Lady Toppers fall to Kansas State, freshman Mead leads WKU’s offense
Lady Toppers’ freshman forward Jaylin Foster (11) attempts to gain possession from Purdue University Boilermaker junior forward Rickie Woltman (35) during their game on Nov. 10, 2021 in Diddle Arena.
November 15, 2021
The Lady Toppers (1-2) lost their second game in the Preseason WNIT on Sunday evening in Manhattan, Kansas, to host Kansas State (3-0). The Lady Toppers were defeated 76-44.
WKU struggled against star 6-foot-6 junior center Ayoka Lee. Lee was the Big 12 freshman of the year in 2018 and is a 2021-22 preseason Wooden Award Finalist. She was a concern for the Lady Toppers from the opening tip and had 23 points at halftime, finishing the game with 33 points and 13 rebounds.
Freshman guard Alexis Mead was the Lady Toppers’ standout player of the game. She had 18 points and six rebounds. She was the only Lady Topper who scored in double figures.
The Lady Toppers had a hard time dealing with the length of Kansas State’s defense. Kansas State had four of their five starters listed as six feet or taller. WKU only scored 17 points in the first half and could not get into an efficient offensive rhythm the entire game. The Lady Toppers also turned the ball over 22 times and lost the rebound battle 22 to 46. WKU shot just 28% from the field (17-60). The Lady Toppers only scored two fast-break points the entire game.
The Wildcats dominated the Lady Toppers from the tip. Ayoka Lee scored the first six points for either team, showing that she was a problem from the beginning. The Wildcats outscored the Lady Toppers 19-8 in the first quarter. Head coach Greg Collins went to Selma Kulo early in the game in an effort to slow down Lee.
Lee single-handedly outscored WKU in the first half, 23-17. Coach Collins came out of halftime with the strategy to double team Lee, which slowed her down a little. Alexis Mead caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 6 straight points, trying to keep the Lady Toppers in the game. The Kansas State Wildcats struggled from the three point line the entire night, not hitting their first three until the third frame. It would not matter, as the WKU offense could not close the gap late and took its second loss in a row.
The Lady Toppers will play their final game of the Preseason WNIT on Monday at 5 p.m. CT against UT Martin. WKU and UT Martin have squared off five times, with the last game also coming in a WNIT back in 2016.
Women’s basketball reporter Joseph Thompson can be reached at [email protected].
