MANHATTAN, Kan.—K-State (9-2) will take on its second Big Sky opponent during its 2022-23 non-conference schedule, as the Wildcats face Northern Colorado on Sunday at 1 p.m. K-State's first Big Sky foe this season was Northern Arizona during the 2022 Paradise Jam.
• Sunday's game will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Missy Heidrick (analyst) and Jazsmin Halliburton (sideline) will have the call.
Starting 5
Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State WBB
1. G-Squared Reaches 1K
• Senior Gabby Gregory reached and surpassed 1,000 points in her collegiate career (1,018 - 785 at Oklahoma; 233 at K-State) with her 31 points against South Dakota State on Dec. 10. She paces the Wildcats this season with 21.2 points per game and leads the Big 12 and ranks 12th in the nation in scoring average.
2. Home Court Advantage
• K-State has won 17 consecutive non-conference home games, including six straight this season, dating to Dec. 8, 2020.
3. All the Delicious Turnovers
• Over the last two games, K-State has forced 53 turnovers including a season-high 33 by Kansas City on Dec. 7. In those two games, the Wildcats have scored 57 points off opponent turnovers.
4. Ebert at the Line
• Senior guard Emilee Ebert owns the second-longest consecutive free throws made streak in school history (34 straight) and is a perfect 26-of-26 this season.
5. Sundell Evenly Distributed
• Sophomore guard Serena Sundell is the only player in the Big 12 averaging 12 or more points, 6 or more rebounds and five or more assists.
Number to Know
.805
• K-State has elevated its free throw shooting to new heights this season.
• The Wildcats are shooting .805 (198-of-246) from the charity stripe and leads the Big 12 in free throw percentage, free throws made and free throws attempted. K-State is seventh in the nation in free throw percentage.
• K-State is averaging 18.0 free throws made per game. The Wildcats have six games with 18 or more free throws made this season.
• In the 2021-22 season, K-State registered a school record free throw percentage of 76.2 percent (420-of-551).
• This was the 18th season K-State finished with a free throw percentage of 70.0 percent or better and was the fourth time in the last five seasons the Wildcats shot 70.0 percent or better at the line.
At a Glance: Northern Colorado
• Northern Colorado (6-2) enters Sunday's game following a home game with Omaha on Friday, December 16.
• On the sideline, the Bears are led by second-year head coach Kristen Mattio. The 2003 graduate of Evangel owns a career record of 175-53 (.768) and a 21-18 (.539) mark in Greeley.
• On the floor, Northern Colorado is led by Hannah Simental and Delaynie Byrne.
• Simental, a junior guard from Pueblo, Colo., is the team's top scorer at 18.4 points per game.
• Byrne, a junior forward from Arvada, Colo., is second in scoring at 15.6 per game and leads the squad on the boards at 8.1 per game.
Last Time Out
SDSU 82, (24/25) vs. K-State 78 (Dec. 10, 2022; Kansas City, Mo.)
• A fourth quarter comeback effort by K-State fell short at Municipal Auditorium on Dec. 10, as South Dakota State slipped by with an 82-78 win.
• Gabby Gregory tallied her second 30-point game of the season, as she carded 31 points, six rebounds and two assists.
• Serena Sundell joined Gregory in double figures with 15 points, six assists, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
K-State's 12th Month Record
• In the 55th year of women's basketball at K-State, the Wildcats own a record of 235-102 (.697) in the month of December.
• Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 34-17 (.667) in the month of December.
• K-State has had a .500 or better record in the month of December 46 times in its history, including a current streak of 26 consecutive seasons.
Wildcats Picking Pockets
• Kansas State has opened the season with quick hands, as the Wildcats are second in the Big 12 in steals per game (10.4 spg).
• The Wildcats have pocketed 114 steals in its first 11 games. Of the 206 opponent turnovers, 55.3 percent have come by way of a K-State steal.
• Against Kansas City on Dec. 7, K-State registered a season-high 20 steals. This marked the most steals by the Wildcats since Dec. 22, 2014, against Abilene Christian (24).
• In the 2021-22 season, K-State recorded 245 steals (7.4 spg) and had nine games with 10 or more steals. Of the 513 opponent turnovers, K-State forced a steal on 47.8 percent of those turnovers.
Cats Cash In at the Charity Stripe
• Kansas State continues to earn trips to the free throw line, which is a trend during head coach Jeff Mittie's time at K-State.
• The Wildcats are shooting 80.5 percent (198-of-246) from the foul line this season and have made more free throws than their opponents have attempted, 198-186. K-State has recorded 23.3 percent of its points this season from the foul line.
• Kansas State leads the Big 12 and ranks seventh in the nation for free throw percentage.
• K-State has shot 80.0 percent or better from the line six times this season (4-2), including a high of 94.7 percent (18-of-19) against South Dakota State on Dec. 10.
• The Wildcats have made 20 or more free throws in a game four times this season.
• Against Northern Arizona on Nov. 25, the Wildcats made a season-high 28 free throws and attempted 39 freebies. The 39 attempts were the most in the Mittie era and the most since K-State attempted 41 against Colorado on Jan. 13, 1990.
• The 28 made fouls shots were the most since K-State made 29 against TCU on March 1, 2021.
• Last season, K-State shot 420-of-551 (.762) from the foul line. K-State is receiving 19.3 percent of its point total from the charity stripe.
• K-State's free throw percentage of 76.2 percent established a school record for team free throw percentage in a single-season.
• The Wildcats ranked second in the Big 12 and 27th in the nation for free throw percentage and ranked second in league-only games (.765).
• This was the seventh season under Mittie in which K-State made 350 or more free throws in a season with a high of 462 in the 2016-17 season. K-State's 420 free throws made this season are the most since the 2018-19 season (424).
• The Wildcats made 80.0 percent or more of its free throws in a game 14 times last season (11-3). K-State had more free throw attempts than its opponents in 16 games (12-4).
Generating Offense from Defense
• Kansas State has used an opportunistic defense to create additional offensive chances this season.
• K-State's opponents have turned the ball over 206 times (18.7 topg). K-State ranks second in the Big 12 in turnover margin at +5.91.
• The Wildcats have tallied 207 points off opponent turnovers (18.8 per game | 1.00 points per turnover). The 207 points are 24.4 percent of K-State's overall point total.
• K-State has a +111 margin in points off turnovers compared to its opponents (207-96).
• The Wildcats have five games with 20 or more points off turnovers, including a season-high 32 against Kansas City on Dec. 7. The 32 points off turnovers marked the most since the Wildcats score 34 points off turnovers by Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, 2021.
• K-State has seven games with 25 percent or more of its points off turnovers, including a season-high 44.4 percent against Kansas City on Dec. 7.
Gregory Notches 30-Point Games
• Guard Gabby Gregory has poured in points at a high rate, including a career-high effort in a single-game.
• This season, Gregory has a career-high two games with 30 or more points. She came to K-State from Oklahoma with one career game with 30 or more points. Her two games with 30 or more points leads the Big 12 this season.
• In K-State history, Gregory is the 12th player to score 30 or more points in two or more games in her Wildcat career. Gregory is the first Wildcat guard since Brittany Chambers in the 2012-13 season to notch two or more games with 30 or more points in a game.
• Against Northern Arizona on Nov. 25, Gregory attained a career-high 35 points and pulled in 10 rebounds to notch her second career double-double.
• She is the 10th player in program history to score 35 or more points in a game and the point total ranks tied for 10th in school history for points in a single-game.
• This was Gregory's first career game with at least 30 points and 10 or more rebounds.
• Gregory's 35 points are the most scored by a Big 12 player this season and the most by a Wildcat since Ayoka Lee scored 61 points against Oklahoma on Jan. 23, 2022.
• Against South Dakota State on Dec. 10, Gregory carded 31 points and tallied six rebounds.
Gregory Quickly Climbing Chart
• Guard Gabby Gregory has been a dynamic addition to the K-State lineup this season.
• Gregory is averaging 21.2 points per game (233 points) and ranks sixth in school history since the 2011-12 season for points scored by a K-State transfer in their first season with the Wildcats.
• The most points scored by a transfer player in their first season with the Wildcats is 335 by Tasha Dickey in the 2011-12 season.
• Only three transfer players completed their first season with K-State with 300 or more points scored: Dickey, Angela Harris (329) and Karyla Middlebrook (301).
Sundell Sets the Table
• Serena Sundell has established herself at the point for K-State with her distribution skills.
• In the 2022-23 season, Sundell has handed out 58 assists (5.3 apg) including a season-high nine against Clemson on Nov. 24 and eight assists with zero turnovers against Houston on Dec. 4. Sundell owns three career games with five or more assists and zero turnovers.
• Sundell ranks third in the Big 12 in assists per game and leads the league and is ninth in the nation for assist to turnover ratio (3.22).
• She has 27 career games with five or more assists including a career-high 11 assists.
• Sundell's career total stands at 234 and ranks 23rd on the K-State career assists list.
• Her career assist to turnover ratio of 2.07 is the school record (min. 100 career assists).
• The 2022 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient handed out 176 assists (5.3 apg) and a 1.85 assist to turnover ratio in her freshman season.
• Sundell's total of 176 assists ranked seventh in school history for a single season. Sundell was responsible for 32.3 percent of K-State's assists last season.
• Sundell was the second freshman in program history with 175 or more assists in their debut season and her total of 175 ranked second among K-State freshmen behind Shalee Lehning's school record of 189 in 2005-06.
• Sundell, a five-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week recipient in 2021-22, was third in the Big 12 and 20th in the nation for total assists. She was second in the Big 12 and 23rd in the nation for assists per game.
• Among the nation's freshmen, Sundell was second in total assists and assists per game.
• Against Iowa State on Jan. 11, Sundell tallied a career-high 11 assists. This was the 15th time a K-State player handed out 11 assists in a game and was the most assists by a Wildcat since Kayla Goth tied the school record with 13 against West Virginia on March 9, 2019.
• At South Dakota State on Dec. 11, Sundell dished 10 assists with just one turnover.
• Sundell handed out nine assists with one turnover against Central Arkansas in the season-opener on Nov. 9. Her nine assists set the school record for assists in a K-State debut.
Glenn Gains Possession
• Jaelyn Glenn has proven to be a defender with quick hands.
• To open the 2022-23 season, Glenn has tallied a team-high 31 steals (2.8 spg). She leads the Big 12 and ranks 34th in the nation for steals per game and leads the league and ranks 13th in the nation for total steals.
• Glenn has pocketed two or more steals in a game nine times this season including four games with four or more.
• The last Wildcat to average two or more assists for a season was Ashia Woods (2.2 spg) in the 2014-15 season.
• In the season-opener against Central Arkansas on Nov. 7, Glenn notched four steals and followed that effort with five steals against Wisconsin on Nov. 11.
• For her career, Glenn possesses 20 games with two or more steals including seven games with four or more steals. She is tied for fifth in school history for career games with five or more steals.
• In the 2021-22 season, Glenn led K-State in steals with 1.4 per game and 46 total thefts.
• Glenn set her career-high with six steals against Texas Tech on Feb. 5, 2022.