By K-State Athletics (KStateSports.com)
GAME #36 | 2025 NCAA Tournament – Spokane 4 Regional Semifinal
(19/18) Kansas State (28-7, 13-5 Big 12) vs. (4/4) USC (30-3, 16-1 Big Ten)
Saturday, March 29, 2025 | 7 p.m. (CT) | Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena | Spokane, Wash.
TELEVISION
ESPN and the ESPN app
Play-by-Play: Ryan Ruocco
Analyst: Rebecca Lobo
Sideline: Holly Rowe
RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Brian Smoller
Analyst: Kristin Waller
Westwood One Sports
Play-by-Play: Sam Neidermann
Analyst: Mary Murphy
Online: westwoodonesports.com/Spokane and SiriusXM: Ch. 211 or 204
SERIES HISTORY vs. USC
1-0
• K-State leads the series with USC, 1-0.
• Head coach Jeff Mittie is 0-2 against USC in his career and this will be his first meeting against the Trojans as the K-State head coach.
• The Wildcats are 80-68 against current members of the Big Ten Conference.
SPOKANE, Wash. (KStateSports.com) – K-State (28-7, 13-5 Big 12), the 5-seed in the Spokane 4 Region, will face the top-seed, USC (30-3, 16-1 Big Ten), in the regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Saturday at 7 p.m. (CT), in Spokane, Washington, at Spokane Arena.
- With a win on Saturday, K-State would secure the second Elite 8 appearance in program history and the first since 1982.
• Saturday’s game will air on ESPN, as Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sideline) will have the call.
Starting 5
Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball
1. Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament
• K-State is making its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance and the sixth under head coach Jeff Mittie. The Wildcats own a record of 17-18 in its 19 bids and has reached the Sweet 16 four times (1982, 1983, 2002, 2025).
2. 300 and 200
• K-State women’s basketball is the only team in the nation this season with 300 or more steals and 200 or more blocks. This is the first time in program history has reached 300 or more steals and 200 or more blocks in the same season.
3. 28 Dubs
• K-State’s 28 wins this season have tied for the second-most wins in program history. With a win, K-State would tie the school record for wins in a season (29; 2002-03).
4. Cats Set Season Records
• In addition to setting the school record for points in a season (See Number to Know pt. 1), K-State has established new school records for a single season for assists (753) and blocks (200).
5. Sundell Sets Career Assist Record
• Serena Sundell became the program’s career assist leader (805), passing Shalee Lehning (2005-09; 800) for the school record for career assists. Her total ranks fourth in Big 12 history for a career.
Number to Know – Pt. 1
2,781
• K-State has scored 2,781 points this season (79.5 ppg).
• The 2,781 points is a new school record for points in a season. This broke the previous mark of 2,635 set in the 1979-80 season.
• The Wildcats’ scoring average of 79.5 would rank second in school history behind the school record of 81.3 in the 1982-83 season.
Number to Know – Pt. 2
54
• K-State’s 54 wins ranks tied for second in school history for wins in a two-season span.
• Aiding its win total are consecutive seasons with 25 or more wins. This is the first time since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons that K-State has won 25 or more games in consecutive seasons.
2024-25 K-State Player Milestones to Watch
Ayoka Lee
• Needs two double-doubles to move into sole possession of second in Big 12 history for career double-doubles
• Needs 11 made free throws to set the school record for career free throws made
Jaelyn Glenn
• Needs 4 assists to move into 14th on K-State career assists list
• Needs 13 rebounds for sole possession of 18th on the K-State career rebounds list
• Needs 35 points for sole possession of 26th on the K-State career points list
At a Glance: USC
• USC (30-3, 16-1 Big Ten), the top-seed in the Spokane 4 Region, enters Saturday’s regional semifinal game following a 96-59 win over Mississippi State in Los Angeles on Monday night.
• On the sideline, the Trojans are led by fourth-year head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. A 1999 graduate of Brown, Gottlieb owns a record of 92-35 (.724) at USC, and guided the program to the 2025 Big Ten regular season crown and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
• On the floor, USC is led by JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen.
• Watkins, a sophomore from Los Angeles, leads the squad in scoring at 23.9 points per game and 3.4 assists per game. Watkins is a 2025 All-American, a candidate for numerous Player of the Year honors by a number of organizations and the 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year.
• Iriafen, a graduate student from Los Angeles, is second on the team in scoring at 18.6 points on a .506 field goal percentage and a team-best 8.5 rebounds. In the absence of Watkins against Mississippi State, Iriafen paced the Trojans with 36 points on 16-of-22 shooting, nine rebounds and two blocks.
K-State’s NCAA First Weekend in Review
• 4 – This is the fourth Sweet 16 appearance in program history and the first since 2002 (1982, 1983, 2002, 2025)
• 80+ – K-State tallied 80 or more points in both its games last weekend; this marked the second time in program history and first time since the 2002 season that K-State scored 80 or more points in consecutive NCAA Tournament games
• 62 – Total rebounds by Ayoka Lee in her NCAA Tournament career, a school record
• 48 – Second half points by K-State over Fairfield in its first round win; tied school record for points in a half in an NCAA Tournament game
• 44 – margin of victory by K-State over Fairfield in its first round win; largest margin of victory in an NCAA Tournament game in program history
• 43 – Total assists by Serena Sundell in her NCAA Tournament career, a school record
• 29 – Points scored in the third quarter by K-State over Fairfield in its first round win; school record for points in any quarter of an NCAA Tournament game
• 23 – Total assists by Sundell in the first two games; most by any player in the first weekend of the 2025 NCAA Tournament
• 14 – Assists by Sundell against Kentucky in K-State’s second round win; this set a school record for assists in an NCAA Tournament game and were the most assists by any player in opening weekend of the 2025 NCAA Tournament
• Sundell carded the first K-State double-double in an NCAA Tournament game involving points (19) and assists (14) against Kentucky
• 14 – Three-point field goals made by K-State against Kentucky; this set the school record for 3-point field goals made in an NCAA Tournament game
• 13 – Blocks by K-State against Kentucky; this set the school record for blocks in an NCAA Tournament game
• 11 – Total blocks by Lee in her NCAA Tournament career, a school record
• 8 – Three-point field goals made by Temira Poindexter in K-State’s second round overtime win over Kentucky; she made the most 3-pointers of any player in the opening weekend of the 2025 NCAA Tournament
• 6 – Poindexter tied the school record for blocks in an NCAA Tournament game
• Poindexter was the first player in NCAA Tournament history with six or more 3-point field goals made and six or more blocked shots in the same game
• 3 – Career NCAA Tournament double-doubles by Lee, a new school record for career NCAA Tournament double-doubles
K-State Top-20 in NCAA History for Wins
• K-State is in its 57th season of action and ranks among the top programs in NCAA history for all-time wins.
• K-State’s all-time record stands at 1,071-671 (.615) and the Wildcats entered the 2024-25 season ranked 20th 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 are one of four members of the Big 12 (Baylor, Utah, Texas Tech). K-State is averaging 18.5 wins per season.
• K-State is one of three teams in the nation to be guided by an active head coach with 650 or more career wins and the program has surpassed the 1,000-win mark (UConn, NC State).
• The Wildcats have accumulated 28 20-win seasons and have secured 413 victories inside Bramlage Coliseum.
• K-State has 245 wins in the Big 12 Conference.
• Kansas State has registered 276 victories when they were ranked in the Associated Press top-25 poll and achieved 95 wins against teams ranked in the AP poll.
Cats with a Pack of 1K Scorers
• K-State features five players with 1,000 or more career points: Ayoka Lee (2,521), Temira Poindexter (2,005), Serena Sundell (1,749), Jaelyn Glenn (1,193) and Kennedy Taylor (1,005).
• The Wildcats are the only team in NCAA Division I this season with a 2,500+ point scorer and a 2,000+ point scorer (NCAA Division I points scored only).
• K-State is also the only team in the nation with a 2,500+ point scorer, a 2,000+ point scorer, a 1,500+ point scorer and a 1,000+ point scorer this season.
• The Wildcats are tied for third in the nation for 1,000+ point scorers on its roster with five. K-State is one of two Big 12 programs with five or more 1,000-point scorers on its roster (Baylor, 7).
• With Lee, Sundell and Glenn all scoring 1,000 or more points at their current school, K-State is one of 14 teams in the nation and one of two in the Big 12 (Utah) with three or more players on their current roster to score 1,000 or more points at their current school.
Wildcats Solid From the Arc
• K-State continues to attack from deep in the 2024-25 season.
• For the season, K-State is shooting 38.8 percent (302-of-779) from 3-point range. The Wildcats lead the Big 12 and are second in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage and are third in the Big 12 and 22nd in the nation for 3-point field goals made per game (8.63).
• K-State’s 302 three-point field goals made this season ranks second in program history for 3-pointers made in a single season and marks the second time in program history K-State has made 300 or more 3-pointers in a season (325; 2012-13). K-State’s 3-point field goal percentage of .388 would rank second in school history for a season.
• K-State is receiving 32.6 percent of its total points (906 points) from made 3-point field goals this season. This is the highest percentage of points from 3-pointers in the Jeff Mittie era and the fourth time since 2014-15 that K-State has received 30.0 percent or more of its points from beyond the arc.
• The Wildcats registered a season-high 15 connections from 3-point range at Kansas on Feb. 2 with a percentage of 65.2.
• The Wildcats registered 14 connections on 20 attempts from 3-point range against UCF on Feb. 15 for a season-high 70.0 percent effort. Since 2009-10 season, the percentage of 70.0 is the highest in program history (min. 20 attempts), the only Big 12 team to shoot 70.0 percent or better on 20 or more attempts and the eighth team in the nation to achieve the feat.
• Against Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, K-State made 14 three-pointers which set the school record for three-pointers made in an NCAA Tournament game.
• In the Mittie era, the Wildcats have made five or more 3-pointers in a game 260 times in 360 total games including 51 games with 10 or more connections (w-l: 45-6) from deep.
• This season, K-State made 10 or more 3-pointers in five straight games (Dec. 1-18) for the first time in program history.
• The trio of Temira Poindexter (90), Taryn Sides (84) and Jaelyn Glenn (70) are the fourth set of K-State teammates and first since 2012-13 to make 50 or more 3-pointers in a season.
• The quintet of Poindexter (90), Sides (84), Glenn (70), Serena Sundell (24) and Zyanna Walker (22) marks the fifth season in program including the third straight with five or more Wildcats making 20 or more 3-point field goals in a season.
• In the 11 seasons under Mittie, K-State has buried 2,275 three-pointers which is 6.31 per game.
Sharing is Caring
• K-State remains unselfish in its play in the 2024-25 season.
• The Wildcats are averaging 21.5 assists per game and own an assisted shot rate of 70.9. K-State is second in the nation for assists per game, second in the nation for assist/turnover ratio (1.67) and leads the nation for assisted shot rate.
• The Wildcats have dished out 753 total assists this season, which is second in the nation for total assists. The 753 assists are sixth in Big 12 history for a season. K-State joins Baylor (8x) as the only programs in Big 12 history (1996-present) with 700 or more assists in a season.
• 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 24 times in its history.
• The Wildcats have handed out 20 or more assists in 22 games this season (22-0) including a season-high 30 assists on 37 made field goals against DePaul on Nov. 27. The 30 assists were the most since carding 30 against UIW on Dec. 3, 2019.
• Over the last 17 years, the Wildcats are 114-8 (.934) when handing out 20 or more assists.
• Serena Sundell (256) and Zyanna Walker (122) have combined to dish out 378 assists this season, setting the school record for most combined assists by a tandem.
• K-State features five players with 50 or more assists this season: Sundell (256), Walker (122), Jaelyn Glenn (109), Taryn Sides (98) and Temira Poindexter (60). This marks the fourth season in program history with five or more players dishing 50 or more assists.
Cats Send Back Shots Under Mittie
• During the Jeff Mittie era, K-State has dealt out rejection to its opponents including a record total in 2024-25 season.
• This season, K-State is averaging 5.7 blocks per game (200 blocks) and ranks second in the Big 12 and eighth in the nation. The Wildcats are one of seven teams in the nation that feature seven or more players with 10 or more blocks this season – Ayoka Lee (43), Temira Poindexter (35), Serena Sundell (30), Zyanna Walker (25), Imani Lester (19), Eliza Maupin (17) and Kennedy Taylor (16).
• K-State’s blocked shots total of 200 is a school record for blocks in a season.
• The Wildcats have registered 150 or more blocked shots in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. K-State has blocked 120 or more shots in each of Mittie’s 11 seasons, the longest streak of 120 or more blocks in program history.
• K-State has a blocked shot differential of +102 this season (200-98). Since blocks became official in 1982-83, K-State has 22 seasons with a positive blocked shot differential including a school record of +95 last season.
• K-State recorded a season-high 13 blocks against Kentucky on March 23. This was a school record for blocks in an NCAA Tournament game and tied for the most in the opening weekend.
• Under Mittie, K-State has blocked 10 or more shots in a game 17 times, including a school record of 14 at Tulsa on Nov. 13, 2015. K-State is 16-1 during Mittie’s tenure when blocking 10 or more shots.
• During the Mittie era, Kansas State has sent back 1,727 shots for 4.80 per game in the 360 games. The 1,727 blocks in the 11 seasons are the most in any 11-season span in program history.
Block it & Pocket
• K-State has recorded 303 steals and 200 blocked shots this season. This is the first time in program history K-State has achieved these marks together in a season.
• The Wildcats are the only team in the nation this season with 300 or more steals and 200 or more blocks.
• When combining blocks and steal totals in a single game, K-State is 37-1 over the last 17 seasons when achieving a combination of 20+ steals and blocks in the same game.
• K-State is 28-1 under head coach Jeff Mittie when achieving a combination of 20+ steals and blocks in the same game.
• This season, the Wildcats registered a combination of 23 blocks and steals (14 steals/nine blocks) against Milwaukee on Nov. 20, a combo of 24 blocks and steals (18 steals/six blocks) against USC Upstate on Dec. 5 and tallied 20 blocks and steals (18 steals/two blocks) against Iowa State on Jan. 30.
• 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.
Wildcats in Nail-Biters
• Kansas State owns an all-time record in overtime games of 32-30 (.516), including a 28-25 (.528) record in single overtime games and a 3-6 (.333) record in double overtime games.
• The Wildcats are 2-0 this season in overtime games with wins over Iowa State (1/30/25) and at Kentucky (3/23/25).
• Over the last 12 seasons, K-State is 49-33 (.598) in games decided by five points or less including a 1-1 mark this season.
Poindexter Attacks from 3
• Senior Temira Poindexter has sparked K-State from deep in the 2024-25 season.
• This season, Poindexter is 90-of-222 (.405) from 3-point range. Her three-point percentage this season is a career-high, while her 90 connections are also a career best. She has 24 games with two or more connections from long range and eight games with four or more.
• Her 81 connections are fifth in program history in a senior season and the most since Gabby Gregory made 84 in the 2022-23 season.
• At Kentucky on March 23, Poindexter made a career-high eight 3-point field goals. Her eight connections set the school record for 3-point field goals made in an NCAA Tournament game, were the most a player made in the opening weekend of the tournament this season and tied for the fourth-most in any game in school history.
• Poindexter ranks fourth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game (2.57) and third in 3-point field goal percentage (.405). She was third in the Big 12 in league-only games for 3-point field goals made per game (2.89) and was fourth in the Big 12 in league-only games for 3-point field goal percentage (.437).
• In her collegiate career, Poindexter is 271-of-805 (.337) from distance. She owns 78 career games with two or more 3-point field goals made, including 24 career games with four or more 3-point field goals made.
Glenn Gains Possession
• Jaelyn Glenn moved into the conversation during the 2022-23 season and beyond as one of the Big 12 Conference’s top defenders.
• For her career, Glenn has registered 263 steals (1.92 spg) and ranks fourth in school history for career steals and sixth for steals per game. She is the fifth player in program history with 250 or more career steals..
• Her 263 steals are the most pocketed by a Wildcat in the Big 12 era (1996-present).
• She possesses 77 games with two or more steals including 20 games with four or more steals.
• During the 2023-24 season, Glenn pocketed a team-leading 68 steals (2.00 spg). She ranked sixth in the Big 12 for steals per game. This was her second straight season with 60 or more steals.
• Against UCF on Feb. 17, Glenn notched a career-high seven steals. She is second in school history for career games with five or more steals with nine.
• In the 2022-23 season, Glenn tallied a team-high 91 steals (2.53 spg). She tied for seventh in school history for steals per game in a season. Glenn’s 91 steals were the most by a Wildcat since Carlisa Thomas registered 119 steals in the 1986-87 season.
• Glenn led the Big 12 in steals per game. She paced the Big 12 and was 11th in the nation, second among Power 5 conferences, for total steals (91).
Sundell Sets K-State Assists Record
• Serena Sundell has established herself at the point for K-State with her distribution skills.
• Sundell, a 2024-25 Lieberman Award Top-10 selection, owns a career assist total of 805 and holds the K-State career record for assists and is fourth on the Big 12 career assists list. She is the second player in school history with 800 or more career assists (Shalee Lehning, 2005-09; 800).
• Sundell, a 2024-25 All-Big 12 First Team recipient, ranks second in school history for career assists per game at 5.83. She ranks third in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists and fifth in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists per game.
• She has a school record 92 career games with five or more assists including 13 games with 10 or more assists and a career-high of 15 assists. She ranks tied for second in program history for career games with 10 or more assists.
• Her career assist to turnover ratio of 1.86 is third in program history (min. 100 career assists).
• This season, Sundell is averaging a career-high 7.31 assists per game and leads the nation for assists per game. She also leads the Big 12 with nine games with 10 or more assists.
• Sundell’s assist total of 256 this season established a new school record for a season, a school record for assists by a senior and leads the nation for total assists. She is third in the Big 12 for assist/turnover ratio and ranks 17th in the nation (2.46).
• Her combined assist total from the 2024-25 (256) and 2023-24 (189) seasons of 445 ranks second in program history for most assists over consecutive seasons.
• In Big 12-only games, Sundell led the league in assists per game (7.33) and is sixth for assist/turnover ratio (1.97). She was responsible for 44.4 percent of K-State’s made field goals during Big 12 play, the highest of percentage of any player in the Big 12 this season.
• Against Kansas on Feb. 22, Sundell set a new career-high and set the school record for assists in a single-game with 15. It was the fourth-highest single-game total in the nation this season.
• At Kentucky on March 23, Sundell handed out 14 assists to break the school record for assists in an NCAA Tournament game. Her 14 assists were the most in the opening weekend of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
• Sundell’s 23 assists were the most of any player in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament this season.
• In her career in NCAA Tournament games (six games), Sundell has dished out 43 assists (7.2 apg).
Sides With Plenty in Reserve
• Guard Taryn Sides has kept the offensive attack rolling in her time on the floor.
• This season, Sides is averaging career-highs of 9.5 points and 4.1 rebounds while handing out 2.9 assists in 24.7 minutes per game.
• Sides is the only player in the nation this season to make 80 or more 3-pointers without a start.
• Among Big 12 bench players in league games (min. 9 or fewer starts and 9.0 ppg), Sides was third in the league in scoring (9.2 ppg), second in minutes per game (24.9 mpg) and leads the league in 3-point field goals made per game (2.2), rebounds (3.9), assists (2.9 apg) and steals (1.2 spg).
• In league games this season, Sides registered double figures in seven games.
• She carded 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting including 6-of-7 from long range with six assists, four steals and two blocks in 28 minutes off the bench against UCF on Feb. 15.
Nobody Scores It Like Ayoka Lee
• Ayoka Lee has established herself as the top scorer in K-State women’s basketball history.
• Lee owns the school record with 2,521 career points, breaking the record in her 122nd career game on Dec. 3, 2024, against Eastern Illinois. She ranks sixth in Big 12 history for career points scored and ranks 82nd for career points in NCAA Division I history.
• Her career scoring average of 18.7 ranks first in school history, ninth in Big 12 history and fifth among active NCAA Division I players.
• 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. She was the fastest player to reach the 2,000-career point mark, doing so in 105 career games.
• Lee has scored in every game of her career (135 games) and has reached double figures in 121 games. She owns the school record for career consecutive games scoring. She was the fourth player in program history with 100 or more career games with 10 or more points scored and ranks second in school history for games with 10 or more points.
• This season, Lee leads the Wildcats with 15.6 points per game on a career-best .641 field goal percentage.
• In the 2023-24 season, Lee averaged a team-high 19.7 points per game. She scored in double figures in 26 games. She was third in the Big 12 and ranked 26th in the nation for scoring average.
• With her 533 points last season, Lee joined 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 was the fourth player in program history with 500 or more points and 200 or more rebounds in two or more seasons in their career.
• When combining her point total with her last active season of 2021-22, Lee’s two-season total of 1,260 set the school record 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, 2022, and 43 points against Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, 2021, 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.
