GAME #10
Missouri (7-3, 0-0 SEC) at (13/16) K-State (8-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Saturday, December 9, 2023 | 5 p.m. | Civic Arena | St. Joseph, Mo.
TELEVISION
ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Chuckie Kempf
Analyst: Missy Heidrick
RADIO
KMAN 1350am – 93.3fm – 93.7fm + Sunny 102.5fm
Online: 1350kman.com
Play-by-Play: Brian Smoller
Analyst: Randy Peterson
LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
SERIES HISTORY vs. Missouri
45-39
• K-State leads the all-time series with Missouri, 45-39.
• When K-State is ranked and faces Missouri, the Wildcats own an 18-6 (.750), including wins in 14 of the last 15 such meetings.
• This will be the 10th neutral site meeting in the history of the series and the first since March 10, 2004, at the Big 12 Championship in Dallas, Texas.
• Head coach Jeff Mittie is 1-2 in his career against Missouri.
• The Wildcats are 71-68 against current members of the SEC.
St. Joseph, Missouri (K-State Athletics) – #13 K-State faces Missouri in the inaugural Bill Snyder Basketball Classic in St. Joseph, Missouri, on Saturday evening at 5 p.m.
Starting 5
Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball
1. Wildcats Achieve Rare Line
• In its 101-39 win over McNeese State on Dec. 6, K-State registered 40 made field goals, 29 assists, 13 steals and 12 blocked shots. According to HerHoopStats.com, K-State is the fourth NCAA Division I team and the second Power 5 program since 2009-10 to achieve these numbers in a single game.
2. Bench Boost
• K-State’s bench has added a punch to the offense this season, scoring 237 points (26.3 ppg) including 20 or more points in eight games this season.
3. Gregory Reaches 1500
• Senior Gabby Gregory recorded a career scoring milestone, as she registered the 1,500th career point mark for her collegiate career (1,504; 785 at Oklahoma; 719 at K-State). She is the first player to transfer to K-State to reach the 1,500-point mark in their collegiate career.
4. Sanchez Stuffs the Box Score
• Redshirt sophomore forward Gisela Sanchez tallied 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in 21 minutes against McNeese State. She joins Breanna Lewis and Ayoka Lee as the only Wildcats since 2009-10 to achieve these stats in a game in less than 22 minutes of action.
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
12
• K-State achieved a season-high 12 blocked shots against McNeese State on December 6.
• The effort tied for the third-most in a single-game in school history. The 12 blocks were the most by the Wildcats since blocking 12 against Lamar on December 5, 2018.
• The 12 blocks were tied for the most by a Big 12 team this season and tied for the seventh among NCAA Division I schools in a game this season.
• Of the top eight single-game blocked shot efforts in school history, the Wildcats have registered five of the performances during the Jeff Mittie era including the single-game school record of 14 at Tulsa on Nov. 13, 2015.
Last Time Out
at (13/16) K-State 101, McNeese State 39 (Dec. 6, 2023; Manhattan, Kan.)
• K-State recorded its largest margin of victory (62) since a 63-point win against Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, 2021.
• The Wildcats held its fourth opponent this season under 40 points. For the second time this season, K-State combined for over 20 blocks and steals in a game (25; 13 steals & 12 blocks).
• The Wildcats had four players in double figures led by Gabby Gregory with 16 points, while Ayoka Lee added 15 points, and six rebounds. Gisela Sanchez filled the stat sheet with 12 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and two assists with Brylee Glenn carding 11 points and five steals.
At a Glance: Missouri
• Missouri (7-3) enters Saturday’s matchup following an 81-63 win over Missouri State on Wednesday. The Tigers are shooting .482 from the field, including .393 from beyond the arc.
• On the sideline, Missouri is led by 14-year head coach Robin Pingeton. The 1990 graduate of St. Ambrose has guided the Tigers to a 232-184 (.558) record.
• The Tigers feature three players averaging double figures and are led by Hayley Frank and Ashton Judd.
• Frank, a grad student from Stafford, Missouri, paces the Tigers in scoring (17.8 ppg), three-point field goals made (23), rebounding (7.1 rpg) and blocked shots (8). Against Missouri State, Frank notched 14 points and nine rebounds.
• Judd, a sophomore guard from West Plains, Missouri, is second on the squad in scoring (16.2 ppg), three-point field goals made (22) and rebounding (6.3 rpg). Against Missouri State, Judd tallied a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
K-State’s 12th Month Record
• In the 56th year of women’s basketball at K-State, the Wildcats own a record of 239-103 (.699) in the month of December.
• Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 38-18 (.679) in the month of December.
• K-State has had a .500 or better record in the month of December 47 times in its history, including a current streak of 27 consecutive seasons.
Magic Number is 70 Points
• Since the 2014-15 season, K-State is 97-19 (.836) when scoring 70 or more points in a game.
• The Wildcats are averaging 75.1 points per game this season and have scored 70 or more points in a game six times (5-1).
• Kansas State tallied a season-high 101 points against McNeese State on Dec. 6. This was the most points by the Wildcats since scoring 103 against Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, 2021.
• In its history, K-State has scored 100 or more points in a game 27 times (27-0) including four times in the Jeff Mittie era.
• K-State averaged 70.1 points per game in the 2022-23 season on a .402 field goal percentage. The 70.1 points per game last season was the highest since K-State averaged 71.4 in the 2004-05 season.
• The Wildcats scored 70 or more points in a game 21 times (16-5) including a season-high 93 against Northern Arizona on Nov. 25 during the Paradise Jam.
• The 21 games with 70 or more points scored were the most in the Jeff Mittie era and the highest since the 2001-02 season (23).
Sharing is Caring
• K-State continues to be an unselfish squad at the start of the 2023-24 season.
• The Wildcats have 143 assists (17.9 apg) and own an assist to turnover ratio of 1.3. K-State has tallied an assist percentage of 65.0 through its first eight games. The Wildcats are fourth in the Big 12 in assist percentage.
• Against McNeese State, K-State dished out 29 assists on 40 made field goals. The 29 assists were the most since handing out 30 against Incarnate Word on Dec. 3, 2019.
• Over the last 16 years, the Wildcats are 84-7 (.923) when handing out 20 or more assists.
• In the 2022-23 season, the Wildcats handed out 516 assists (14.3 apg) and recorded an assist on 61.4 percent of made field goals.
• K-State ranked sixth in the league in assists per game and assist to turnover ratio (0.96). According to HerHoopStats.com, K-State ranked 43rd in the nation and third in the Big 12 in assisted shot rate.
• Since assists became an officially tracked stat in 1981-82, K-State has registered an assisted shot rate of 60.0 percent or higher at the end of a season 23 times in its history.
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 51.0 points per game and a field goal percentage of .323. The Wildcats lead the Big 12 and rank 11th in the nation for scoring defense and lead the Big 12 and rank eighth in the nation for field goal percentage defense.
• 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 133-3 (.978) when holding an opponent to 49 points or less including a 52-0 mark in the Mittie era. During Mittie’s tenure K-State has held 17 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.
Block It & Pocket
• When combining blocks and steal totals in a single game, K-State is 30-1 over the last 16 seasons when achieving a combination of 20+ steals and blocks in the same game.
• K-State is 21-1 under head coach Jeff Mittie when achieving a combination of 20+ steals and blocks in the same game.
• The Wildcats recorded a combination totalling 29 (18 steals/11 blocks) against Presbyterian on November 6, 2023. This was the highest total in the Mittie era.
• K-State added a second game with 20+ steals and blocks with 25 (13 steals/12 blocks) against McNeese State on December 6, 2023.
925 | 400
• K-State guard Serena Sundell is the fifth Wildcat in program history to register 925 or more career points and 400 or more career assists.
Sundell Eyes Top-5 for Career Assists
• Serena Sundell has established herself at the point for K-State with her distribution skills.
• Sundell, who is a candidate for the 2023-24 Nancy Lieberman Award, owns a career total of 401 and ranks seventh on the K-State career assists list. She is the seventh player in school history with 400 or more career assists.
• Last season, Sundell was the second player in program history (Shalee Lehning, 368) with 350 or more assists by the conclusion of their sophomore season.
• Sundell ranks second in school history for career assists per game at 5.14.
• She has 47 career games with five or more assists including three
games with 10 or more assists and a career-high of 11 assists.
• Her career assist to turnover ratio of 1.69 is fourth in program history (min. 100 career assists).
• This season, Sundell is averaging 4.6 assists per game and ranks fifth in the Big 12.
• 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’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 ranked fourth in the Big 12 in assists per game and ninth in assist to turnover ratio (1.48). In Big 12 action, Sundell averaged 5.06 assists and ranked fourth in the category.
Gregory Giveth
• Guard Gabby Gregory is known for her scoring ability, but has been a distributor of the rock during her time at K-State.
• In her K-State career, Gregory has handed out 107 assists (2.4 apg).
• This season, Gregory has handed out 36 assists (4.0 apg) and ranks tied for seventh in the Big 12 for assists per game. She owns an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.12 which is 12th in the league.
• In the last six games, Gregory has handed out 29 assists (4.8 apg) including a career-high eight assists against Wisconsin on Nov. 19.
Sanchez Boosting Bench
• Redshirt sophomore Gisela Sanchez has brought the heat to K-State’s bench unit this season.
• The product of Barcelona, Spain, is averaging 7.1 points on a .433 field goal percentage, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
• In her brief time at K-State, the transfer from Arizona has established career season-highs in every statistical category.
• During the Gulf Coast Showcase, Sanchez had a breakout three games as she averaged 8.3 points on a .474 field goal percentage and 6.7 rebounds in 21.0 minutes off the bench.
• Against North Carolina on November 25, Sanchez notched 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting and five rebounds. Sanchez helped ice the game with four free throws in the final 30 seconds.
• Against McNeese State on December 6, Sanchez tallied 12 points, eight rebounds, a career-high four blocks, two assists and a steal in 21 minutes of action. According to HerHoopStats.com, Sanchez joins Breanna Lewis and Ayoka Lee as the only Wildcats since 2009-10 to register 10 or more points, 8 or more rebounds and four or more blocks in 22 minutes or less.
Lee Among Top-5 for Career Boards
• Ayoka Lee has continued to own the glass in her K-State career and is moving closer to the top spot in program history.
• Lee ranks fourth in school history for career rebounds with 954 and was the sixth player in school history with 900 or more career rebounds. Her career rebound total ranks second in school history by a center.
• With 134 rebounds, Lee will surpass Kendra Wecker (2001-05; 1,087) for the school record for rebounds in a career.
• She owns the school record for career rebounding average and ranks fourth in Big 12 history at 9.9 rebounds per game.
• Among active NCAA Division I players, Lee ranks seventh in the nation for career rebounding average and total rebounds.
• She tied the school record for career games with 15 or more rebounds (7).
• This season, Lee leads the Wildcats with 7.4 rebounds per game. She ranks eighth in the Big 12 for rebounds per game.
• In her last active season of 2021-22, Lee ranked second in the Big 12 and 31st in the nation with 10.3 rebounds per game. She ranked 17th in the nation in total rebounds (339). In Big 12-only games, Lee was second in the league in rebounding with 9.78 per game.
• With her 339 rebounds during the 2021-22 season, Lee set a new career single-season high and broke the school record for rebounds in a single-season.
• Lee was the eighth player in school history with three or more consecutive seasons with 200 or more rebounds and was the second player in program history (Peyton Williams) with two or more seasons with 300 or more rebounds.
