Lee stood at the free throw line with four minutes left in the game. The head coach looked at the board.
It looked funny when I looked up. It looked weird, and I have never seen that on a board before.
Lee went 15 of 17 from the free throw line to bring her 59 points. She was focused on the game, but the junior was about to become the first woman to play in a World Series. The NCAA Division I women's basketball record for most points scored in a game was two points away from being broken.
She had already smashed through her personal record of 43 points and had started the fourth quarter with 49, one point behind the Big 12 single-game record of 50 points.
I remember thinking, "At no point can we let up." Lee said.
Lee established a position in the post, took a pass from Glenn, and went up for a layup. She has executed a run-of-the-mill play many times in her college career.
Lee was running in transition as the ball hit the net. The crowd was louder than she thought it would be.
That was the time when I was like, "Oh, okay." Lee said that he did something really big.
The K-State and OU meet again. Lloyd Noble Center is the home of the Sooners. The eyes of those who were on the court and in the stadium set the stage for the second game. The game is on at 3:00 PM.
The University of Oklahoma women's basketball players weren't made available to interview.
Yokie, as he is known, gave a teammate a ride to K-State. The coaching staff had breakfast at the arena before the game. Lee takes a nap in a recliner in the locker room as part of her home game routine. The head coach noticed something different about Lee in the locker room before the game. Something made me feel special.
Rebekah Dallinger, K-State guard: I don't have a car and Ayoka picks me up a lot. She seemed locked in when we went in together that morning. She was ready to play. No one was aware that this was going to happen.
It was an early game. We had a shoot-around at 8:20 a.m. The shoot-around was shorter because the coach didn't want the girls to wake up too early. We have a pre-game meal right above the stadium. That is a delicious breakfast.
The K-State center was looking forward to taking a nap because of how early the start was. I was ready to go after I woke up, but it was a mediocre nap.
I told the coaches that Lee is locked in. Normally, she is pretty focused, but she had a good look at her in the locker room.
This is a funny story, because before the game, we talk and everything, and I am hyping Ayoka up. She scored a big number when we played OU. I was joking with her. You are going to drop 40 tonight. Lee scored 37 and 33 points against OU. "Let's go, let's go," she said. We will see.
The analyst said that the man was buzzing. When the gates are officially opened for the fans, everyone comes in at the top level, because the bowl is set down in this way. You can see people filling in all the stairs after you watch them pour down the stairs. There was anticipation for a ranked team and a good game in the Big 12.
The OU games have always been the most difficult games for me to play at K-State. They like to push it. It was expected to be a fast-paced game.
We were optimistic. I think every coach is positive. A vulnerable basketball team is a team that loses confidence.
Every time you prepare for Kansas State, you focus on the different adjustments you want to make for a player like Ayoka. You have to change your entire plan around her. I think everyone knew that it was going to be hard.
It was a good game because Oklahoma and Kansas State had played the year before and it had come down to a last play. I was aware that Oklahoma had a hard time defending a big, inside player. I knew that she had set a school record the year before with 37 points. I thought that Ayoka Lee would have another good day against Oklahoma, but I didn't think she would set an NCAA record.
After 6 to nothing, K-State's lead grew significantly. You have to credit them for their defense as well because we were a little bit uncharacteristic on the offensive end.
The sideline reporter for the K-State athletics game was getting crowd shots. I was talking to the board show producers and directors. It was 14 points in the first quarter, and it started off like that. I think it was towards the end of the first quarter, beginning of the second quarter, but our producer told us to get a graphic ready because Ayoka Lee is about to break a bunch of records.
There was a shot in the first half where she had a jumper, and you always hear athletes talk about being in the zone. It is hard to explain, but the basket looks three times the size because you are so focused. She had a jumper in the second quarter that I thought was a good one.
The more K-State scored, the more we got back in our heels, and then they just kept going. We needed to rebound and convert when something happened to our way, but we didn't. Sometimes that happens.
Lee: I remember catching a pass that I was off balance, was either in the process of moving or bumped, and I just turned around and shot it, and did not expect to make it. I did. I was like, "Okay, cool."
When she was on fire in the first quarter, you knew she was going to have a big game.
Lee scored 43 points in the first game of the year. I knew it was a personal high. She had broken the K-State record for points in a Big 12 game when she scored 38 against Iowa State.
We need to start looking at what records she could potentially break, because this looks like she is going to be scoring a lot of points.
When we went into half, the stat sheet said she had 32 at half. At that point, you're like, "WOW, she's putting up some big numbers." Now, what we talked about at halftime, that was probably my first realization that she's probably going." I didn't think about anything else other than they are going to double and triple team her in the second half.
I thought at the half that they were going to limit Lee's touches in the second half. They will give her 10 or 12 points. I was really thinking about this when she starts scoring again in the third quarter. I was certain that we were going to witness something great today.
You are constantly thinking that you need to make changes. In order to make some adjustments, we have to be able to do basic fundamental things. We had a lot of people in trouble, so there is not as much you can do. You cannot combat size with size that you don't have. You have to try different things.
Lee: Our defense was doing well, but I also remember being like, "At no point can we let up." which is, I guess, a little excessive." I don't know. I remember being like, "Okay, every play matters."
Lee's mother: I didn't know about the Big 12 or the NCAA record. I was hoping that she would break her own record and get 45 points.
Nathan Enserro, assistant sports editor at the Kansas State Collegian, said that crowd noise can interfere with his ability to think straight.
The whole game was watched by Ross Lovelace, the OU Daily reporter. The murmur kept getting louder with every basket. The people would go nuts when she crossed 40. When she gets to 50, you think they can go crazy the same way they did at 40.
Dallinger was sitting next to Staci Gregorio on the bench and she got a notification on her Apple watch that said, "Watch this now, can Ayoka beat the DI NCAA?"
At that point, she had four points left, and I was like, "Wait, are you kidding me?" It was still the fourth quarter with seven minutes to go. That is really crazy.
I cried when she got 51 points, because she was about to break the Big 12 record. I don't know where she is.
It was so strange. I thought it was crazy. Oh my gosh! I was like that. I was on cloud nine when she broke the Big 12 record. I saw that on the Apple Watch screen. This is my team!
I don't know what coach mittie was thinking. He didn't talk about it the whole time. He was just teaching. He didn't talk about the record the whole time we were at the game.
It was hard to not to support her on her way. It was cool to see a basketball performance that was centered around her. Whether it was hook shots, layups, catching the ball high and finishing high, Lee was dominating. It was cool to see someone put it all together and have it perfect for a night.
She must have just broken her own record because the crowd started making louder noises on certain baskets, so my thought was, "oh, she must have just broken her own record." I didn't look at the score until she had 58.
At halftime, I got a text from the Director of Women's Basketball and Soccer Communications at K-State that said that Lee has set the school record for points in a half. There was a moment. I believe it was either 50 or 51 when the Big 12 record was confirmed. I know it was set against Kansas State. That was a great moment for the program and for Ayoka Lee, who was a dominant center, that her record broke.
It looked funny when I looked up. It looked odd. I have never seen that before next to a player's name, and it just looked different. I already knew what the Big 12 record was when I looked up at 58. I knew that she had already crossed that, so I was like, "Oh, this is a NCAA record."
The team was getting more restless. Everyone was clenching their teeth a little bit when we were approaching the 60 point mark. Time comes into factor when you get her the ball.
Lee had no idea. Everyone always tells me the story of Randy. I think it is fun to hear that she is going to break a national record, and how they kept it quiet on the bench. I had no idea.
The last shot was the most memorable for me, because it was my first realization that this is a record here. She is breaking the record. It was almost like it was in slow motion when the play came.
You are watching her post up, you are watching the ball reverse, and you want to give her the ball.
Glenn: I think the last pass that got her to 61 was a pass from me, and the bench just went crazy, and I was like, "Wait, what happened?" I was happy about that.
I was on my feet before the play. She makes a basket. I remember going crazy. I was jumping up and down. The stadium was loud.
Lee didn't know it was a pass to the wing, left shoulder, turn around hook shot or layup. Yeah. The crowd goes after the shot. I didn't expect to be taken out. I think that was the moment when I said, "Oh, okay." I did something big.
The people around her, her coaches, her teammates, and the community really supported her.
Emilee Ebert is a guard at K-State. It was loud. When she came out of the game, I went in for her. To be able to hug her and tell her how proud I am of her. That was very special for me.
She takes a lot of wear and tear, and it had gotten to where we were going to win the game. I felt like she had the record at that point. Let the fans show their appreciation by getting her out. It seemed like the right time because you knew the fans wanted to do that.
Holly Warlick and I were calling the game and I got chills. She broke the K-State record for scoring and the Big 12 record for scoring that day. She broke the NCAA record for scoring in a single game. She was unstoppable and it was cool to be a part of it.
There is not much to say after that one, said Baranczyk in a post-game interview. That was a great performance by Ayoka Lee. You never want to be on the wrong side of an NCAA record, but I thought that she was absolutely phenomenal, and we just didn't have an answer.
The guards have to be willing for a center to do that. The guards have to get her the ball. You have to have a total team commitment to make the right basketball play to do it without a three pointer.
Lee: Getting to see my mom and celebrate with her, she is crying, I am so proud of you. It was really nice to share that moment with her.
Lee was at the other end of the court doing her interview and our team was all kind of stuck. I made sure the entire team went to Yokie to celebrate with her and get on TV because that was a team thing. I told you all to leave. You have to leave.
At first, we were like, "Give her a moment." Let her speak. She deserves to be celebrated. We ran at her and bombarded her.
I had no idea that they were behind me, but also that I love you guys so much.
We wanted to show her how much she means to us. We ran up on it, gave her a huge hug, and that picture captured it all, I think. The big smile on her face. It was important to show her that she was loved and how big of an accomplishment this was.
I always ask the athletic directors to give me something a little bit off the beaten path. I said, "Oh, really?" He said, "Ayoka is really a good baker." I think she makes chocolate chip banana bread. At Big 12 media day, I asked her about that. I asked her at the end of the broadcast if she likes to do that on special occasions.
She always takes the bananas from the nutrition area. There is some bananas that need to be made into banana bread.
I said that this seems like a special occasion, and she said that we might have to make some for the team.
If we beat a ranked team, we will throw water on him. Serena Sundell, K-State guard: Once Coach Mittie comes into the locker room, we all wait for him and then if we beat a ranked team, we will throw water on him. Everyone knew what was going to happen.
When I walked into the locker room, I knew they were going to throw water on me, but before they could, I told them to get Lee with the water.
Lee: Coach Mittie came in and he told me to get Yokie and then I was doused in ice cold water. That was great.
They were fresh out of the fridge. It was so cold, and you could tell it was freezing, and everyone was showering her, and the locker room was a disaster. Everything was wet.
Lee was good. We were not very good. She had good players around her. They have to be able to make the passes. They are not a single player team. Many people got her to the ball. She has a supporting cast that will allow her to do that. Lee constantly credits her teammates and I think she is a classy young person.
There were 15 of us. We went out to eat and hung out to celebrate. I asked Ayoka if he knew what he just did after I rode with her to the pizza shop. You are insane. She said that it was so fun.
It was a great game. She was all about the team. She was so immersed in her friends and what they were doing that her phone was blowing up all the time.
Last year, Cymone, Emilee and Rachel got to go to the Basketball Hall of Fame and I was thinking, "We were just there and now you have your jersey going there."
After that, I got a lot of text messages with my name in them. I never thought that would happen.
I would still be enough even if this didn't happen, but what a blessing to be able to experience this moment.
Kansas State is in the top 6 in the Big 12. Oklahoma is in 3rd place in the Big 12. In the upcoming season, Ayoka Lee has an average of 23 points per game. K-State defeated OU.
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