Kansas State basketball star Ayoka Lee scores NCAA-record 61 points in win over No. 14 Oklahoma

Ayoka Lee's breathtaking 2021-22 basketball season just went national.

Lee, Kansas State's junior center and All-America candidate, scored 61 points Sunday to break the NCAA single-game record while also leading the Wildcats to an impressive 94-65 Big 12 victory over No. 14-ranked Oklahoma at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan.

"It's crazy," said Lee, who made 23 of 30 shots from the floor and 15 of 17 free throws. "Coming into this game, I don't think anybody thinks like, 'Yeah, we're going to set a record today.'

"I just think it goes back to our preparation. This wasn't an easy scout. We knew it wasn't going to be easy, but we just executed so well, and it started with our defense."

K-State, which improved to 15-4 overall, 5-2 in the Big 12, did hold Oklahoma — the nation's third-leading scoring team — to 37.7% shooting while forcing 17 turnovers. They also outrebounded the Sooners, 44-26, with Lee grabbing 12 for her 13th double-double of the season and Jaelyn Glenn pulling down 11.

More: Kansas State women's basketball holds off a late Kansas charge for 69-61 victory

But it was Lee, ranked fourth nationally in scoring with a 23.6-point average, who stole the show.

K-State took control early, scoring the game's first 15 points, 12 by Lee. The Wildcats led 19-11 after one quarter and stretched it to 51-27 at halftime with Lee breaking the school record for points in a half with 32.

"Getting the ball inside is always a goal for us because Yokie is super-talented," said Glenn, who also had eight points, seven assists and five steals for the Wildcats. "So just turning the ball to the side that Yokie's on and just getting it in, knowing she's scoring well so we have to get it in there and continuously doing that."

With Lee scoring at will inside while Glenn and point guard Serena Sundell combined to hit 3 of 6 3-point attempts, K-State shot 50.8% as a team. Sundell had 11 points and eight assists.

Defensively, the Wildcats held Oklahoma (16-3, 5-2) to its lowest point total of the season.

"Proud of our group," K-State coach Jeff Mittie said. "I thought defensively we were really good.

"It started for us, from a team standpoint, at the defensive end."

Former McPherson High School standout Taylor Robertson had 19 points and Madi Williams 11 to lead Oklahoma. But the Sooners had no answer for Lee at the other end.

"I thought they were going to have to guard us, too," Mittie said. "And we felt like that the minutes that Yokie was on the floor needed to be significant for us.

"I think it says a lot about what type of player she is when she is trying to take a charge in a 20-point game late in the game and still doing the right things defensively and talking and not taking plays off. This is a complete player."

In addition to her scoring and rebounding, Lee had three blocked shots and a steal.

The victory was the second straight for K-State since falling out of the national rankings. The Wildcats next go on the road to face No. 15 Texas at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Ayoka Lee sets NCAA scoring record in Kansas State's win over Oklahoma