MANHATTAN, Kansas (Kansas State Sports Information) – K-State used a double-double from Ayoka Lee and a strong second quarter to build a sizable margin to improve its winning streak to four games with a 73-49 win over North Carolina A&T on Monday night in the 2021 Preseason WNIT at Bramlage Coliseum.
The reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, Lee finished the night with 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting, 13 rebounds and tied her career-high with seven blocks. This was Lee’s ninth career game with a double-double and five or more blocks.
With her 31 points, Lee tied the school record for career 30 point games, joining Brittany Chambers (2009-13) with six career games with 30 or more points.
K-State (4-0) held a 24-15 lead entering the second quarter, but quickly boosted the advantage to 33-15 with 6:45 remaining with the assistance of a 9-0 run. Lee started the run with a hook shot, followed by a layup. Lee then found a cutting Emilee Ebert for an easy layup for a 30-15 lead. Rebekah Dallinger buried an open 3-pointer to cap the run.
K-State extended the lead to 20 at halftime, 44-24. Serena Sundell finished an old-fashioned 3-point play with 4:27 remaining in the first half. Lee added a 3-point play of her own with 1:54 to play. The Wildcats shot 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from the field in the second quarter.
In the first half, Lee recorded 17 points, eight rebounds and four blocks, while Sundell added 11 points, six assists, two rebounds and a block. Sundell ended the night with a career-best 15 points while also dishing out seven assists, pulling in four rebounds and blocking two shots.
After the Aggies cut the K-State lead to 17, 50-33, with 3:57 remaining in the third quarter, the Wildcats used six straight points to improve its lead to 23, 56-33, with 1:33 to play. Lee score four of the six points on a layup and putback.
The game was then delayed with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter, as North Carolina A&T teammates Shayla Nelson and Jazmin Harris collided on a rebound, leaving Nelson on the floor for several minutes. Nelson was attended to by medical personnel and carefully loaded onto a stretcher for further evaluation.
K-State held a 56-35 lead entering the fourth quarter and increased the advantage to 67-39, as Lee scored eight of K-State’s first 11 points of the final frame. The Wildcats shot 77.8 percent (7-of-9) in the final 10 minutes.
For the night, the Wildcats shot 45.0 percent (27-of-60) from the field and recorded 19 assists. As a team, K-State registered 11 blocked shots, which is the 12th time since 2014-15 in which the Wildcats have blocked 10 or more shots in a game.
The Wildcats have won seven straight games in the Preseason WNIT, which have all come inside Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State will embark on its first road trip of the 2021-22 season, as the Wildcats conclude its 2021 Preseason WNIT slate with a trip to (5/4) North Carolina State on Friday, November 19, at 6 p.m.
