MANHATTAN, Kansas – (15/14) K-State squared the game early in the fourth quarter, but Iowa State used a late push to down the Wildcats, 82-76, on Wednesday night in Bramlage Coliseum. The loss snapped K-State’s 17-game home court winning streak.

K-State (23-6, 12-5 Big 12) featured three players in double figures on Wednesday and were led by Ayoka Lee with a team-high 20 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals. This was Lee’s 100th career game with 10 or more points, as she is the fourth player in program history with 100 or more career games with 10 or more points.

Joining Lee in double figures was junior guard Serena Sundell with her second double-double of the season with 15 points, a season-high 10 assists, two rebounds and two steals.

In addition to Lee and Sundell in double figures, junior guard Jaelyn Glenn added 15 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists. This was her 16th career game with 10 or more points, five or more rebounds and two or more steals.

Iowa State (17-10, 11-6) saw four players in double figures and were paced by Addy Brown with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED
– The Wildcats trailed by four, 56-52, entering the fourth quarter but four quick points on a pair of free throws from Eliza Maupin and a steal and layup from Zyanna Walker squared the game at 56 with 9:29 remaining.
– The Cyclones would use an 8-3 run to build a 68-61 lead with 5:06 remaining in the fourth frame and force a K-State timeout.
–  K-State closed to within three, 70-67, with 4:03 remaining in the fourth after an old-fashioned three-point play from Sundell. Iowa State would score five straight points to increase its advantage to eight with just under three minutes to play.
– The Wildcats closed to within four points three times in the final three minutes, but the Cyclones kept K-State at arm’s length from the foul line.
– For the night, K-State shot 40.6 percent (26-of-64) from the field including 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from 3-point range. The Wildcats shot 68.4 percent (13-of-19) from the free throw line.
– Iowa State was the first team this season to shoot 50.0 percent or better from the field against K-State, 50.0 percent (33-of-66).

QUICK FACTS
– K-State leads the series, 54-49. The Wildcats are 28-19 in games played in Manhattan against the Cyclones. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 8-19 in his career against Iowa State.
– The Wildcats are 231-242 (.488) in Big 12 games.
– Head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 641-368 (.635) in 32 seasons as a head coach and is 187-133 (.584) during his 10-seasons at K-State.
– K-State’s 17-game home court winning streak was the longest home court winning streak in the Mittie era, which started with the final two home wins of the 2022-23 season. This was K-State’s longest home court winning streak since an 18-game home winning streak in the 2002-03 season. This was the second-longest home winning streak in Bramlage Coliseum.
– K-State’s 15-game home court winning streak this season was the longest single-season home winning streak since the Wildcats won 19 consecutive home games in the 2002-03 season.
– K-State owns a record of 245-93 (.725) as an AP ranked team. K-State is 10-7 (.588) all-time when ranked 15th in the nation.
– With its attendance of 5,340 on Wednesday night, the 2023-24 season has moved into eighth in school history for total attendance in a season with 79,218 in 16 home games.

TEAM NOTES
– K-State’s starting five consisted of guards: Jaelyn Glenn, Serena Sundell, Brylee Glenn, Gabby Gregory and center Ayoka Lee. This was the 22nd time this starting five has been used this season. This was the 109th career start for Lee, the 107th collegiate career start and the 61st start at K-State for Gregory, the 98th career start for Sundell, the 94th career start for Jaelyn Glenn and the 88th career start for Brylee Glenn.
– Wednesday marked the 21st time (17-4) this season K-State has seen three or more players reach double figures in a game.
– The Wildcats made 11 three-point field goals on Wednesday night, equaling its season-high which the Wildcats achieved two other times this season. This was the sixth time this season K-State has made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game. In the Mittie era, K-State has made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game 38 times (32-6).

PLAYER NOTES
– Lee recorded her 100th career game with 10 or more points and is the fourth player in program history with 100 or more career games with 10 or more points. Lee has scored in every game of her career (109 games). Lee’s career total stands at 2,105 and ranks fourth in school history. Lee needs 52 points to pass Brittany Chambers (2009-13; 2,156) for third on the K-State career scoring list.
– Lee hauled in eight rebounds on Wednesday. Lee’s career total for rebounds stands at 1,071, second in school history. She needs 13 rebounds to pass Kendra Wecker (2001-05; 1,087) for the school record for career rebounds. This was Lee’s 100th career game with five or more rebounds.
– Lee improved her career blocked shot total to 298, improving her school record for career blocked shots. This was Lee’s 80th career game with two or more blocked shots. Lee ranks eighth all-time in Big 12 history for career blocked shots.
– Sundell notched her 66th career game with 10 or more points, including her 21st this season. Sundell owns 1,197 career points and passed Shalee Lehning (2005-09; 1,189) for 26th on the K-State career scoring list.
– Sundell made 2 three-pointers on Wednesday night. This was her 23rd career game and her ninth this season with two or more connections from 3-point range.
– Sundell’s 10 assists on Wednesday improved her career total to 516. This was Sundell’s fourth career game with 10 or more assists and her 61st career game with five or more assists.
– Jaelyn Glenn reached double figures in scoring for the 38th time in her career and the eighth time this season.
– This was Glenn’s 16th career game with 10 or more points, five or more rebounds and two or more steals.
– With her 3-pointer on Wednesday, Jaelyn Glenn became the fourth player in program history with 150 or more made 3-pointers and 175 or more steals. She has 46 career games with two or more connections from long range.
– Glenn recorded her 41st career game with five or more rebounds, including her 13th this season.
– Glenn pocketed three steals on Wednesday. She stands alone in 10th in program history for career steals with 196. This was her 55th career game with two or more steals, including her 17th this season.
– Gregory made two 3-pointers on Wednesday, which is the 66th time in her career with two or more connections from long range.
– Taryn Sides had two connections from 3-point range. This was her eighth game this season with two or more 3-pointers made.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
K-State Head Coach Jeff Mittie
On the game tonight…
“We’re just getting out played. They had more rebounds, I think 17. Just getting out played. You have got to make plays and and we’re not making enough of them. And I thought there were some things we did good tonight obviously 11 threes. I thought our offense had a better spark to it, but certainly not enough. I thought most of the 50 – 50 balls went to them with the exception of a few stretches in the game. But I mean, being outrebounded by 17 is the ballgame.”

On playing against tough screens…
“It’s a play that I think is trouble for us. We had trouble against Kansas as well. It’s a deep ball screen that our guards aren’t winning that play and then (Ayoka) Lee is in drop coverage and give Iowa State credit for making some shots. We needed to make more plays.”

On the difference on offense from Sunday to today’s game…
“I thought we had more in attack mode offensively. Definitely. And I think that can be something really good going forward. So yeah, I liked the way Jaelyn Glenn attacked tonight. Serena (Sundell) has 10 assists,  15 points. I mean, that’s a heck of a statline. So I think there were better things there and it was good to see Gabby (Gregory) get unleashed a little bit with some threes. So I think we can build off of some of these things.”

On having to adjust as things have changed…
“I think the adjustment period we’re in, we’re not responding very well to that. And as I said previously, it has made us less decisive at times. But I thought our decisiveness was better tonight. I think we should give Iowa State credit. They played an excellent game. They had players really make plays. And while I’m disappointed I go to the rebound numbers, you know those numbers are not very good and we’ve got to be better defensively and offensively. I think there were some opportunities that we missed.”

On how special it was to play with this team this year with the fans…
“Yeah, it was a great day. Fans have been fantastic all year. We had a solid crowd tonight. I appreciate that for the seniors. I’ve really been pleased with the energy that’s been in the building from the students, the season ticket holders all of the above. And you know, I think we have to give our team credit for creating that enthusiasm and when we got all the way to number two, and it’s tough. It’s tough to go all the way to number two and then be dropping and not playing as well now, but we’ve done an awful lot of good things so we can get this magic back. We can make tougher plays and Ayoka said it best we feel like we’ve got a lot of basketball but we’ve got to play better. And that’s the disappointing thing.”

On the three seniors graduating…
“They’re just quality people. We’re in a society now where we tend to praise people for just showing up to work. Putting in ‘C’ work, we praise it. So I think people say well, quality people, I think that gets dummied down for the really quality people sometimes, I do. And I wouldn’t say it. I’d choose another deal. But these three are as good as I’ve coached. They come in every day. They work. They’re good teammates. They’re quality people on campus. The community loves them. Rebekah Dallinger is one of my favorite players and she’s got the same attitude every day and she hadn’t played a lot this year. It says a lot about her character. So I can’t say enough about those things and I obviously feel strongly that they deserve that being said not just something you say nice about them on senior night.”

FROM THE FLOOR
K-State Senior Center Ayoka Lee
On if this was her last regular season game at Bramlage Coliseum…
“I’m not answering that right now. Sorry.”

On how frustrating it is to lose at home after winning 17 straight…
“I think [it’s] just really disappointing. Obviously, we don’t want to lose period, but we also really don’t want to lose at home. We take a lot of pride in being able to play in front of a great crowd, and the environment that we have here.”

On what it’s going to take for this team to make a deep postseason run…
“I think it comes down to being committed to our scout and then just making plays. We just had too many breakdowns tonight, and we didn’t make plays down the stretch. So I think learning from this one and just doubling down, going forward. This is the last regular season home [game], but we still have a chance to get back here.”

On how it felt to play with Gabby Gregory the last 2 years…
“It’s just been like such a joy to have Gabby here. The energy she brings is what we needed as a team. I’ve never had a teammate like her. So I’m just grateful to have played with her.”

K-State Senior Guard Gabby Gregory
On how it felt to play at Bramlage Coliseum the last 2 years…
“I thought it was pretty awesome the crowds that we had every night. I think it gave us a really big home court advantage. I mean, we don’t win 17 home games in a row without the crowd that we had. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t do it tonight.”

On how motivated the team is to host tournament games in Bramlage…
“Yeah, there’s still a shot. Obviously, we’re tired of losing games, we’d love to not lose another game. I think we just have to take our motivation to the next level here in the next few weeks and just get it done. I think we just didn’t get it done tonight, on both sides of the ball. So I think this one hurts and we should use that motivation to push us these next few weeks.”

On how the team was able to make 11 three-pointers…
“They were kind of sagging off us a little bit just tempting us to shoot it. So I think we were confident and we just stepped up and knocked some shots down. Obviously there was a big battle down there in the post with Yokie [Ayoka Lee] and [Audi] Crooks and their backup post [players], but the guards just have to be able to step up and hit those shots and not just rely on Yokie so much in the paint. So I think we did a better job of that tonight.”

On how it felt to play with Ayoka Lee this year…
“I’ve said it 100 times, but I came to Kansas State to play with her. She was one of the main reasons I chose to come to K-State, because I wanted to play with Ayoka Lee. And even though I’ve only got to play with her for one season, it exceeded my expectations. Obviously, before I came here, I knew the incredible basketball player she was. I’d watched her from the bench of another team score 61 points, just incredible things. I knew how good of a basketball player she was, but I had no idea what an incredible person she was until I came here, and I just feel so lucky that I was able to come to K-State and have one of my best friends. She’s turned into just such an incredible teammate and friend, and she’ll be one of my best friends for life. So I’m just I’m so thankful.”

UP NEXT
K-State concludes its regular season schedule on Saturday, as the Wildcats visit Texas Tech for a 2 p.m., tip-off.

Saturday’s game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and can be heard on the K-State Sports Network including the flagship stations Sunny 102.5 FM and 1350 KMAN, online at kstatesports.com, or on the K-State Sports app. The game will also be available on SiriusXM on channels 119 or 199 and on the SiriusXM app.