The Kansas State women’s basketball team had an impressive start to their NCAA Tournament journey on Friday at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky. They dominated Fairfield 85-41, advancing to the Round of 32 with ease.
The Wildcats also welcomed back star center Ayoka Lee, who had been sidelined with foot injuries, and she played like an All-American. Lee scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in just 15 minutes on the court, looking strong after missing 12 of K-State’s last 13 games. “It felt great,” Lee shared. “It’s been a minute. Our support staff and strength coach did an amazing job keeping me on track during my recovery, as it was a long process. They made sure I was prepared for this moment.”
Lee’s confidence was evident from the start, scoring the first basket of the game with an easy layup after point guard Serena Sundell found her under the basket. Lee felt she could have played more, noting, “I didn’t feel any stretches where I was exhausted.” The Wildcats, who had struggled down the stretch of the regular season by losing four of their last six games, are a much stronger team with Lee back in the lineup. They improved to 19-1 with Lee this season, setting themselves up for a confident showdown against Kentucky on Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16.
“We’re a good team,” said Sundell, who led all scorers with 18 points and dished out nine assists. “We were confident coming in. We knew we had the size advantage and trusted our coaches to prepare us well.” Sundell’s leadership and experience in NCAA Tournament play helped the Wildcats dominate in their first postseason game. Taryn Sides contributed 14 points, and Jaelyn Glenn added 10 as K-State cruised to an easy win. They jumped out to a 17-4 lead early, and with Lee at full strength, Fairfield couldn’t keep up.
Coach Jeff Mittie was pleased with the team’s performance, saying, “It’s great to be sitting here after a solid victory. We got off to a good start, played at our desired pace, and maintained balance and shot discipline throughout.”