By:
Missouri (2-0) at Wichita State (0-1)Â
Date: Nov. 18 Tip: 7 p.m.
Location: Wichita, Kan.
Arena: Charles Koch Arena (10,506)
Free Audio: www.goshockers.com/watch
Talent: Steve Strain
Free Video: www.espn3.com
Talent: Dylan Seybert and
Denning Gerig
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Quickly...Wichita State (0-1) plays host to Missouri (2-0) Wednesday night in the home-opener for the Shockers. WSU will drop the 2014-15 MVC Regular-Season and Tournament Championship banners, and the NCAA Tournament banner.
-It is also "We Back Pat" Night, a national and MVC initiative to help raise Alzheimer's awareness and support the foundation of Pat Summitt.-The Shockers are coming off a 79-54 loss at Creighton Friday afternoon. The Missouri Tigers are 2-0 with wins at Missouri Valley Conference member Missouri State, 71-55, on Friday, and a 85-34 win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Monday night.Â
-The Shockers returned five players from last year's NCAA Tournament team, including three who came off the bench for WSU. Junior guard
Jaleesa Chapel returns with the most experience, having played in 63 games with two starts the previous two years.
-Eight Shockers will suit up against the Tigers. Freshman
Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage has not been released to play after knee surgery prior to her arrival at WSU, and
Rangie Bessard, who transferred from Minnesota prior to the Spring semester has to sit out this semester per NCAA rules.
-WSU won its first of two exhibitions, 68-61, on Nov. 8 led by
Jyar Francis' 21 points. WSU also plays an exhibition Dec. 29. -Missouri leads the series, 5-0, overall, with the last meeting a 49-44 Tiger win in the first game of the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 22, 2012.
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Home Streak on the Line Wednesday...When Missouri comes to Wichita Wednesday, WSU's 17-game home winning streak will be on the line. The Shockers have won 17-straight regular-season home games dating to a loss Feb. 23, 2014 to Indiana State in 2013-14. The Shockers won all 16 regular-season home games in 2014-15 and went 14-2 in 2013-14 for a two-year home record of 30-2. WSU's other loss in 2013-14 was to St. Joseph's in overtime.
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Eight is Enough... The Shockers return five players in 2015-16 off of last year's roster, including three who came off the bench for WSU. Junior guard
Jaleesa Chapel returns with the most experience, having played in 63 games with two starts the last two years. Â Eight Shockers will suit up against Missouri. Freshman
Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage has not been released to play after knee surgery prior to her arrival at WSU, and
Rangie Bessard, who transferred from Minnesota prior to the Spring semester has to sit out this semester per NCAA rules.
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Francis MVC POW... Jyar Francis, who was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week on Monday. had a team-leading 15 points and eight rebounds in the loss at Creighton and also led WSU in scoring in the Shockers' first exhibition. She shot 50 percent from the field (5-10) and made 4-of-9 free throws against Missouri, and also had an assist and a steal in her first regular-season game as a Shocker. WSU won its first of two exhibitions, 68-61, on Nov. 8 and were also led by Francis' 21 points.
On Missouri... Mizzou opened the regular season with a 71-55 victory at Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite Missouri State on Friday evening and followed that up with a 85-34 win over UAPB on Monday night. The Tigers outscored the Bears 27-8 in the fourth quarter and held MSU to only one basket in its final 16 shots to close the game.
-Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday. She finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals in her NCAA debut at Missouri State on Friday. Cunningham leads the team in points (17.0) and assists (4.0) and is tied for the lead in rebounding (4.0). She is the first McDonald's High School All-American to join the Mizzou Women's Basketball program.
-The 34 points allowed by the Mizzou defense on Monday against UAPB was the least by an opponent since a 53-30 victory over UT Martin on Dec. 7, 2010. Senior Michelle Hudyn (Kitchener, Ontario) and sophomore Bri Porter (Columbia, Mo.) have set new career-highs in rebounding with 13 and eight, respectively, during the first two games of the season.
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Shockers Picked Fifth...The Shockers were picked fifth in the MVC Preseason vote of coaches, SIDs, Radio play-by-play and beat writers. Missouri State was picked as the favorite, and the Lady Bears are coming off another successful season, advancing to the 2014-15 MVC Tournament championship as they closed out last season winners of 10 of their final 12 games, and received 22 of 40 first-place votes and 373 total points, out-distancing Drake (347), UNI (320) and Southern Illinois (297). It is the Shockers' lowest position in the preseason poll since 2010-11 when the Shockers were also picked fifth. Despite winning the league, the league tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament the last three seasons, WSU has only been the favorite once, in 2014-15, in the 32 years of the poll. The Shockers were chosen second in 2012-13 and 2013-14 and came away with the title at the end of loop play.
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On the Web... Wichita State's home games this season will be broadcast on the internet at www.goshockers.com/watch/ with Steve Strain, who is in his second season calling the action for the Shockers. Steve is a veteran of radio and television, called women's basketball for the Texas Tech Lady Raiders from 2009-13. Strain will also call road games on KNSS 1330 with the exception of the game at Creighton which will be  internet-only due to afternoon conflicts with KNSS programming.
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On the Creighton Game... Wichita State fell to Creighton, 79-54, Friday afternoon inside D.J. Sokol Arena. The Shockers, who held a 28-27 halftime lead before being out-scored, 24-5 in the third quarter, were led by freshman
Jyar Francis' 15 points and eight rebounds. Junior
Marija Pacar's 14 points rounded-out the Shockers' double-figure scoring. Creighton was led by Audrey Faber's 14 points, while Sydney Lamberty, and M.C. McGrory had 12 points each. Lauren Works had 11 points as the fourth double-figure CU scorer. A 28-27 Shocker halftime lead turned into a 51-33 Creighton lead after the Bluejays out-scored WSU, 24-5 in the third quarter on the back of three treys and eight points from Brianna Rollerson. CU also out-scored the Shockers in the last frame, 28-21. CU out-shot the Shockers, 52 percent (26-50) to 41.9 percent (18-43), and also out-boarded WSU, 28-25. On the Central Oklahoma Exhibition... Wichita State defeated Central Oklahoma in their first exhibition game of the season, 68-61.
   The Shockers were led by freshman
Jyar Francis who finished the game with team-highs in points at 21 and rebounds with six. Sophomore
Diamond Lockhart also contributed 20 points.
   Wichita State out-shot Oklahoma Central 47% (22-for-47) to 44% (24-for-54). The Shockers also out-rebounded the Bronchos 33 to 29.
   The Bronchos were led by McKenzie Solberg who had 19 points and seven rebounds.
  WSU also plays Oklahoma Christian in an exhibition Dec. 29.
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On Jody Adams... Adams (Tennessee, '94) is in her eighth season at Wichita State as the only Shocker women's basketball coach to make an NCAA appearance and win an MVC regular-season and MVC Tournament championship at WSU. Her 2012-13 team accomplished all of that, then the 2013-14 and 2014-15 teams repeated the exact same feat. WSU has won three-straight MVC regular-season and MVC Tournament titles while heading off to its third-straight NCAA Tournament.Â
At 29-5 overall, the 2014-15 team broke the school's season win record by three games.
She is 147-79 in seven seasons at WSU and 171-91 overall in eight seasons as a head coach, which includes a 24-8 record as head coach at Murray State in 2007-08.
In addition, WSU is 88-24 (.785) overall at home under Adams, including 16-0 in 2014-15.
Adams is first on the WSU all-time wins list. She passed Linda Hargrove, who won 113 games at WSU from 1989-98, on Fri., Feb. 21, 2014 in a win against Illinois State.
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Williams Signs NLI...Kayla Williams, a 6-foot-1 wing from Memphis, Tenn., has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Wichita State, Head Coach Jody Adams announced Nov. 11.
"I'm very excited Kayla Williams chose to join our Shocker family," Adams said. "Her basketball background in high school and AAU is very competitive. Her teams compete for championships each year, so it's an expectation of Kayla to win championships at Wichita State. Â
"She has a natural scorer's mentality at the three position with the ability to manufacture shots and to knock down the three. Â I love her 6-1 frame that can defend multiple positions in our defensive system. She also rebounds with instinct. Â We are super-excited to have a player of her ability, mindset and expectations."
Williams plays high school basketball for Overton High School in Memphis under Coach Lynn Smith, who played at Kansas State with Mitch Richmond and against Xavier McDaniel and Antoine Carr in Charles Koch Arena. She averaged 15.0 points and 4.0 rebounds as a junior in high school, and was named to the all-district tournament team, all-regional team, and All-Shelby County team. In AAU basketball, she plays for Team Penny AAU, a club run by Anfernee Hardaway.
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