K-State trailed Oklahoma by 11 points three minutes remaining in regulation, however the Wildcats used an 11-0 run to tie the game with a chance to win on its final possession with 10 seconds to play. A late foul on K-State benefitted the Sooners and allowed them to escape Bramlage Coliseum on Sunday afternoon with an 80-78 win.
With the score 78-67 in favor of the Sooners, K-State (5-9, 0-7 Big 12) started an 11-0 run by going to sophomore center Ayoka Lee, who finished with an old-fashioned 3-point play with 2:56 to play in the fourth quarter. Lee would finish the afternoon with a career-high 37 points on 15-of-23 shooting.
Her 37 points set the school record for points in a Big 12 Conference game, are the fifth-most points scored in any game and are the most since Brittany Chambers set the school-record of 42 against Texas Southern on March 21, 2013.
After a defensive stop, Emilee Ebert knocked down two free throws with 2:25 remaining to bring the Wildcats within six, 78-72. Another K-State stop, resulted in a pair of free throws by Lee with 1:54 to play. Lee registered a 7-of-10 effort from the charity stripe, ending her consecutive free throws made streak at 25 in the second quarter.
K-State then held Oklahoma to a fourth straight empty possession and Sydney Goodson made two free throws with 1:05 to play in the final quarter to bring the deficit to two, 78-76.
K-State’s defense registered another stop and Lee squared the game at 78 with a layup and 22 seconds to play. The Sooners were unable to score on their possession and K-State had a chance with 10 seconds remaining.
Ebert found Lee, but a swarm of Sooners crashed into the sophomore center and knocked the ball free as Lee attempted her game-winning shot. A foul on K-State was then called on the ensuing scramble. Oklahoma converted the pair of free throws for the win.
The Wildcats held Oklahoma without a made field goal for the final 4:34 of the contest, with all five of their points coming from the free throw line.
The Wildcats were led on Sunday afternoon by the trio of Lee, Christianna Carr and Rachel Ranke. Lee finished the game with her fifth double-double of the season and the 24th of her career, carding her career-high 37 points while pulling in a K-State season-high 18 rebounds.
Her 15 field goals made tied the school record for field goals made in a conference game, tying the mark held by Diana Miller against Oklahoma on January 20, 1990. Overall, her 15 made field goals are tied for the fourth-most in school history.
She is the fifth player in school history to register a double-double with 30 or more points and 15 or more rebounds. In her three career meetings with Oklahoma, Lee is averaging 28.0 points on 67.9 percent shooting and 17.0 rebounds.
Carr notched her 12th double figure scoring game this season with 17 points which included a 4-of-11 effort from 3-point range. She also added three rebounds and three assists.
The 54 combined points by Lee and Carr are tied for the sixth-most combined points in a single-game by two teammates in school history.
Ranke came off the bench to add 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. She also hauled in six rebounds and dished out four assists. In her last three games against Oklahoma, Ranke is 17-of-32 (.531) from beyond the arc.
Oklahoma (6-7, 3-5 Big 12) saw four of its six active players score 15 or more points, led by Gabby Gregory with 19 points and Madi Williams with 18 points.
K-State shot a season-high 50.0 percent (27-of-54) from the field and tied their season-high with nine connections from 3-point range. The Wildcats handed out a season-high 24 assists and held a 41-27 advantage on the boards.
The Sooners cooled off in the second half and finished at 42.9 percent (27-of-63) shooting. Oklahoma was held to a 10-of-31 (.326) performance in the second half.
K-State will begin the month of February with a road trip to Lubbock, Texas, to face Texas Tech on Wednesday, February 3, at 6 p.m.
