WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita State hosts Tulsa for Havoc in the Heartland and the first-ever American Athletic Conference contest on Saturday in Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers and Golden Hurricane tip at 2 p.m. on ESPN3 in the first women's basketball installment of Havoc in the Heartland.
On the Air
Saturday's game can be heard online through the Shocker HD portal at goshockers.com/listen with the voice of Shocker Women's Basketball Steve Strain calling the action. Strain begins his fourth season broadcasting games for the women's program. The game can also be seen nationwide on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
Shocker Winter Classic Record Breaker
Wichita State broke the Charles Koch Arena and tied the school record for best field goal percentage in a single game on Saturday vs. Alcorn State. The Shockers finished the game 34-of-52, good for 65.4 percent. It shattered the Charles Koch Arena record and tied the program best set back on Feb. 19, 1982 vs. UAB.
Conference Openers
Wichita State kicks off another season of conference action vs. Tulsa, however it will be the first as a member of the American Athletic Conference. The Shockers are 13-22 all-time in conference openers, but have found themselves on the losing end the last two seasons in the conference lid-lifter. Wichita State is 8-9 in conference openers at home compared to just 5-13 on the road.
Catching up with the Golden Hurricane
Tulsa comes into the matchup sporting a 6-7 record. The Golden Hurricane own wins over Little Rock (74-61), UMKC (76-52), Binghamton (60-55), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (87-37), South Dakota (64-61) and Arkansas State (68-58) with losses to American (67-72), Belmont (65-90), Alaska-Anchorage (53-59), Oral Roberts (41-53), North Texas (43- 66), Arkansas (41-67) and Saint Louis (66-77). Shug Dickson leads the way at 15.5 points per game. Crystal Polk ranks second on the team with a 8.1 points per game average. Kendrian Elliott leads Tulsa in rebounding (8.2 rpg) and Alexis Gaulden and Tatyana Perez lead the team with 26 assists. Tulsa averages 61.9 points per game and allowing 62.2 a contest.
Wichita State-South Dakota State Leftovers
Wichita State gave up season highs in points (96) and field goal percentage (69.2%) to the red-hot Jackrabbits... Senior F
Rangie Bessard scored a season-high 25 points for her fifth 20-point game of the season... Senior F
Angiee Tompkins was the only other Shocker in double-digits with 12 points... The loss snapped a three-game winning streak and dropped Wichita State to 0-2 all-time vs. South Dakota State.
Bessard Earns Second Honor Roll Nod
Wichita State senior forward
Rangie Bessard was named to the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll for the week of Dec. 4-10. The Rosharon, Texas, native averaged a team-high 20.0 points along with 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 50 percent from the field in Wichita State's two games. In Thursday's road contest at Missouri State, Bessard scored a game-high 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting. She followed that game with her second double-double of the season in Wichita State's win over UMKC. Bessard led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds. With her 19 points vs. UMKC, Bessard moved into 19th place on the WSU all-time scoring list - passing Keomi Johnson. This is the second weekly honor roll nod for Bessard this season.
A Tale of Two Lockharts
Wichita State senior guard
Diamond Lockhart has already surpassed the numbers she put up during all of her junior campaign. The Red Oak, Texas, native scored 105 points (3.4 ppg) on 40 made field goals and 109 attempts (36.7 percent) all of 2016-17. Through 14 games in 2017-18, Lockhart has scored 145 points (10.4 ppg), while making 55-of-130 (42.3 percent) shots from the field.
| Stat |
2016-17 |
2017-18 |
| GP |
31 |
14 |
| GS |
17 |
14 |
| Minutes |
572 |
423 |
| FG Made |
40 |
55 |
| FG Attempts |
109 |
130 |
| Free Throws Made |
15 |
30 |
| Free Throw Attempts |
21 |
32 |
| Points |
105 |
145 |
| Rebounds |
59 |
52 |
| Assists |
38 |
41 |
| Steals |
23 |
15 |
The Series with Tulsa
Wichita State and Tulsa have met 16 times, but the two programs have not played since 1999. The first ever game between Wichita State and Tulsa was played in 1978 in Wichita. The Shockers have won the last nine meetings. Wichita State is 8-0 all-time vs. Tulsa in Wichita.
About the Golden Hurricane
Located in Tulsa, Okla., the University of Tulsa has an enrollment of 4,563 as a member of the American Athletic Conference. Tulsa returns 10 letterwinners, including four starters off last year's squad that finished 10-21 and 5-11 in The American. Tulsa was picked to finish ninth in The American in the 2017-18 preseason coaches poll, one spot ahead of the Shockers. The Origination of the University of Tulsa nickname - Golden Hurricane - was created in 1922. A new football coach, Howard Archer came to town and inherited a slew of nicknames dating back to 1895. After a remark was made in practice one day about "roaring through opponents," and because of their new jersey colors (Black and Yellow), he thought of "Golden Tornadoes." But a check showed that Georgia Tech already had chosen that tag in 1917. From the tornado, he evolved meteorologically to the hurricane. A few days before the team left for a game against Texas A&M, Archer asked the squad to vote on the name, and thus "Golden Hurricane" was born. Matilda Mossman enters her seventh season as the head coach. Mossman has a career record of 235-202 during her 15 years as a head coach. Prior to taking over at Tulsa, Mossman spent three seasons at Arkansas (1981-84) and five seasons at Kansas State (1984-89).
Shocker Summary
Wichita State is 5-9 to start the 2017-18 campaign after losses to Creighton (61-66), Oklahoma State (67-91), South Dakota (48-62), No. 13/18 Tennessee (56-68), New Mexico (62-76), Illinois (67-68), Western Illinois (65-78), Missouri State (71-94) and South Dakota State (64-96). The Shockers defeated UC Irvine, 76-53, Missouri State, 72-58, UMKC, 72-63, Chicago State, 66- 63 and Alcorn State, 87-46. Senior F
Rangie Bessard leads Wichita State in scoring (18.3), rebounding (7.2) and blocks (10) through 14 games. Senior G
Diamond Lockhart ranks second on the team at 10.4 points per game. Senior F
Angiee Tompkins averages 9.7 points and is shooting a team-best 58.4 percent from the floor. Bessard has scored in double-digits in 13 of the team's first 14 contests to open the season with a trio of double-doubles. She is far and away the current leader in double-figure scoring games for Wichita State with 58 career games of 10 or more points. Out of those 58 games, she has led the team in scoring 40 times. Wichita State is averaging 66.7 points per game and allowing 70.1. Through 14 games Shocker opponents are shooting 44.3 percent overall. On the offensive side of the ball, Wichita State is making 43.4 percent of its shots, including 26.3 percent from long range. WSU has converted on 75.3 percent of its attempts from the free throw line. The Shockers have outrebounded their opponents in 11 of the first 14 contests.
Bessard Among Nation's Best
Rangie Bessard is off to a strong start in her senior campaign for the Shockers. The 6-foot-1 forward currently ranks in the top-25 of the NCAA in five offensive categories. Through 14 games Bessard ranks fifth in free throws made (68), 10th in free throw attempts (87), 14th in total points (256), 16th in field goal attempts (208) and 23rd in field goals made (93). Out of American Athletic Conference players only, Bessard ranks second in free throws made and attempted and field goal attempts, fourth in field goals made and total points, fifth in free throw percentage and points per game, sixth in rebounds and eighth in field goal percentage.
Bessard Joins the Club
In Wichita State's road contest at South Dakota State on Dec. 20, senior forward
Rangie Bessard finished with 25 points and four rebounds. With her four boards, Bessard became the 15th Shocker to record 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds.
A Shocker Win Would...
... make them 6-9 on the season
... widen the margin in the all-time series vs. TU to 16-1
... make them 9-0 vs. Tulsa in Wichita
... improve WSU's record in Charles Koch Arena to 350- 219
... run Adams' career coaching record to 417-255
... make Adams 290-218 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 576-657 all-time
A Shocker Loss Would...
... drop them to 5-10 on the season
... shrink the gap in the all-time series to 15-2 vs. Tulsa
... drop them to 8-1 vs. the Hurricane in Wichita
... make WSU 250-220 all-time in Charles Koch Arena
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 416-256
... make Adams 289-219 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 575-658 all-time
Up Next
Wichita State hits the road for its first two road contests as a member of the American Athletic Conference, beginning with a trip to Houston to face the Cougars on Jan. 2 at 7 p.m.
