(13/16) K-State Tangles with McNeese State on Wednesday

GAME #9
McNeese State (3-5, 0-0 Southland) at (13/16) K-State (7-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Wednesday, December 6, 2023 | 6:30 p.m. | Bramlage Coliseum | Manhattan, Kan.

TICKETS & PROMOTIONS
Call (800) 221-CATS or visit kstatesports.com

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Brian Smoller
Analyst: Missy Heidrick
Sideline: Sophie Smith

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Online: kstatesports.com
Play-by-Play: Matt Walters
Analyst: Kristin Waller

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com

SERIES HISTORY vs. McNeese State
0-0
• K-State and McNeese State will face each other for the first time.
• Head coach Jeff Mittie has never faced McNeese State in his career.
• The Wildcats are 10-1 against current members of the Southland Conference.

MANHATTAN, Kansas - (13/16) K-State concludes a two-game home stand on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m., as the Wildcats host McNeese State.

• Wednesday's game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Missy Heidrick (analyst) and Sophie Smith (sideline).

Starting 5
Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women's basketball
1. Wildcats Top-10 in First NET
• In the debut of the 2023-24 NCAA NET, K-State ranks 10th in the metric. This is the highest ranking in the NET for K-State, surpassing the number 11 ranking the Wildcats achieved for three straight weeks in the 2021-22 season.
2. Bench Boost
• K-State's bench has added a punch to the offense this season, scoring 190 points (23.8 ppg) including 20 or more points in seven games this season. The Wildcat bench has outscored its opponents in every game this season and owns a margin of +104.
3. Gregory Nears 1500
• Grad student Gabby Gregory is approaching a career scoring milestone. With 12 points, Gregory will reach the 1,500 career points mark for her collegiate career (785 at Oklahoma; 703 at K-State). She would be the first player to transfer to K-State to reach the 1,500-point mark in their collegiate career.
4. Lee Fourth on K-State Career Scoring List
• Senior center Ayoka Lee has scored 1,809 points in her career and moved into fourth on the K-State career scoring list and passing Ashley Sweat (2006-10; 1,805).
5. Double-Double in Trouble-Trouble
• Ayoka Lee has 52 career double-doubles and needs one more to set the school record for double-doubles in a career and pass Kendra Wecker (2001-05, 52).

Number to Know
.332

• Through the first eight games this season, K-State has held its opponents to a field goal percentage of .332 (154-of-464).
• K-State leads the Big 12 and ranks 13th in the nation in field goal percentage defense.
• K-State has held three opponents this season to a sub-.300 field goal percentage including a season-low of .215 against Jackson State on Dec. 1. This was the lowest field goal percentage allowed by the Wildcats in a game since holding UTRGV to a .203 effort on Nov. 18, 2022.

At a Glance: McNeese State
• After an extended layoff in its schedule from game action, McNeese State returns to the floor in search of its first win over an NCAA Division I opponent. In its last game against Ecclesia on Nov. 26, the Cowgirls won 102-28.
• On the sideline, McNeese State is led by third-year head coach Lynn Kennedy. The 1995 graduate of Northwest University has guided the Cowgirls to a 28-39 (.418) record.
• The Cowgirls are led on the floor by Emilia Tenbrock and Mireia Yespes.
• Tenbrock, a junior guard from Dusseldorf, Germany, is averaging a team-high 12.3 points on a .478 field goal percentage and has hauled in 3.1 rebounds.
• Yespes, a junior guard from Barcelona, Spain, is second on the team in scoring at 10.3 and has hauled in 5.5 rebounds per game.

Last Time Out
at (14/18) K-State 79, Jackson State 37 (Dec. 1, 2023; Manhattan, Kan.)
• K-State locked down Jackson State to start a two-game home stand with a 79-37 win.
• The Wildcats held its third opponent this season under 40 points and tallied the lowest opponent field goal percentage of the season (.215).
• The Wildcats had four players in double figures led by Jaelyn Glenn with 13 points, while Serena Sundell added 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Ayoka Lee notched 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks with Taryn Sides carding a career-high 10 points and five rebounds.

K-State Among the Rankings
• Kansas State ascended in the the Associated Press (AP) top-25 poll, as the Wildcats are 13th in the Dec. 4 poll.
• This is the program's highest ranking in the Jeff Mittie era (2014-present). It is the highest ranking for the program since the final poll of the 2003-04 season, when the Wildcats were ranked eighth.
• The Wildcats debuted at 16th on Nov. 20, which was the highest debut for K-State since being ranked fifth in the 2003-04 preseason poll.
• As an AP ranked team, K-State owns a 229-88 (.722) record. In its history, K-State has now been ranked for 177 weeks in the AP poll.
• The Wildcats are ranked 16th in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. This is the highest K-State has been ranked in the Coaches Poll since being ranked 16th on in the second to last poll of the 2008-09 season.
• This season is the first time since the 2008-09 season that K-State has been ranked in three straight USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls.

Wildcats With 375+ Wins in Bramlage
• K-State is 383-154 (.713) all-time inside Bramlage Coliseum, which is in its 36th season of existence.
• The Wildcats carded a 15-4 record at home in the 2022-23 season and tied the longest home-court winning streak in the Jeff Mittie era to open the season with nine wins.
• This was the 32nd time in program history that the Wildcats reached double figures in home victories. It marked the 24th season K-State has won 10 or more games in Bramlage.
• Over the last three seasons, K-State is 32-7 (.821) in home contests.
• In his career in games played in his home venue, Mittie is 387-111 (.777) including an 113-46 (.711) record at K-State.
• Kansas State has protected Bramlage Coliseum with determination against non-conference foes with a record of 224-29 (.885) with an active 24-game winning streak against non-con opponents. Mittie is 70-8 (.897) in non-conference games in Bramlage Coliseum.

Board Work Not Boring
• K-State has held the advantage on the glass this season. The Wildcats have out-rebounded its opponents in seven games this season (6-1).
• For the season, the Wildcats are averaging 42.0 rebounds per game and hold a +8.6 rebound margin. K-State ranks sixth in the Big 12 in rebound margin.
• The Wildcats have hauled in a season-high 48 rebounds twice: vs. Western Kentucky (11/24/23) and against Jackson State (12/1/23).
• K-State's largest margin on the glass came against North Carolina, as the Wildcats outrebounded the Tar Heels by +21 (46-25).
• The Wildcats recorded a season-high 22 second-chance points against Jackson State. The 22 second-chance points were the most since scoring 23 against Kansas on Feb. 13, 2021.

Wildcats' Defense Forges Identity
• K-State has continued to be a force on the defensive end during head coach Jeff Mittie's 10 seasons on the bench.
• In the 2023-24 season, K-State is holding opponents to 52.5 points per game and a field goal percentage of .332. The Wildcats are third in the Big 12 and rank 21st in the nation for scoring defense and are lead the Big 12 and ranks 13th in the nation for field goal percentage defense.
• In the season-opener, K-State held Presbyterian to 35 points on a .298 field goal percentage. This marked the fewest points allowed by the Wildcats since holding UT Martin to 30 points on November 12, 2021.
• During the last 21 seasons, K-State is 132-3 (.978) when holding an opponent to 49 points or less including a 51-0 mark in the Mittie era. During Mittie's tenure K-State has held 16 opponents to 40 or fewer points.
• The Wildcats held Iowa on Nov. 16 to 58 points, 34 points below its 2023-24 season average and their fewest points since 2019.

Sky-High Field Goal Percentage
• When K-State shoots 50.0 percent or better in the Jeff Mittie era, Kansas State has been victorious. Since the 2014-15 season, the Wildcats are 31-5 (.861) when shooting 50.0 percent or better.
• The Wildcats are shooting 46.0 percent from the field this season, including 11 quarters of 50.0 percent or better. K-State tallied a season-high 51.7 percent (31-of-60) from the field including a season-best 76.9 percent (10-of-13) effort in the second quarter against Western Kentucky on Nov. 24.
• In the 2022-23 season, K-State shot 40.2 percent from the field.
• K-State shot a 2022-23 season-high 60.4 percent from the field against Baylor on Feb. 15. The field goal percentage of 60.4 percent was the highest for a K-State team since Dec. 3, 2019, when the Wildcats shot 64.9 percent against UIW, which is the top field goal percentage in the Mittie era.

Glenn Gains Possession
• Jaelyn Glenn moved into the conversation during the 2022-23 season and beyond as one of the Big 12 Conference's top defenders.
• This season, Glenn has pocketed a team-leading 16 steals (2.0 spg). She ranks ninth in the Big 12 for steals per game.
• For her career, Glenn has registered 153 steals (2.01 spg) and ranks fifth in school history for steals per game. She possesses 42 games with two or more steals including 14 games with four or more steals.
• In the 2022-23 season, Glenn tallied a team-high 91 steals (2.53 spg). She tied for seventh in school history for steals per game in a season.
• Glenn led the Big 12 in steals per game. She paced the Big 12 and was 11th in the nation, second among Power 5 conferences, for total steals (91).
• Glenn's 91 steals were the most by a Wildcat since Carlisa Thomas registered 119 steals in the 1986-87 season.
• Glenn pocketed two or more steals in a game a career-best 27 times last season including 10 games with four or more. At Iowa State on Jan. 11, at Oklahoma on March 1 and against Wyoming on March 21, Glenn tied her career-high with six steals. She is tied for second in school history for career games with five or more steals with eight.

Sundell Nears 1K Mark
• In addition to her distribution skills, guard Serena Sundell adds a scoring punch to the K-State lineup.
• During her career, Sundell has scored 936 points (12.2 ppg) and needs 64 points to become the 45th player in school history to score 1,000 points in her career. She has tallied double figures in 49 career games.
• This season, Sundell is averaging 10.5 points on a .541 field goal percentage. She registered a season-high 21 points against Western Kentucky on Nov. 24 and has scored in double figures in four games.
• During the 2022-23 season, Sundell was second on the team and 12th in the Big 12 in scoring with 13.9 points per game on a career-best .489 field goal percentage. In Big 12 games, she averaged 15.11 points and ranked eighth in the league.
• Sundell recorded a personal career-high 501 points last season. She was the seventh player in program history to score 500 or more points in their sophomore season. Her total ranked tied for sixth for a sophomore season at K-State.
• In the 2022-23 season, the product of Maryville, Missouri, scored in double figures in 26 games including eight games with 20 or more points, which ranked tied for sixth in the Big 12 last season.
• At Oklahoma on March 1, Sundell carded a career-high 33 points on 11-of-17 shooting. She joined Gabby Gregory as the only Wildcats last season with 30 or more points in a game.
• Sundell earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career by leading the Big 12 in scoring (22.5) during the week of games on Feb. 20-26.
• Against Kansas on Feb. 22, Sundell registered the most unique stat line in the nation. According to Stats Perform, Sundell was the only player last season, one of four since 1999-00 and the only player in the Big 12 since 1999-00 to record 24 points on 80 percent shooting and also registering seven assists, five rebounds, four steals and one block.
• At Texas Tech on Feb. 5, Sundell scored 27 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and a career-best 16-of-18 effort from the foul line.
• Against Iowa on Nov. 17, Sundell registered 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting including 5-of-7 from the foul line.

Gregory Scores It
• Guard Gabby Gregory was a dynamic addition to the K-State lineup in the 2022-23 season.
• In her career, Gregory has scored 1,488 points (12.9 ppg). She was the first player to transfer to K-State and then reach the 1,000-point mark in her collegiate career. She ranks sixth in school history for career scoring average (16.3 ppg).
• Gregory has scored in double figures 71 times in her career, including 30 games at K-State.
• In the 2022-23 season, Gregory was second in the Big 12 in total points scored with a career-high 648 points and was second in the league in scoring average (18.51 ppg). She shot .411 from the field, including a .327 three-point percentage and an .839 free throw percentage.
• Gregory, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, increased her scoring average by +15.9 points from the 2021-22 season (2.6 ppg) to the 2022-23 season (18.5).
• Gregory ranked 30th in the nation in scoring average and 22nd for total points scored. This is Gregory's third career season with 300 or more points scored and was a new career single-season high.
• She was second in the Big 12 in games with 20 or more points (19) and second for games with 30 or more points (2).
• Gregory's 648 points made her the sixth Wildcat to score 600 or more points in a season and her point total ranks fourth in school history for a single season.
• In Big 12-only games in the 2022-23 season, Gregory ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring average (16.94 ppg).
• The product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, earned her first career Big 12 Player of the Week honor following the first week, as she averaged 22.0 points per contest on a 50.0 percent field goal percentage including a 40.0 percent effort from 3-point range, a 90.9 percent effort from the foul line, 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Lee a Double-Double Machine
• Ayoka Lee continues to be a double-double machine in her K-State career.
• The product of Byron, Minnesota, registered her 52nd career double-double and tied the school record for career double-doubles with a 14-point, 12-rebound effort against North Carolina on Nov. 25.
• Lee's career double-double total stands at 52, is tied for the school record and tied for sixth in Big 12 history for career double-doubles. She ranks sixth in the nation among active NCAA Division I women's basketball players.
• Earlier this season, Lee registered a double-double of 32 points and 10 rebounds at Little Rock. Lee was the first player in NCAA Division I since at least the 1999-00 season to register a game with 32 or more points, 10 or more rebounds while shooting 81 percent or better in just 22 minutes. Lee has 10 career double-doubles with 30 or more points and 10 or more rebounds, which stands as the most such games in program history.
• She was the fastest player in program history to 50 career double-doubles.
• Lee is averaging 0.55 double-doubles per game in her career, which is the highest rate in school history. Among active NCAA Division I Power 5 Conference players, Lee ranks fourth in career double-doubles per game.
• Lee completed the 2021-22 season with a school record 20 double-doubles. Earlier in the season, Lee tied her own school record for consecutive double-doubles with six straight. She was 11th in the nation and was second in the Big 12 during the 2021-22 season for double-doubles.
• Lee's 20 double-doubles set a school record for double-doubles in a junior season, surpassing the previous record of 15 by Nicole Ohlde in the 2002-03 season. She was one of six players in Big 12 history with 20 or more double-doubles in a season.
• Lee is the second player in program history with three or more seasons with 10 or more double-doubles (Kendra Wecker, 2001-05; 4) and is the only player in program history with two or more seasons with 15 or more double-doubles.
• Of the 20 total double-doubles during the 2022-23 season, six efforts reached 30 or more points and 10 or more rebounds.
• At South Dakota State on Dec. 11, Lee tallied 38 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks. This was her 12th career game with a double-double and five or more blocks, improving on her own school record.
• According to HerHoopStats.com, Lee was the third player since 2009-10 to register a final stat line of at least 38 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks (Elena Delle Donne, 2012; Brittney Griner, 2013).
• In her redshirt freshman season of 2019-20, the center from Byron, Minnesota, achieved a rare single-game milestone, as she became the first player in program history with 20 or more points and 20 or more rebounds in the same game, achieving the feat against Oklahoma on January 25, 2020 (23 points, 20 rebounds).

(13/16) K-State Tangles with McNeese State on Wednesday

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Players Mentioned

Jaelyn Glenn

Gabby Gregory

Ayoka Lee

Taryn Sides

Serena Sundell

Kansas State University Athletics