K-State Opens 56th Season on Monday Night

GAME #1: Presbyterian (0-0, 0-0 Big South) at K-State (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Monday, November 6, 2023 | 6:30 p.m. | Bramlage Coliseum | Manhattan, Kan.

Get Your Tickets & Promotions: Call (800) 221-CATS or visit kstatesports.com/tickets
After the game, meet and greet with the team in the Shamrock Zone.

Watch the Game on Big 12 Now on ESPN+:
Play-by-Play: Brian Smoller
Analyst: Missy Heidrick
Sideline: Sophie Smith

Listen to the Game on the K-State Sports Network:
Online: kstatesports.com
Play-by-Play: Matt Walters
Analyst: Kindred Orpin

Follow Live Stats at www.kstatesports.com

Series History:
– K-State and Presbyterian are meeting for the first time.
– Head coach Jeff Mittie is facing Presbyterian for the first time.
– The Wildcats are 0-1 against current members of the Big South Conference, having lost to Radford in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Dec. 3, 1988.

MANHATTAN, Kansas – Get ready for an exciting start to the 56th season of K-State women’s basketball as they take on Presbyterian in their season opener at Bramlage Coliseum on Monday, November 6th at 6:30 p.m. This is the earliest season-opener in program history.

Don’t miss the game, which will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Brian Smoller will provide the play-by-play, accompanied by Missy Heidrick as the analyst and Sophie Smith on the sideline.

Starting 5: Five Things to Know about K-State women’s basketball:
1. Cats Predicted to Finish 4th in Big 12 Preseason Poll:
– K-State was chosen to finish fourth in the 2023-24 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll for the second time.
2. Trio Named Preseason All-Big 12:
– K-State’s Gabby Gregory and Ayoka Lee were selected for the 2023-24 Preseason All-Big 12 team, with Gregory receiving unanimous selection.
3. Jeff Mittie Entering 10th Season:
– Head coach Jeff Mittie is entering his tenth season with K-State, boasting a record of 164-127 (.564) and seven postseason appearances.
4. Gabby Gregory Makes History:
– Gabby Gregory, a fifth-year senior and candidate for the 2023-24 Drysdale Award, became the first player in K-State history to achieve 625+ points, 160+ free throws, and 80+ 3-point field goals in a single season.
5. Serena Sundell’s Stellar Sophomore Season:
– Serena Sundell, a junior guard and candidate for the 2023-24 Lieberman Award, set a school record for assists in a sophomore season (184) and holds the school records for free throws made and attempted in a season (165-of-206; .801).

Number to Know: 2,120
– K-State returns 84% (2,120 points) of its scoring from the 2022-23 season.
– The Wildcats’ top four scorers from last season, Gabby Gregory, Serena Sundell, Jaelyn Glenn, and Brylee Glenn, are all returning.
– K-State scored 2,524 points last season, the fifth-highest in program history and the most under Jeff Mittie.
– This marks the first time since 2017-18 and 2018-19 that K-State has tallied consecutive seasons with 2,000+ points.

Player Milestones to Watch for the 2023-24 Season:
– Ayoka Lee:
– Needs 339 points to reach 2,000 career points.
– Needs 113 rebounds to reach 1,000 career rebounds.
– Needs one double-double to reach 50 for her career.
– Needs four double-doubles to break the school record for career double-doubles.
– Needs 201 rebounds to set the school record for career rebounds.
– Needs 48 blocked shots to set the school record for career blocks.

– Gabby Gregory:
– Needs 67 points to reach 1,500 collegiate career points.
– Needs 352 points to reach 1,000 points scored in her K-State career.

– Serena Sundell:
– Needs 148 points to reach 1,000 career points.
– Needs 140 assists to reach 500 career assists.

– Jaelyn Glenn:
– Needs 63 steals to reach 200 career steals.

At a Glance: Presbyterian
– Presbyterian starts their season with a two-game road trip through Kansas, playing K-State on November 6th and Wichita State on November 8th.
– The Blue Hose return all 13 letter winners from the 2022-23 season and were voted second in the Big South preseason poll.
– Coached by Alaura Sharp, Presbyterian features two preseason All-Big South selections in Bryanna Brady and Tilda Sjokvist.
– Brady, a 2023 All-Big South selection, averaged a team-high 13.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season.
– Sjokvist led all Big South freshmen with 3.4 assists per game.

What is a Blue Hose?
– According to gobluehose.com, the nickname “Blue Hose” originated in the early 1900s when sportswriters referred to the Presbyterian College athletic teams as the “Blue Stockings” due to the blue socks they wore.
– Over time, the terms “stockings” and “hose” became interchangeable in newspaper headlines, leading to the shortened nickname “Blue Hose” in 1954.
– The student body embraced the nickname, and it has since become a symbol of fierce Scottish warriors, reflecting the college’s Scottish heritage.

Last Time Out: K-State 79, Pittsburg State 65 (Nov. 3, 2023; Manhattan, Kan.)
– K-State shot an impressive 50.8% from the field, securing a 79-65 win over Pittsburg State in their exhibition game.
– The Wildcats recorded 21 assists and dominated in the paint, outscoring the Gorillas 48-18.
– Ayoka Lee, making her first appearance in 592 days, led the Wildcats with 20 points and seven rebounds.
– Gisela Sanchez contributed 13 points off the bench, while Gabby Gregory tallied 12 points and four rebounds.

K-State in Season Openers:
– Kansas State has been highly successful in season openers, boasting a record of 46-9 (.836) since the team’s inaugural season in 1968-69.
– The Wildcats have won 21 of their last 23 season openers and secured victory in the past 12 consecutive season openers.
– Head coach Jeff Mittie holds an impressive 25-6 (.806) record in season openers, including a perfect 9-0 record at K-State.

K-State in Home Openers:
– K-State has won 29 of their last 31 home openers in Bramlage Coliseum.
– The Wildcats hold an overall home opener record of 46-9 (.836) and a remarkable 31-4 (.886) record in openers at Bramlage.
– Head coach Jeff Mittie has a stellar 29-2 (.935) record in home openers throughout his coaching career.

Remember the Month of November:
– In their 56 seasons of play, K-State holds a record of 154-52 (.748) in the month of November.
– The Wildcats have won 42 of their last 52 November games.
– Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State has an impressive 40-10 (.800) record in November games.
– K-State has accumulated a .500 or better record in November in 43 seasons of play, including a perfect 6-0 record in the 2016-17 season.

They Got Their Eye on Them:
– K-State women’s basketball has three players on the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) national positional awards watch lists.
– Fans can vote daily for these honors at hoophallaw

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