The RoundHouse | 11/29/2017 11:18:00 AM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Wichita State's women's basketball coach Keitha Adams is talking about offense and shooting, which brings her to rhythm.
 
That brings her to junior guard Cesaria Ambrosio, who joined the starting lineup for the past two games and contributed 13 assists in a one-point loss to Illinois and a win over UC Irvine.
 
"Offense is rhythm and as a shooter, it's rhythm," Adams said. "We've really been focusing on moving the basketball and passing the basketball."
 
Ambrosio, a transfer from Redlands (Okla.) Community College, helps that rhythm with her vision and passing. Her 20 assists in seven games, five as a reserve, rank second on the team. She played a season-high 32 minutes against Illinois and UC Irvine.
 
"She's a rebounding, defending, good play-making guard," Adams said. "She got the ball up the floor, we got some transition baskets where Ces threw it ahead."
 
The Shockers (1-6) play host to former Missouri Valley Conference rival Missouri State (1-4) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Koch Arena. Wichita State, after playing six of its first seven games away from home, plays five of its next six at home.
 
Wichita State had not shot better than 40 percent from the field in its first six games. It made 34 of 59 shots (57.6 percent) in the 76-53 win over Irvine in Albuquerque, N.M. on Sunday to end the UNM Thanksgiving Tournament.
 
"We played as a team for 40 minutes and that helped us get the win," Ambrosio said. "We moved the ball pretty well. We had fun playing."
 
Adams is optimistic that Wichita State's offense is headed in the right direction. She is calling fewer plays in recent games to see if that approach can spark the Shockers to move the ball and produce good shots.

"I want to get our players where they're just able to play and not think so much," Adams said. "The game was I most disappointed in was actually our home game against South Dakota. It was a struggle. But I think I learned some things."
 
The Shockers lost that game 62-48. They shot poorly and committed 16 turnovers while handing out eight assists.
 
"I've had teams where we've been able to run a lot of sets and run a lot of different things that was wired up to play into our strengths," she said. "But for our team, all that thinking . . . we're not finding rhythm. We've really been focusing on moving the basketball and passing the basketball and running more of a motion and getting great ball movement."
 
That fits Ambrosio, who averaged 9.1 points and 4.6 assists at Redlands.
 
"I just like passing the ball," she said. "Basketball is a team sport, so I'm trying to help the team. Scoring is not my first option."
 
Ambrosio also fits Adams' history with overseas recruiting. Ambrosio was born in Guinea-Bissau, a West African country. Her family fled the country to escape civil war. She moved to Spain and Portugal before settling in Switzerland for most of her life.
 
She made her first visit to the United States when she came to El Reno, Okla., to start school at Redlands. The caliber of basketball in the United States attracted her from Europe's club system of competition.
 
"The basketball is very different from home – very intense and the organizations are amazing," she said. "The gyms are way bigger. That's why a lot of European people come to the United States."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.