WICHITA, Kan. - Fresh off its first win in the American Athletic Conference, Wichita State makes the trip south to the Big Easy for a matchup with Tulane Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. CT.
On the Air
Saturday's game can be heard locally on KNSS 1330 AM/98.7 FM with the voice of Shocker Women's Basketball Steve Strain calling the action. Strain is in his fourth season broadcasting games for the women's program. The game will also be streamed online through KNSSRadio.com.
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.
American Win No. 1
Wichita State recorded its first-ever win in the American Athletic Conference on Wednesday, Jan. 10 with a 69-61 victory over Memphis in Charles Koch Arena.
Catching up with the Green Wave
Tulane comes into the matchup sporting a 9-7, 1-2 record. The Green Wave own wins over Maine (42-34), Vanderbilt (71-59), San Diego State (80-46), McNeese State (70-66), New Orleans (79-56), MTSU (62-44), Troy (106-75), UTEP (67-56) and Tulsa (72-63). Tulane's losses came against Dayton (65-71), Southern Miss (58-66), Iowa State (64- 67), NC State (55-79), LSU (50-73), USF (46-75) and Houston in overtime (92-98). Kolby Morgan leads Tulane and The American in scoring at 22.0 points per game. Kayla Manuirirangi leads Tulane in assists (4.1 apg) and ranks second on the team in scoring (9.3). Harlyn Wyatt leads Tulane in rebounding (6.5) and blocked shots (19). Tulane averages 67.4 points per game and allows 64.3 a contest.
Wichita State-Memphis Leftovers
Wichita State moved to 1-2 all-time vs. Memphis... The Shockers have outrebounded 14 of their 18 opponents after winning the battle of the boards vs. Memphis, 39-25... Wichita State was held without a three-point field goal (0-11) for the fourth time this season... The Shockers cashed in 19 of their 22 attempts from the free throw line, including 14-of-15 after halftime... Senior F
Rangie Bessard collected her sixth double-double of the season and 20th career with a game-high 24 points and 10 boards... Senior G
Diamond Lockhart registered her ninth game of 10 or more points... Senior G
Keke Thompson added 10 points, marking her third game in double-figures and first since Dec. 16 vs. Alcorn State.
Double-Double Up
Through the first four games of conference play,
Rangie Bessard is averaging a double-double. Bessard is posting 21.3 points and 10.0 rebounds, while shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 79.2 percent from the free throw line. She is the only Shocker averaging double-figures in scoring in league action.
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 18 games in 2017-18, Lockhart has scored 182 points (10.1 ppg), while making 72-of-173 (41.6 percent) shots from the field.
| Stat |
2016-17 |
2017-18 |
| GP |
31 |
18 |
| GS |
17 |
18 |
| Minutes |
572 |
554 |
| FG Made |
40 |
72 |
| FG Attempts |
109 |
173 |
| Free Throws Made |
15 |
32 |
| Free Throw Attempts |
21 |
34 |
| Points |
105 |
182 |
| Rebounds |
59 |
67 |
| Assists |
38 |
54 |
| Steals |
23 |
23 |
The Series with Tulane
Wichita State and Tulane have met only once prior to Saturday's matchup. The Green Wave leads the series, 1-0, with the lone meeting coming on a neutral court. Tulane downed the Shockers on Dec. 6, 2003 by a score of 62-59.
About the Green Wave
Located in New Orleans, La., Tulane University has an enrollment of 13,449 as a member of the American Athletic Conference. Tulane returns eight letterwinners, including three starters off last year's squad that finished 18-15 and 7-9 in The American. The Green Wave finished tied for fifth in the league a season ago. Tulane was picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches poll of The American in 2017-18. Senior Kolby Morgan ranks third on the Tulane all-time scoring list and ranks seventh on the NCAA active career scoring list. Morgan has been named to The American weekly honor roll four times and 20 times in her career. Lisa Stockton enters her 24th season as the head coach. Stockton has a career record of 551-276 during her 27 years as a head coach. Stockton has led the Green Wave to the postseason 18 times (11 NCAAs, 7 WNITs) and claimed conference Coach of the Year honors three times (Metro in 1995, C-USA in 2007 and 2010). In addition, Tulane has won four C-USA regular-season championships (1996-97, 1998-99, 2006-07, 2009- 10) and the C-USA tournament title on five occasions (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2010). Stockton is one of four active coaches to take a Top 60 academic institution as listed in U.S. News and World Report to at least 11 NCAA Tournaments.
Shocker Summary
Wichita State is 6-12 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), South Dakota State (64-96), Tulsa (62-67), Houston (55-73) and UCF (53-59). The Shockers defeated UC Irvine, 76-53, Missouri State, 72-58, UMKC, 72-63, Chicago State, 66- 63, Alcorn State, 87-46 and Memphis, 69-61. Senior F
Rangie Bessard leads Wichita State in scoring (18.9), rebounding (7.8) and blocks (15) through 18 games. Senior G
Diamond Lockhart ranks second on the team at 10.1 points per game. Senior F
Angiee Tompkins averages 9.5 points and is shooting a team-best 54.0 percent from the floor. Bessard has scored in double-digits in 17 of the team's 18 contests to open the season with six double-doubles. She is far and away the current leader in double-figure scoring games for Wichita State with 62 career games of 10 or more points. Out of those 62 games, she has led the team in scoring 44 times. Wichita State is averaging 65.2 points per game and allowing 69.0. Through 18 games Shocker opponents are shooting 44.0 percent overall. On the offensive side of the ball, Wichita State is making 43.0 percent of its shots, including 23.1 percent from long range. WSU has converted on 76.2 percent of its attempts from the free throw line. The Shockers have outrebounded their opponents in 14 of the 18 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 18 games Bessard ranks 11th in free throws made (87), 13th in free throw attempts (111), 17th in field goals made (126) and 21st in total points (341) and field goal attempts (271). Out of American Athletic Conference players only, Bessard ranks second in free throws made and attempted and field goals made, third in field goal attempts, fourth in total points, fifth in points per game, rebounds and free throw percentage, seventh in field goal percentage and ninth in rebounds per game.
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 7-12 on the season
... run their record to 2-3 in conference play
... give them their first win in the series vs. Tulane
... make them 1-0 vs. Tulane in New Orleans
... run Adams' career coaching record to 418-258
... make Adams 291-221 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 577-660 all-time
A Shocker Loss Would...
... drop them to 6-13 on the season
... send them to 1-4 in the league this season
... make them 0-2 all-time vs. Tulane
... drop them to 0-1 vs. the Green Wave in New Orleans
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 417-259
... make Adams 290-222 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 576-661 all-time
Up Next
Wichita State returns to Charles Koch Arena for two consecutive home games, beginning with SMU on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. Following the matchup with the Mustangs, the Shockers will host RV/#22 USF on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 3 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
