Ayoka Lee returns as Kansas State beats Fairfield 85-41 in NCAA women’s tournament

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Ayoka Lee had 17 points and 10 rebounds in her return to the lineup, and fifth-seeded Kansas State beat Fairfield 85-41 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA women’s tournament.

Lee went 7 for 10 from the field in her first game since she played just four minutes in a 90-60 victory over Kansas on Feb. 22. The 6-foot-6 center has been hampered by foot injuries.

She played 15 minutes against the Stags before departing with 2:15 remaining in the third quarter.

Next up for the Wildcats (27-7) is a second-round game against host Kentucky on Sunday.

Katey L’Amoreaux scored 11 points for No. 12 seed Fairfield (28-5), which shot a season-low 29.4% from the field.

Kansas State jumped out to a 17-4 lead. The Wildcats used an 11-2 run to make it 50-29 in the second half.

Serena Sundell had 18 points and nine assists for Kansas State, and Taryn Sides added 14 points.

Takeaways

Fairfield: The Stags entered the tournament with the nation’s 10th-best scoring defense (54 ppg), but they were no match for the bigger Wildcats.

Kansas State: Any concern about Lee’s health should be put to rest, but the Wildcats will face a much tougher test on Sunday.

Key stats

Kansas State made the most of its big size advantage. The Wildcats outrebounded the Stags 44-19 and outscored them in the paint 44-20.

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.