K-State Hosts Portland in First Round of 2024 NCAA Tournament

GAME #33 | 2024 NCAA Tournament - First Round
Portland (21-12, 10-6 WCC) at (15/16) Kansas State (25-7, 13-5 Big 12)
Friday, March 22, 2024 | 3:30 p.m. | Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) | Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
ESPNews
Play-by-Play: Brenda VanLengen
Analyst: Holly Warlick

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagship: Sunny 102.5 & 1350 KMAN
Online: kstatesports.com
Play-by-Play: Brian Smoller
Analyst: Kristin Waller

The game will also be available on SiriusXM channels 119 or 206 and on the SiriusXM app.

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com

SERIES HISTORY vs. Portland
0-0
• First meeting between the programs.
• Head coach Jeff Mittie will face Portland for the first time in his career.
• K-State is 7-1 all-time against current members of the West Coast Conference.

MANHATTAN, Kansas - K-State (25-7, 13-5 Big 12), the 4-seed in the Albany 2 Region, will face the 13-seed, Portland (21-12, 10-6 WCC), in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Friday at 3:30 p.m., in Bramlage Coliseum.

• Friday's game can be seen on ESPNews, as Brenda VanLengen (play-by-play) and Holly Warlick (analyst) will have the call.
• This is the sixth time in its history and the second time under head coach Jeff Mittie that K-State has hosted the NCAA Tournament in Manhattan.
• K-State's four-seed is its highest since 2005, when the Wildcats were a four.

Starting 5
Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women's basketball
1. Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament
• K-State is making its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance and the fifth under head coach Jeff Mittie. The Wildcats own a record of 14-17 in its previous 17 bids and have advanced at least one round 12 times.
2. K-State 2023-24 Resume
• The Wildcats finished the season with a NET of 15 and collected five wins against Associated Press top-25 foes. K-State has improved its win total from last season by six wins.
3. K-State Approaching Blocks Record
• With two blocked shots, K-State will set the school single-season record for blocks. The current record for 170 was set in 2021-22.
4. Happy Helpers
• Serena Sundell (174) and Gabby Gregory (113) have combined for 287 assists this season, which is third in school history for combined assists by two players in a season.
5. Lee A 1 of 1
• K-State center Ayoka Lee is the only player in the nation this season averaging 20.0 points and a field goal percentage of 62.0 percent or better.

Number to Know
597
• K-State has dished out 597 assists (18.7 apg) this season, which ranks third in school history for a single season. The 597 assists are the most in the Jeff Mittie era.
• With 22 assists, K-State will establish a new single-season school record for assists.
• This marks the third straight season K-State has handed out 500 or more assists. This is the second time the Wildcats have registered 500 or more assists in three or more straight seasons and the first time since carding five straight seasons of 500 or more assists from 2001-06.
• K-State's 18.7 assists per game ranks 13th in the nation and would rank second in school history for a single season.
• The Wildcats feature four players with 50 or more assists this season: Serena Sundell (174), Gabby Gregory (113), Taryn Sides (90) and Jaelyn Glenn (65).

At a Glance: Portland
• Portland (21-12, 10-6 WCC) enters the NCAA Tournament with wins in four straight games, including three consecutive in the West Coast Conference tournament to win the league's automatic bid into the field. This will be the seventh NCAA Tournament appearance for the Pilots and the second straight after making the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
• The Pilots are a sound defensive team, as they lead the WCC in steals per game (11.0), turnovers forced per game (19.85), field-goal percentage defense (39.3%) and blocks per game (5.6). They are eighth nationally in blocks per game and 15th in steals per game.
• On the sideline, Portland is led by fifth-year head coach Michael Meek. The 1999 graduate of Eastern Oregon owns a career record of 99-56 (.639).
• The Pilots Portland are led on the floor by the trio of Emme Shearer, Maisie Burnham and Kennedy Dickie. Shearer leads the squad in scoring at 12.2 points per game on a .486 field goal percentage, while Burnham is second on the team at 11.6 points and Shearer is averaging 10.5 per game. Dickie and Burnham were named to the WCC All-Tournament Team, while Dickie collected most outstanding player honors for the event.

Last Time Out
(5/6) Texas 71, (16/16) K-State 64 (March 11, 2024; Kansas City, Mo.)
• K-State rallied from a 14-point first half deficit to take a 2-point lead twice in the fourth quarter. Texas used a 14-5 run to close the game.
• This was K-State's first Big 12 semifinal appearance since 2019.
• K-State was led by Ayoka Lee with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Serena Sundell carded 12 points and six assists.

K-State Top-20 in NCAA History for Wins
• K-State is in its 56th season of action and ranks among the top programs in NCAA history for all-time wins.
• K-State's all-time record stands at 1,042-663 (.611) and the Wildcats entered the 2023-24 season ranked 19th in NCAA Division I women's basketball history for program wins. The Wildcats were the 19th program in NCAA Division I history to reach 1,000 or more wins as a program and the third among the Big 12 (Texas, Baylor). K-State is averaging 18.5 wins per season.
• Kansas State is one of four teams in the nation to be guided by an active head coach with 600 or more career wins and the program has surpassed the 1,000-win mark (Stanford, UConn, NC State).
• The Wildcats have accumulated 27 20-win seasons and have secured 395 victories inside Bramlage Coliseum.
• K-State has 232 wins in the Big 12 Conference.
• Kansas State has registered 247 victories when they were ranked in the Associated Press top-25 poll and achieved 92 wins against teams ranked in the AP poll.

Magic Number is 70 Points
• Since the 2014-15 season, K-State is 105-21 (.833) when scoring 70 or more points in a game.
• The Wildcats are averaging 72.2 points per game this season and have scored 70 or more points in a game 17 times (14-3).
• K-State has scored 2,309 points this season. This is the third straight season K-State has registered 2,000 or more points and the seventh time in the Jeff Mittie era (2014-present).
• Kansas State tallied a season-high 102 points against Oral Roberts on Dec. 18 and tallied 101 points against McNeese State on Dec. 6.
• This is the first time since the 2002-03 season in which the Wildcats have scored 100 or more points in two or more games in a season.
• In its history, K-State has scored 100 or more points in a game 28 times (28-0) including five times under Mittie.

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 36-5 (.878) when shooting 50.0 percent or better.
• K-State tallied a season-high 57.4 percent (27-of-47) effort from the field against West Virginia on March 9. The Wildcats have shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in a game seven times this season (6-1).
• The Wildcats are shooting 45.7 percent from the field this season, which ranks third in the Big 12 and 25th in the nation.
• K-State owns 45 quarters with a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent or better. Of the 128 regulation quarters played this season, the Wildcats have tallied a 50.0 percent field goal percentage or better in 35.2 percent of quarters played. The most quarters with a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent or better in a season came in 2016-17 with 47 quarters in 137 played (34.3 percent).
• The Wildcats made a season-high 40 field goals against McNeese State on Dec. 6 and against Oral Roberts on Dec. 18. The 40 made field goals were the most by a K-State team since making 41 field goals on Nov. 26, 2004.

K-State Attacking the Paint
• With the return of 2022 All-American center Ayoka Lee, the Wildcats continue to find buckets in the paint.
• K-State has scored 1,208 points (37.8 ppg) in the paint through 32 games which is 52.3 percent of K-State's overall point total this season.
• The 1,208 points in the paint are the most scored in the lane in Jeff Mittie's 10 seasons in Manhattan. K-State has scored 1,000 or more points in the paint in four of Mittie's 10 seasons.
• The Wildcats recorded a season-high of 58 against McNeese State on Dec. 6, 2023. This was the most points in the paint since scoring 58 against Oklahoma on Jan. 23, 2022.
• The Wildcats have scored 30 or more points in the paint in 25 games this season. K-State has outscored its opponents in 26 games.

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 57.6 points per game and a field goal percentage of .360.
• The Wildcats lead the Big 12 and rank 37th in the nation for scoring defense, leads the Big 12 and are 18th in the nation for field goal percentage defense and are second in the Big 12 and 16th in the nation for 3-point field goal percentage defense (.269). According to HerHoopStats, K-State is sixth in the nation and second in the Big 12 in opponent points per 100 possessions (79.7).
• K-State's field goal percentage defense would rank second in program history since the 1981-82 season.
• Under Mittie, K-State is 126-15 (.894) when holding its foes to 60 points or less including a 46-3 (.939) record over the last three seasons and a 20-1 record this season. During K-State's 14-game winning streak this season, the Wildcats held 13 opponents to 60 or fewer points.
• The 21 games holding foes to 60 points or less this season are the most since the 2010-11 season (21; 18-3). In total, K-State owns eight seasons in its history of 21 or more games holding opponents to 60 points or less.
• In the season-opener, K-State held Presbyterian to 35 points. 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 136-3 (.978) when holding an opponent to 49 points or less including a 55-0 mark in the Mittie era. During Mittie's tenure K-State has held 18 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.

Sundell Top-5 for Career Assists
• Serena Sundell has established herself at the point for K-State with her distribution skills.
• Sundell, a 2023-24 All-Big 12 First Team recipient, owns a career total of 534 and ranks fifth on the K-State career assists list. She is the fifth player in school history with 500 or more career assists.
• Sundell ranks second in school history for career assists per game at 5.29. She ranks 23rd in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists and 10th in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists per game.
• Her combined assist total from 2022-23 (184) and this season (174) of 358 ranks sixth in program history for most assists over consecutive seasons.
• She has 63 career games with five or more assists including four games with 10 or more assists and a career-high of 11 assists. Her 63 career games with five or more assists ranks third in school history. She ranks fourth in program history for career games with 10 or more assists.
• Her career assist to turnover ratio of 1.69 is fourth in program history (min. 100 career assists).
• This season, Sundell is averaging 5.44 assists per game (174 assists) and leads the Big 12 for assists per game and total assists. In league action, Sundell was second in the league at 5.71 assists per game.
• Sundell's 174 assists this season ranks 10th in program history for assists in a single season. This season marks her third straight with 150 or more assists. She is the first Wildcat since Shalee Lehning (four seasons) and the third overall (Megan Mahoney; three seasons) to hand out 150 or more assists in three or more seasons.
• In the 2022-23 season, Sundell handed out a career-high 184 assists (5.11 apg) including a season-high 10 against Oklahoma State on Jan. 4.
• Sundell was the second player in program history (Shalee Lehning, 368) with 350 or more assists by the conclusion of their sophomore season.
• Sundell's 184 assists last season set the school record for assists in a sophomore season and ranked as the sixth-most in a season in program history.

Sundell Moves into Top-25 of Scoring
• In addition to her distribution skills, guard Serena Sundell adds a scoring punch to the K-State lineup.
• During her career, Sundell has scored 1,236 points (12.0 ppg) and was the 45th player in school history to score 1,000 points in her career and currently ranks tied for 24th on the K-State career scoring list. She has tallied double figures in 69 career games, including 15 career games with 20 or more points.
• This season, Sundell is second on the team in scoring with 12.0 points on a career-high .536 field goal percentage. She registered a personal season-high 22 points at UCF on Jan. 6 and has scored in double figures in 24 games, including three games with 20 or more. She scored in double figures in 13 straight games from Jan. 3 to Feb. 25. In Big 12 games, Sundell averaged 13.8 points per game on a .539 field goal percentage. She ranked 12th in the league in scoring and is fourth in the league in field goal percentage.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Gregory From Long Range
• Guard Gabby Gregory established a new career-best from 3-point range in the 2022-23 season and has been a 3-point threat over the course of her career.
• In her career, Gregory is 228-of-715 (.319) from long range including 131-of-422 (.310) during her time at K-State. She has made two or more 3-point field goals in a game 69 times and has 12 games with four or more connections. She has made a career-high six 3-pointers in a game three times, twice at K-State.
• This season, Gregory leads the Wildcats with 47 connections from long range (47-of-165, .285). Her 47 made 3-pointers this season are tied for her second-most in a season in her career.
• In the 2022-23 season, Gregory led the Wildcats and was third in the Big 12 with 84 connections and was sixth in the league with 2.40 three-point field goals made per game. She ranked 31st in the nation for 3-point field goals made.
• Gregory's 84 threes made in the 2022-23 season were fourth in school history in a senior season and were 10th all-time for a single season. Her 257 attempts last season ranked tied for fourth in school history for a single season. She notched 26 games with two or more connections including seven games with four or more.
• Gregory achieved a new personal single-season career-high for 3-point field goals made and attempted in a season with 84 and 257, respectively. Her 84 connections were the most by a Wildcat since Kindred Wesemann made 90 in the 2016-17 season.
• Against Utah Tech on Nov. 20 and the following game against Clemson on Nov. 24, Gregory tied her career-high with six 3-pointers made. Over the two games, Gregory was 12-of-25 (.480) from 3-point range.

Nobody Scores It Like Ayoka Lee
• Ayoka Lee has moved into the top-5 for career scoring at K-State and has a chance to achieve the school career scoring record.
• In her career, Lee has scored 2,163 points in 112 career games (19.3 ppg) and ranks third in school history for career points scored. Her career scoring average of 19.3 ranks first in school history, ninth in Big 12 history and seventh among active NCAA Division I players.
• To surpass Kendra Wecker (2001-05; 2,333), Lee needs to score 171 points.
• She was the 44th player in school history with 1,000 or more career points and was the fastest player in program history to reach 1,500 career points, needing 77 games to reach the milestone. She was the first player in school history to reach the 1,000-career point mark and the 1,500-career point mark in the same season.
• Lee has scored in every game of her career (112 games) and has reached double figures in 103 games. She is the fourth player in program history with 100 or more career games with 10 or more points scored.
• This season, Lee is averaging a team-high 20.1 points per game. She has scored in double figures in 24 games this season. She is second in the Big 12 and ranks 22nd in the nation for scoring average.
• With her 502 points this season, Lee joins Nicole Ohlde (2000-04) and Kendra Wecker (2001-05) as the only players in program history with four consecutive seasons with 400 or more points scored. She is the fourth player in program history with 500 or more points and 200 or more rebounds in two or more seasons.
• When combining her point total with her last active season of 2021-22, Lee's two-season total of 1,229 ranks third in school history for most points in consecutive active seasons.
• In the 2021-22 season, Lee averaged a career-best 22.0 points per game which ranked 10th in the nation and second in the Big 12. Lee was fifth in the nation in total points scored (727).
• Her 22.0 points per game in the 2021-22 season was the highest per game average in school history and was the third time a K-State player averaged 20 or more points in a season and first since Brittany Chambers in the 2012-13 season.
• With her 727 points scored, Lee established a new career single-season high, broke the school record for points in a junior season and ranked second in school history for points in a single-season. She was the first center in school history to score 700 or more points in a season.
• With her efforts of 61 points against Oklahoma on Jan. 23 and 43 points against Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, Lee was one of three players in the nation during the 2021-22 season with two games of 40 or more points scored in a game.
• Her total of 86 points in two games from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23, set the school record for most points in consecutive games. She also set the school record for points in a 10-game span from Dec. 11, 2021 to Jan. 26, 2022, with 277 points. During that 10-game span, Lee scored 20 or more points in six games including four games with 30 or more points.

Lee The Queen of the Block
• Ayoka Lee remains one of the top shot blockers in the nation and has the numbers to back it up.
• In her career, Lee has 303 career blocked shots which is the school record for career blocks. Lee's 303 blocked shots ranks tied for fifth in Big 12 history.
• She was the only player in school history to reach the 300-block mark. She owns the school record for career blocks per game at 2.73.
• Among active NCAA Division I players, Lee ranks fourth for career blocks and fifth for career blocks per game average.
• She has 82 career games with two or more blocks and 20 career games with five or more blocks. She owns the school record for career games with five or more blocks. Lee holds the school record for career games with seven or more blocks (6).
• This season, Lee is averaging 2.72 blocks per game (68 blocks). Lee is 21st in the nation for total blocks and second in the Big 12 and ninth in the nation for blocks per game.
• In two games this season, Lee recorded a season-high seven blocks as she reached the mark at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14.
• In the 2021-22 season, Lee was a semifinalist for the 2022 Naismith Women's National Defensive Player of the Year and was named to her first Big 12 All-Defensive Team and was selected as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by the Waco Tribune. She had a career-high 95 blocks (2.88 bpg) and was fourth in the nation in total blocks and sixth for blocks per game. She also has a career-high 39 steals (1.2 spg).
• Her total of 95 blocks ranked second in school history for blocks in a season and set the school record for blocks by a junior. This was the second time in her career Lee reached 90 or more blocks in a season (91; 2019-20). She is the first player in school history with at least two seasons with 90 or more blocks.
• Lee's combined total of blocks and steals, 134, during the 2021-22 season established a new career-high and was the third-highest single season total in program history.
• Lee set a new career-high and tied for second in program history for a single-game with eight blocks against North Dakota State on Nov. 29. Her eight blocks tied for the eighth-highest total for a single-game in the 2021-22 season in the nation and were the most by a Big 12 player.

K-State Hosts Portland in First Round of 2024 NCAA Tournament

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Players Mentioned

Jaelyn Glenn

Gabby Gregory

Ayoka Lee

Taryn Sides

Serena Sundell

Kansas State University Athletics