By Tim Everson

If there was any worry about how the fifth-seeded Kansas State women would fare in the NCAA tournament after ending the season with losses in three of their last four games, let the Wildcats 44-point smackdown of No. 12 seed Fairfield put worried minds at ease.

K-State, led once again by star Ayoka Lee after more than two months of injury concerns, blasted the upstart Stags, leaving no doubt in a 85-41 opening-round win Friday afternoon in Lexington, Kentucky.

K-State (27-7) came out of the game red-hot, building as much as a 13-point lead, 17-4, midway through the first quarter.

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By Zach DeLoach

Ayoka Lee, the 14th-ranked Wildcats’ leading scorer and rebounder, has been sidelined since Jan. 19 when she suffered a fracture in her foot against Arizona State. However, Mittie said he’s still hopeful Lee will play Saturday when K-State hosts rival Kansas.

“There’s been nothing that would indicate anything differently than that,” he said.

Coaches have been optimistic about Lee’s return before the end of the regular season since they first announced the injury. Mittie said Lee has been ramping back up to where she was before getting hurt, including an individual workout before the Wildcats’ game at Cincinnati on Wednesday. Now, she’s running, jumping and doing agility training as well as “basketball stuff,” according to Mittie.

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