Presbyterian (0-0, 0-0 Big South) at K-State (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Monday, November 6, 2023 | 6:30 pm | Bramlage Coliseum | Manhattan, Kan.
TICKETS AND INCENTIVES
Call (800) 221-CATS or visit kstatesports.com/tickets
• After the game meet and greet the team in the Shamrock Zone
TELEVISION
Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Play by play: Brian Smoller
Commentator: Missy Heidrick
Side: Sophie Smith
RADIO
K-State sports network
Online: kstatesports.com
Play-by-Play: Matt Walters
Commentator: Kindred Orpin
LIVE STATISTICS
www.kstatesports.com
CHUNG CHUNGE HISTORY
0-0
• State and Presbyterian will meet for the first time.
• Head coach Jeff Mittie will face Presbyterian for the first time.
• The Wildcats are 0-1 all-time against current members of the Big South Conference, losing to Radford in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Dec. 3, 1988.
MANHATTAN, Kansas – State begins its 56th season Monday night, as the Wildcats host Presbyterian at Bramlage Coliseum at 6:30 p.m. Monday’s game is the first in program history to open a season.
• Monday’s game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Missy Heidrick (analyst) and Sophie Smith (sideline) will be on the call.
It starts at 5
Five words, numbers or story lines about K-State women’s basketball
1. Cats Picked No. 4 in Big 12 Preseason Poll
• State was picked fourth in the 2023-24 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll. This is the second time (2020-21) that K-State has been picked to finish fourth by the league’s coaches.
2. Trio Named Preseason All-Big 12
• State’s Gabby Gregory (unanimous choice) and Ayoka Lee were 2023-24 Preseason All-Big 12 selections, season Serena Sundell be the honorable recipient of the mention.
3. Mittie Planned for a 10th season
• K-State head coach Jeff Mittie is set for his tenth season in Manhattan. He owns a 164-127 record (.564) and seven postseason appearances with the Wildcats.
4. Gregory A Rarity in K-State history
• 5-year-old candidate and 2023-24 Drysdale Award Gabby Gregory became the first player in program history to register 625 or more points, 160 or more free throws and 80 or more three-point field goals. He was one of four players in the nation in the 2022-23 season to achieve these numbers.
5. Always sunny with Sundell
• Junior guard and 2023-24 Lieberman Award candidate Serena Sundell set the school record for assists in a sophomore season (184) and was the sixth most in school history in a single season. He also set school records for free throws made and attempted in a season (165-of-206; .801).
Number You Should Know
2,120
• State returns 84 percent (2,120 points) of its points from the 2022-23 season.
• Of the 2,120 points scored last season, K-State returns its top four scorers (Gabby Gregory648 points; Serena Sundell501 points; Jaelyn Glenn406 points; Brylee Glenn300 points).
• The Wildcats scored 2,524 points in the 2022-23 season, the fifth time in program history that the Wildcats have scored 2,500 or more points in a season.
• K-State’s point total ranks as the fifth highest in program history and the lowest Jeff Mittie. The points total was the highest since the 2002-03 season.
• The 2,524 points last season marked the first time since the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons that K-State had back-to-back seasons with 2,000 or more points.
2023-24 Player Highlights to Watch
Ayoka Lee
• Needs 339 points to reach 2,000 career points; He will be the fourth player in program history to reach the division
• Needs 113 rebounds to reach 1,000 career rebounds; He will be the second player in program history to reach the milestone
• Needs one more double-double to reach 50 in her career and become the second player in school history (Kendra Wecker) to reach 50 career double-doubles
• Needs four double-doubles to break the school record for career doubles (Kendra Wecker, 52).
• Needs 201 rebounds to set the school record for career rebounds
• Needed 48 blocked shots to set the school record for career blocks
Gabby Gregory
• Needs 67 points to reach 1,500 points in his college career
• Needs 352 points to reach 1,000 career points scored at K-State
Serena Sundell
• Needs 148 points to reach 1,000 career points
• Needs 140 assistants to reach 500 job assistants; would become the fifth player in school history with 500 or more career assists
Jaelyn Glenn
• Needs 63 steals to reach 200 career steals; would become the 10th player in program history to reach 200 or more steals in a career
At a glance: Presbyterian
• Presbyterian will make a two-game road trip to the state of Kansas to start the season, as the Blue Hose will face K-State on Nov. 6 and Wichita State on Nov. 8.
• The Blue Hose return all 13 letterwinners from the 2022-23 season and were voted second in the Big South preseason poll.
• On the sidelines, the Blue Hose are led by sixth-year coach Alaura Sharp. During his time with Presbyterian, Sharp owns a 55-87 (.387) record.
• On the floor, Presbyterian features two preseason All-Big South selections in sixth-year Bryana Brady (first team) and sophomore Tilda Sjokvist (second team).
• Brady was a 2023 All-Big South selection and averaged a team-high 13.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
• Sjokvist led the squad and led all Big South freshmen in assists with 3.4 per game.
What is Blue Hose?
• From gobluehose.com:
“The nickname “Blue Hose” began in the early 1900s, when sportswriters called Presbyterian College sports teams the “Blue Stockings” because of the blue socks they wore. years.
They often shorten “stocks” to “hose” in newspaper articles.
Coincidentally, former college PR historian Ben Hay Hammet’s 1982 centennial noted that blue-stocking Presbyterians also refer to “Presbyterians with strong puritan tendencies.”
“In any case,” writes Hammett, “the sports nickname was shortened to ‘Blue Hose’ in 1954—assuming it sounded more aggressive to the stadium.”
The student body adopted the nickname as an official school nickname in the 1950s.
“Blue Hose” has survived through the years, taking on more meaning. Today the word refers to fierce Scottish warriors, and adds to Hammet’s take on the word. This description also reflects the college’s Scottish heritage.”
Last Check Out Time
at K-State 79, Pittsburg State 65 (Nov. 3, 2023; Manhattan, Kan.)
• State shot 50.8 percent (32-of-63) from the field, as the Wildcats closed out their exhibition schedule with a 79-65 win.
• The Wildcats dished out 21 assists and outscored the Gorillas in the paint, 48-18.
• Ayoka Leemaking his first game appearance in 592 days, he led the Wildcats with 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting and seven rebounds. Gisela Sanchez added 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting off the bench as well Gabby Gregory scored 12 points and four rebounds.
State in Season Openers
• The Wildcats are the first to make the season opener since the team’s inaugural season in 1968-69. Kansas State is 46-9 (.836) in season openers and has won 21 of 23 season openers, including 12 straight.
• Head coach Jeff Mittie is 25-6 (.806) in season openers, including a 9-0 mark at K-State.
K-State in Home Openers
• Kansas State has won 29 of its last 31 home openers at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats are 46-9 (.836) all-time in home openers and 31-4 (.886) in openers at Bramlage.
• Head coach Jeff Mittie is 29-2 (.935) in home openers in his past 31 seasons.
Remember the Month of November
• In his 56 career seasons, K-State has amassed a 154-52 (.748) record during the month of November. The Wildcats have won 42 of their last 52 games in the month of November.
• Under the coach Jeff MittieState is 40-10 (.800) in November games.
• The Wildcats finished the 11th month with a .500 or better record in 12 straight seasons, including a 6-0 mark in 2016-17. In all, K-State has registered a .500 or better record in November 43 times in its history.
Look at their eyes
• K-State women’s basketball has named three players to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) award list. Fans can vote for these awards daily at hoopallawards.com.
• Junior guard Serena Sundell he was selected to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list, given annually to the nation’s top guard. It was the first time Sundell was named on the list.
• Senior security guard Gabby Gregory was named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list, given annually to the nation’s top point guard. Gregory was the first of 10 nominees for the 2023 Drysdale Award.
• Senior center Ayoka Lee named to the Lisa Leslie Award watch list, given annually at the nation’s top institution. This is the third time in his career that Lee has been named to the Leslie Award watch list. In 2022, Lee became the first to be honored.
• State was one of 11 teams in the nation and one of three in the Big 12 (Baylor, Texas) this season to place three players on three different award watch lists.
• Gregory and Lee were also named to the 2023-24 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Watch List.
