead, but there's so much more to her than the 61 points and the 12 rebounds, but I sure like that part. I like that part as well. To Jaelyn's (Glenn) point though, when you have a player that plays the same way when things aren't going well, then it's not the emotional highs and lows, and I think that's one of the things that our team has gotten better at, and not having those highs and lows. We are excited that we got a good win today. It's a big win for us, it's a big win to play well, but we will get back to work Tuesday, and I think we will have a good practice."
AYOKA LEE, JUNIOR CENTER
On the NCAA record for points in a game...
"Yeah it's crazy. Coming into this game, I wasn't like, and I don't think anyone is like, oh yeah, we're just going to set a record today. But I think it just goes back to our preparation. This wasn't an easy scout. You knew it wasn't going to be easy but we just executed so well, and it started with our defense."
On her mentality as the game went on...
"I don't know if my mindset really ever changed. I think in my mind in the fourth quarter it was like, 'Okay keep playing low, keep getting in position'. I knew a little bit more about how they were playing and was just listening to my guards. If there is extra help where do I have kick outs?"
On the crowd...
"I think it was a great crowd especially for a Sunday game. And the Chiefs are in the playoffs or whatever. So yeah, very thankful for it. It was great. Just these past couple games coming in and seeing the crowds we've had has been awesome and I hope it continues to grow."
JAELYN GLENN, FRESHMAN GUARD
On the chemistry and timing to get the ball to Lee...
"Yeah, getting the ball inside is always kind of a goal for us because Yoki (Ayoka Lee) is just super talented. So just turning the ball to the side that Yoki (Ayoka Lee) is on and just getting it and knowing that she is scoring well, so we have to get it in there. And just continuously doing that as a team and making those extra passes."
On how dangerous the team is when they're hitting three pointers...
"Yeah definitely very, very dangerous when our outside shots are falling because when they bring in two, three people and just crowd Yoki (Ayoka Lee) and she can make the kick out and we can knock those shots down. And that's really hard to guard for any team, and yes that makes us very dangerous."
On defending the Oklahoma guards...
"Coming into this game we knew that they were a transition team. That's what coach had told us. They're the highest percentage for transition offense. So just stopping the ball as soon as possible was our best bet, get them into running offense. And yeah, hard switches, making sure that we can guard the three, guard the slip, even though they got some on us that's fine. Just stopping the ball quickly and then switching hard is our main thing."
On being a part of Lee setting the record...
"When she was shooting her last couple of free throws before she went out, me and Serena (Sundell) were just like, 'Wow, she's really good'. That's actually crazy because you kind of get, not used to it, but that's the only thing I can think of. You play with her for so long that you understand that's just what she does. Then you sit back on it and she's just good."
JENNIE BARANCZYK, OKLAHOMA HEAD COACH
Opening Statement...
"Don't ask me about our defensive game plan, clearly. Honestly, you never want to be on this side of an NCAA record, but I thought she (Lee) was phenomenal. I thought Ayoka Lee was absolutely phenomenal. Clearly we didn't have an answer, and I thought they all played really well. I mean, they played right to her and we needed to respond and we just didn't respond. And at the same time, we're gonna focus on continuing to get better. We've got too. So that's about where we're at."
On the atmosphere at Bramlage Coliseum today...
"I remember the first time I came here, it was an exhibition game, and there were over 6000 people, and we walked out and the coaches were like, 'Where are all the people?' I'm like, they're right there, there, there, there. They're everywhere. So, from that standpoint, you know this place is a great place for women's basketball in terms of supporting women's basketball, and they've had phenomenal players and I was lucky enough to watch Shalee Lehning, Kendra Wecker her senior year. I mean, I've seen her in a game, pretty darn similar. She wasn't back to the basket taller than everybody but at the same time, pretty, darn good player and when you're putting her in these conversations that's pretty darn special."
On if she's seen a performance like Lee's...
"Well, obviously, she just set an NCAA record. So from that standpoint, no. I don't know, maybe I need another word. What's another word for incredible? Outstanding, amazing, spectacular, All American? Yes, all of those things. She was great."
On not being able to get the offense going early...
"Yeah, it kind of felt like that from the get go. I think even the very first possession she (Lee) scores and we come down and it looks like we're going to and then we don't, and then we obviously didn't for a while. So for us, we want to be able to get that going and I thought one, I think we missed some shots that we typically make and two, you've got to credit the defense when that happens. So was it crushing? I don't know if anything was crushing. I think we just kept focusing on trying to get better, but yeah, hard when you don't have an answer. Definitely hard when you don't have an answer."
Lee tallied her 13th double-double of the season with 61 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and a steal in 35 minutes of action. Lee recorded her 61 points on 23-of-30 shooting and a 15-of-17 effort from the free throw line.
Lee's 61 points surpassed the NCAA Division I record of 60 held by Cindy Brown of Long Beach State in the 1986-87 season and Rachel Banham of Minnesota in the 2015-16 season. The 61 points also surpassed the previous Big 12 record of 50 held by Brittney Griner during the 2012-13 season and broke the school record of 43, which Lee established this season in the opener against Central Arkansas.
Lee didn't enter Sunday's game with a record on her mind.
"Coming into this game, I wasn't like, and I don't think anyone is like, 'oh yeah, we're just going to set a record today.' But I think it just goes back to our preparation. This wasn't an easy scout. You knew it wasn't going to be easy but we just executed so well, and it started with our defense."
The product of Byron, Minnesota, got off to a hot start on Sunday, as she set the school records for points in a half (32; first half) and points in a quarter (20; second quarter). Lee is the first player in school history to score 30 or more points in a half.
K-State head coach Jeff Mittie was pleased with how Lee was able to concentrate on both ends of the floor while having her record-setting day.
"I think it says a lot about the type of player that she is when she is trying to take charge in a 20-point game late in the game, and still doing the right things defensively and talking and not taking plays off. This is a complete player. We focus sometimes on the offensive end, but she was tasked with defending guards today at the three-point line. Ayoka is the same person good, bad, everyday."
Lee also set the school record for points in a conference game, field goals made in a game (23) and field goals made in a half (12; first half). She tied the school record for free throws made in a conference game and tied for second in program history for free throws made in a game (15).
When asked about Lee's performance and if she had ever seen anything like that, Oklahoma head coach Jennie Baranczyk ran out of words.
"Well, obviously, she just set an NCAA record. So from that standpoint, no. I don't know, maybe I need another word. What's another word for incredible? Outstanding, amazing, spectacular, All American? Yes, all of those things. She was great."
K-State (15-4, 5-2 Big 12) opened Sunday's game with a 15-0 run, as Lee tallied 12 of the 15 points and forced a Sooner timeout with 5:44 remaining in the first quarter. Defensively, the Wildcats held Oklahoma to 0-of-5 shooting and three turnovers in the opening four-plus minutes.
The Wildcats would end the first quarter with a 19-11 lead, as Lee scored 14 in the opening quarter. K-State limited the Sooners to 23.1 percent (3-of-13) from the field and carded a 43.8 percent (7-of-16) effort of their own.
K-State began the second quarter with a 9-2 run to increase its lead to 28-13 with 7:47 remaining. Lee opened the second with six straight points. Jaelyn Glenn buried her second 3-pointer of the afternoon to force Oklahoma to call its second timeout of the first half.
Glenn finished the afternoon with a diverse stat line of eight points, a career-high 11 rebounds, seven assists and tied her career-high with five steals.
After the Oklahoma (16-3, 5-2) timeout, K-State continued to roll offensively as they would finish the second quarter by outscoring the Sooners, 32-16, and hold a 51-27 halftime lead. Lee outscored the Sooners on her own, 32-27, in the half. K-State would shoot 68.8 percent (11-of-16) from the field in the second quarter.
Lee increased K-State's lead early in the third quarter to 25, 57-32, with 7:40 remaining. Oklahoma would cut K-State's lead to 15, 64-49, with 2:28 remaining in the third quarter on a Kennady Tucker three-pointer.
Lee would break the K-State scoring record and surpass her own career-high with on a layup with 1:55 to play in the third quarter. The basket was the start of a 6-0 run by Lee to rebuild K-State's lead to 21, 70-49, with 43 seconds left.
In the fourth quarter, Lee tallied 12 points as the Wildcats would outscore the Sooners, 24-14, in the final stanza. Lee would break the NCAA record on a layup with 2:53 left in the game and brought the crowd of 4,347 fans to its feet for an extended ovation as she was subbed out shortly after.
Joining Lee in double figures was freshman guard Serena Sundell with 11 points, eight assists with zero turnovers, five rebounds and a steal.
With Lee's 61 points and Sundell's 11, the duo set the school record for combined points by a K-State duo in a single game with 72 points. When including Jaelyn Glenn's eight points, the trio established a new school record for points by three K-State players in the same game with 80.
Defensively, K-State held the top scoring offense in the nation to its lowest point total of the season with 65. The Wildcats outrebounded the Sooners, 44-26, and forced Oklahoma into 17 turnovers which included 12 steals.
As a team, K-State dished out a season-high 28 assists which were the most by a K-State team since Dec. 3, 2019, when the Wildcats handed out 30 assists against UIW.
K-State will make a midweek stop in Austin, Texas, as the Wildcats face (15/14) Texas on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Wednesday's game will be available on Longhorn Network. The game will also be available on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com and for free on the K-State Sports app.
WHAT THEY SAID
JEFF MITTIE, K-STATE HEAD COACH
Opening Statement...
"Good game. I'm proud of our group. I thought defensively we were really good. I think it started for us on a team standpoint on the defensive end. From an offensive standpoint, I think scoring obviously was able to slow them down and we felt like if we scored the ball. I thought Jaelyn (Glenn) was awesome at setting the tone and picking the point guard up and slowing that down a little bit. We wanted to at least get a little bit of traffic in front of them so they couldn't advance the ball with the pass. We hoped that would buy Lee some time to get back and get set. I thought Jae was awesome all day. She got a little fatigued, but she should have been fatigued. She was working hard to do her job and she was really good at it."
On the offensive opportunities against OU...
"Well we felt like they were gonna have to guard us too. And we felt like the minutes Ayoka (Lee) was on the floor needed to be significant for us. What I mean by that is that the pace of this game concerned us greatly and that knowing we'd have to rest a little bit more knowing there may not be a 37-38 minute game by her (Ayoka), but I think a couple things occurred. One, we were able to make some huge runs so there were more stoppages than normal so we were able to gain some rest. Coming in I was really concerned with the prep, I didn't want to overwhelm them because I felt like transition defense from that standpoint is a very simple prep. But if they over thought it too much, if Ayoka got caught up in I'm having to guard flares. She was actually the one yesterday that said yesterday, 'I want to switch 1-5'. if you promise me you will not reach. Then, I made her confess on the floor that she would not reach, and you saw how well she played defensively out there. So there were a lot of concerns coming into this game. We went really short yesterday. I was concerned whether they'd have their legs today and that they really were energetic because the way OU plays is a pace we don't play a whole lot so I thought our group responded well."
On keeping the foot on the gas with a big lead...
"I would say no. One of the things we certainly have learned is that if you take the foot off the gas any team can come back. You're playing the second leading scoring team in the nation and one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the nation. So when you sit here and look at whatever the lead was, let's say its 20. If they bang three straight threes, now you're in an 11-point game with three and a half to go. So no we wanted the keep the foot on the gas. We wanted to keep feeding her (Lee). The only time I thought about taking her out was when it got down to the two and a half mark. I was not aware of the record. I did not look at the scoreboard all day to see how many points she had. I knew she had 32 at half and was scoring it well in the second half. The first time I looked up, she had 58. But no, my focus was on keeping our team, keeping our foot on the gas, playing well, digging deep, playing defense, and I thought our group did that most of the day."
On the defensive performance...
"I thought our switches were pretty solid. I thought our communication was decent. I think our communication was better than decent. It was good. I'm always wanting more. I had mentioned numerous times. I thought Jae (Glenn) really set the tone really well defensively, and then look at her rebounds. She was flying around with 11 rebounds today. We knew this was gonna be a game we were gonna have to gang rebound better. Long threes, long shots, quick pace. The rebounding margin was significant for us. So there were just a lot of really good things going on out there today, but I thought our group played well all day on both ends."
On Lee's performance...
"Well, I think it says a lot about the type of player that she is when she is trying to take charge in a 20-point game late in the game, and still doing the right things defensively and talking and not taking plays off. This is a complete player. We focus sometimes on the offensive end, but she was tasked with defending guards today at the three point line. Ayoka is the same person good, bad, everyday. I think that's one of the things this team has been really good about, not just her, but I've really enjoyed coaching this team and that they're pretty consistent coming in. They are just good people who work hard. They want to play well. They are coming closer as a team, but I think Ayoka sets the standard for that as a veteran, and I was really proud of her in the KU game when things weren't going well for us. You could tell in the huddle there was good conversation going on and good listening going on. That was the one thing I felt good about rewatching film. I'm watching us slide and watching us not do things right, but our connection never wavered. Ayoka is the leader of that. She is a quiet leader, it's not in her nature to want to lead, but there's so much more to her than the 61 points and the 12 rebounds, but I sure like that part. I like that part as well. To Jaelyn's (Glenn) point though, when you have a player that plays the same way when things aren't going well, then it's not the emotional highs and lows, and I think that's one of the things that our team has gotten better at, and not having those highs and lows. We are excited that we got a good win today. It's a big win for us, it's a big win to play well, but we will get back to work Tuesday, and I think we will have a good practice."
AYOKA LEE, JUNIOR CENTER
On the NCAA record for points in a game...
"Yeah it's crazy. Coming into this game, I wasn't like, and I don't think anyone is like, oh yeah, we're just going to set a record today. But I think it just goes back to our preparation. This wasn't an easy scout. You knew it wasn't going to be easy but we just executed so well, and it started with our defense."
On her mentality as the game went on...
"I don't know if my mindset really ever changed. I think in my mind in the fourth quarter it was like, 'Okay keep playing low, keep getting in position'. I knew a little bit more about how they were playing and was just listening to my guards. If there is extra help where do I have kick outs?"
On the crowd...
"I think it was a great crowd especially for a Sunday game. And the Chiefs are in the playoffs or whatever. So yeah, very thankful for it. It was great. Just these past couple games coming in and seeing the crowds we've had has been awesome and I hope it continues to grow."
JAELYN GLENN, FRESHMAN GUARD
On the chemistry and timing to get the ball to Lee...
"Yeah, getting the ball inside is always kind of a goal for us because Yoki (Ayoka Lee) is just super talented. So just turning the ball to the side that Yoki (Ayoka Lee) is on and just getting it and knowing that she is scoring well, so we have to get it in there. And just continuously doing that as a team and making those extra passes."
On how dangerous the team is when they're hitting three pointers...
"Yeah definitely very, very dangerous when our outside shots are falling because when they bring in two, three people and just crowd Yoki (Ayoka Lee) and she can make the kick out and we can knock those shots down. And that's really hard to guard for any team, and yes that makes us very dangerous."
On defending the Oklahoma guards...
"Coming into this game we knew that they were a transition team. That's what coach had told us. They're the highest percentage for transition offense. So just stopping the ball as soon as possible was our best bet, get them into running offense. And yeah, hard switches, making sure that we can guard the three, guard the slip, even though they got some on us that's fine. Just stopping the ball quickly and then switching hard is our main thing."
On being a part of Lee setting the record...
"When she was shooting her last couple of free throws before she went out, me and Serena (Sundell) were just like, 'Wow, she's really good'. That's actually crazy because you kind of get, not used to it, but that's the only thing I can think of. You play with her for so long that you understand that's just what she does. Then you sit back on it and she's just good."
JENNIE BARANCZYK, OKLAHOMA HEAD COACH
Opening Statement...
"Don't ask me about our defensive game plan, clearly. Honestly, you never want to be on this side of an NCAA record, but I thought she (Lee) was phenomenal. I thought Ayoka Lee was absolutely phenomenal. Clearly we didn't have an answer, and I thought they all played really well. I mean, they played right to her and we needed to respond and we just didn't respond. And at the same time, we're gonna focus on continuing to get better. We've got too. So that's about where we're at."
On the atmosphere at Bramlage Coliseum today...
"I remember the first time I came here, it was an exhibition game, and there were over 6000 people, and we walked out and the coaches were like, 'Where are all the people?' I'm like, they're right there, there, there, there. They're everywhere. So, from that standpoint, you know this place is a great place for women's basketball in terms of supporting women's basketball, and they've had phenomenal players and I was lucky enough to watch Shalee Lehning, Kendra Wecker her senior year. I mean, I've seen her in a game, pretty darn similar. She wasn't back to the basket taller than everybody but at the same time, pretty, darn good player and when you're putting her in these conversations that's pretty darn special."
On if she's seen a performance like Lee's...
"Well, obviously, she just set an NCAA record. So from that standpoint, no. I don't know, maybe I need another word. What's another word for incredible? Outstanding, amazing, spectacular, All American? Yes, all of those things. She was great."
On not being able to get the offense going early...
"Yeah, it kind of felt like that from the get go. I think even the very first possession she (Lee) scores and we come down and it looks like we're going to and then we don't, and then we obviously didn't for a while. So for us, we want to be able to get that going and I thought one, I think we missed some shots that we typically make and two, you've got to credit the defense when that happens. So was it crushing? I don't know if anything was crushing. I think we just kept focusing on trying to get better, but yeah, hard when you don't have an answer. Definitely hard when you don't have an answer."
CATS WIN!!!#KStateWBB pic.twitter.com/q0lhO2kus6
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) January 23, 2022
WOW!
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) January 23, 2022
Ayoka Lee had an unstoppable performance today on her way to scoring an NCAA record-setting 61 points. #KStateWBB x @Yokie50 pic.twitter.com/yjmSisyiei
The moment when Ayoka Lee exited the court after dropping her record 61 points 👏 #ThatsaW pic.twitter.com/BiAEuOWPXi
— ESPN (@espn) January 23, 2022
The Kansas State locker room was hyped after Ayoka Lee's record 61 points 🔥 #ThatsaW
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 23, 2022
(via @KStateWBB) pic.twitter.com/6etP1qIt4r
HISTORY HAS BEEN REWRITTEN 📚@KStateWBB's Ayoka Lee scored a D-I NCAA WBB single game record 61 points 📈
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 23, 2022
Take a bow, @Yokie50 👏 pic.twitter.com/otkdw3uDky
"I'm just so thankful for the people around me."
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) January 23, 2022
🎙 Ayoka Lee #KStateWBB x @Yokie50 pic.twitter.com/IBcOLdEUjv
Ayoka Lee was UNSTOPPABLE today, dropping 61 POINTS. 🤯
— theScore (@theScore) January 23, 2022
(🎥: @KStateWBB) pic.twitter.com/yNxpn9WSd1
Ayoka Lee dropped 61 POINTS 🤯 @KStateWBB
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 23, 2022
New record 👏 pic.twitter.com/pFML5OSJC6
🚨 INSANELY IMPRESSIVE 🚨@Yokie50 sets NCAA Division I women's basketball record for most points scored in a game with 61 points ‼️#NCAAWBB pic.twitter.com/enhFrWuxKP
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) January 23, 2022
THE MOST POINTS IN D-1 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY!
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 23, 2022
Kansas State's Ayoka Lee just dropped 61 to set the record 👏
(📸 @KStateWBB) pic.twitter.com/YMzVjPuqNk
UNSTOPPABLE
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) January 23, 2022
61 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks#KStateWBB x #BeKStateGr8 pic.twitter.com/AAXUa6OiVX
6⃣1⃣ POINTS!@KStateWBB's Ayoka Lee set the NCAA Record for points in a game today versus Oklahoma 🔥 pic.twitter.com/58zOWChOux
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) January 23, 2022
Team Stats
OU
KState
FG%
.377
.508
3FG%
.333
.200
FT%
.800
.926
RB
26
44
TO
17
12
STL
7
12
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballK-State WBB | Feeding the Band
Wednesday, September 10
K-State WBB | Postgame Press Conference vs USC (NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen)
Saturday, March 29
K-State WBB | Postgame Highlights vs USC (NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen)
Saturday, March 29
K-State WBB | Player Press Conference (NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen - USC Preview)
Friday, March 28