Shockers Close Road Swing Sunday at ISU

1/3/2016 12:57:00 AM

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Wichita State Shockers (3-9, 0-1) at Illinois State Redbirds (2-10, 0-1)

Time: 2:05 p.m. Central
Date: Jan. 3, 2016

Location: Normal, Ill.

Arena: Redbird Arena (10,200)

Radio --- Online: GoShockers.com/KNSS 1330 AM-- Talent: Steve Strain (1:45 p.m. Cent./15 Minute Pregame Show)
The Valley on ESPN3: Watch
Live Stats --- StatBroadcast

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Quickly...Wichita State (3-9, 0-1) is on its first Missouri Valley Conference road swing of the season and faces Illinois State (2-10, 0-1) Sun., Jan. 3, after dropping a 59-33 loss at Indiana State on Friday.
-WSU's offensive night (20.8 percent) contiributed to the loss. TaQuandra Mike had a team-leading 18 points in 6-of-18 shooting while Rangie Bessard's seven boards led WSU on the glass.
-Prior to this trip, WSU last played on the road prior to Christmas, Dec. 22, at Tennessee Tech and lost, 54-48, but had a mid-season exhibition tuneup against Division II Oklahoma Christian Dec. 29. WSU won that contest, 63-45. Most notable, WSU played 10 players in the game for the first time this season after battling injury through the fall semester.
-The Shockers last played in at home in a game that counted Dec. 18-19, in the Papa John's Winter Classic, and defeated Priarie View A&M (64-36) and North Carolina A&T State (55-53).
-After playing just one home game in November, WSU played just one game on the road in December, Tuesday, at Tennessee Tech. Six of the Shockers' seven games in December were at home, while four of five November games were away from Wichita.
-WSU is led in scoring and rebounding by Rangie Bessard, who averages 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds a game in the six games she has played in 2015-16 since becoming eligible after sitting out after transferring from Minnesota.
-WSU was led in scoring through the first six games by freshman Jyar Francis, who currently averages a team-third 11.8 points a game off the bench, but missed four games with a concussion before returning for the Tennessee Tech game. TaQuandra Mike averages a team-second 11.8 points a game.
-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 returned with the most experience, having played in 63 games with two starts the previous two years, while Aundra Stovall and Brittany Martin both also played a year ago off the bench.
-Eleven Shockers will suit up against the Redbirds. Freshman Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage was released against Oklahoma Christian to play after knee surgery prior to her arrival at WSU, and she got her first career start against Indiana State. Marija Pacar recently returned after a concussion, while the Shockers added a non-scholarship player, Hannah Mortimer, a 5-4 transfer guard from Brown Mackie College in Salina, Kan. Junior Brittany Martin was also released after a knee injury to play at Indiana State. WSU has at times suited six players due to injury this season.
-At Tennessee Tech, Rangie Bessard collected her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds. She shot 36 percent (5-14) from the field and 44 percent (4-9) from the line. She also had three steals and two blocks. Francis had 11 points in her return at Tennessee Tech.

Finally Together... Wichita State's two leading scorers finally got the chance to play together at Tennessee Tech. Rangie Bessard (15.8) and Jyar Francis (12.4) had 14 and 11 points, respectively, in the game. Bessard became eligible after her transfer Dec. 11 against Tennessee, which was Francis' first of four games out with a concussion.

Getting Healthy... With the return of Marija Pacar (concussion), Jyar Francis (concussion), Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage (knee) and Brittany MArtin (knee), and the addition of non-scholarship Hannah Mortimer, the Shockers have adding depth to the bench. Pacar missed three games, Francis missed four games and Bessard (transfer) missed the first six games. Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage (knee) missed the first 11 games and was released to play the exhibition game Dec. 29. Brittany Martin missed eight games.

Shockers Open Defense...After the exhibition game Tuesday night, the Shockers headed on the road to defend their three-straight Missouri Valley Conference titles. WSU was picked in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason poll to finish fifth, its lowest position in the preseason poll since 2010-11 when the Shockers were also picked fifth. WSU finished fifth that season, then finished third in 2011-12 after being picked third, before going onto three-straight titles.

Picking Up Speed... Rangie Bessard has now played her first six games as a Shocker and collected her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 boards at Tennessee Tech. She also had 24 points and 10 rebounds against Prairie View A&M. She averages a team-leading 15.8 points and 8.6 rebounds a game, earned All-Tournament honors at the Winter Classic and earned MVC Newcomer of the Week honors in her short WSU career.

The DL on the Redbirds... Illinois State closes a four-game homestand against Wichita State. Taylor Stewart and Lexie Taylor each scored in double figures for Illinois State, but the Redbirds fell, 73-51, in their Missouri Valley Conference opener against Missouri State Friday on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. Stewart led ISU with 14 points, which was nine above her season average. Taylor chipped in with a career-high 10 points and Katrina Beck added nine. Kenzie Williams recorded a game-high 23 points for Missouri State, while Tyonna Snow added 16. Illinois State held a 27-15 advantage in bench points, while Missouri State had a slight edge in rebounds, 35-30. Illinois State women's basketball team was projected to finish 10th in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll for the 2015-16 season.

Series History... Illinois State leads the all-time series with Wichita State, 42-26. The series began in 1980 and the two teams have met twice annually since 1984. ISU won 15 of the first 17 meetings, with 10 victories coming by double-digits. Wichita State posted a 12-10 record against the Redbirds in the next 22 matchups. Since 2003, ISU is 16-12 against the Shockers, but Wichita State snapped a six-game losing streak to the Redbirds with a 59-56 home win on Jan. 16, 2011. In games played at Normal, Illinois, the Redbirds hold a 24-8 advantage.

Bessard Named MVC Newcomer of the Week... Sophomore forward Rangie Bessard averaged 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in Wichita State's three games the week of Dec. 13-20 to be named the Shockers' fourth MVC Newcomer of the Week this season, while shooting 46 percent (23-of-50) from the field. Her effort included All-Tournament Team honors after she averaged 20.0 points and 9.0 boards in the Shockers' two-game Winter Classic. She shot 58.6 percent (17-of-29) in the tournament and also had five assists, two steals and one block.

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 and competing in three-straight NCAA Tournaments.
At 29-5 overall, the 2014-15 team broke the school's season win record by three games.
She is 150-92 in her eighth season at WSU and 179-100 overall in her ninth season as a head coach, which includes a 24-8 record as head coach at Murray State in 2007-08.
In addition, WSU is 90-27 (.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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Shockers Close Road Swing Sunday at ISU