WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita State will look to get back on track with a two-game homestand beginning with Houston on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. on the American Digital Network.
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National Girls and Women in Sports Day - FREE Admission for all girls 17 and under; $5 for women 18+
On the Air
Saturday's game can be heard online through the Shocker HD portal on GoShockers.com 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 can be seen on the American Digital Network with Lincoln Rose and Anglea Beck on the call.
Go Get It
Following Wichita State's road loss at UCF on Jan. 6, head coach
Keitha Adams noticed a lack of energy and sense of urgency in the team. In practice, she instilled the team's new motto for the rest of the season, "Go Get It". In the six games since, Wichita State is 5-1 and outscoring its opponents by an average of 8.3 points per game, outrebounding them by 7.2 with 13 more steals and 16 more blocked shots than the other teams.
Upset City
Wichita State's win over No. 23 USF was just the third win over a ranked opponent in school history. The Shockers' last victory over a top-25 team came on Dec. 27, 1998 when Missouri State was No. 25 in the coaches poll. WSU won that game 58-56. Wichita State owns two wins over ranked foes in the AP Poll and three in the Coaches Poll. In the nearly 44 seasons of women's basketball at Wichita State, the Shockers own just three wins over ranked opponents. USF was slotted at No. 23 in the Coaches Poll and receiving votes in the Associated Press Poll. Wichita State's first two wins vs. a team ranked in the coaches poll happened in the same calendar year against the same opponent. The Shockers downed Missouri State twice in 1998.
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. The Shockers then picked up their first road conference win at Tulane on Saturday by score of 64-56.
Catching up with the Cougars
Houston comes into the matchup sporting a 17-6, 6-3 record. The Cougars own wins over Milwaukee (74-59), New Orleans (78-66), Liberty (75-68), Northeastern (72-64), Texas State (72-67), UT-Arlington (62-58), Texas Tech (79-75), ETSU (88-69), Incarnate Word (98-67), George Mason (82-73), Columbia (77-53), SMU (85-75 and 60-56), Wichita State (73-55), Tulane (98-92 and 72-48) and Temple (99- 75). Jasmyne Harris leads Houston in scoring at 20.3 points and assists (3.7) per game. Serithia Hawkins averages 12.0 points and a team-best 8.2 rebounds per game to go with 21 blocks. Angela Harris leads UH with 71 steals to go with 13.5 points and 3.7 assists. Houston averages 75.4 points per game and allows 70.4 a contest.
Wichita State-ECU Leftovers
Wichita State moved to 0-1 all-time vs. ECU... ECU snapped Wichita State's five-game winning streak... The Shockers handed out 20 assists, marking the second straight game with 20 or more assists... WSU outrebounded the Pirates, 38-33 - the 18th time WSU has won the rebounding battle this season... Finished with 13 steals, the third time this season with 10 or more steals... Senior F
Rangie Bessard led all scorers with 22 points, her second straight game with 20 or more and 10th game this season... Junior F
Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds... Senior G
Keke Thompson registered her fourth game in double-figures with 11 points and first since Jan. 10 vs. Memphis.
Approaching 300
Wichita State head coach
Keitha Adams is just six wins away from her 300th career win at the Division I level. She compiled 284 wins in her 16 seasons at UTEP and has accumulated 10 in the middle of her first at Wichita State. She has a career record of 294-221.
Block Party
Junior F
Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage has upped her game on the defensive end during Wichita State's recent tear. Over her last five games, Lozada-Cabbage has blocked 14 shots after blocking 14 in the first 18 games combined. She started with a career-high five swats in the Shocker win at Tulane. Lozada-Cabbage was responsible for five of the team's season-high 12 blocked shots vs. the Green Wave. Over the last five games, Wichita State is averaging 6.4 blocks per game as a team. The Shockers averaged 2.9 in the first 17 games.
Double-Double Up
Through the first nine games of conference play, senior forward
Rangie Bessard is averaging just under a double-double. Bessard is posting 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds, while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 83.0 percent from the free throw line. Bessard has produced a 20-10 double-double in three of the nine American games.
The American Tabs Ambrosio for Honor Roll
Wichita State junior guard
Cesaria Ambrosio was named to the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll after helping the Shockers run their winning streak to five in a row with a road win at Memphis this past week. The Fully, Switzerland, native posted a career-high 19 points, six assists and three rebounds in the win. She also set career highs in field goals made (7) and attempted (10) and free throws made (3) and attempted (4). Ambrosio is shooting better than 60 percent from the field overall and from behind the three-point line over her last five games. This is the fourth weekly honor roll nod for the Shockers this season, joining
Rangie Bessard (twice) and
Diamond Lockhart (last week).
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 23 games in 2017-18, Lockhart has scored 240 points (10.4 ppg), while making 93-of-226 (41.2 percent) shots from the field.
| Stat |
2016-17 |
2017-18 |
| GP |
31 |
23 |
| GS |
17 |
23 |
| Minutes |
572 |
735 |
| FG Made |
40 |
93 |
| FG Attempts |
109 |
226 |
| Free Throws Made |
15 |
43 |
| Free Throw Attempts |
21 |
46 |
| Points |
105 |
240 |
| Rebounds |
59 |
93 |
| Assists |
38 |
78 |
| Steals |
23 |
31 |
The Series with Houston
Houston has won all three matchups between the two programs. The Cougars are 1-0 all-time vs. Wichita State in Wichita with the last time coming on Jan. 14, 2004 - a 75-61 win for Houston. A win for Houston Tuesday would give them a season sweep in the series. A Shocker win would split the season series with both teams winning at home.
Last Meeting
Houston won the first matchup between the two schools at the beginning of the month on Jan. 2 in Houston. The Cougars forced Wichita State into a season-high 25 turnovers on the way to a 73-55 win. Houston's Jasmyne Harris led all scorers with 26 points.
Rangie Bessard tallied a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. She was the only Shocker in double-figures. WSU finished the game shooting 44.8 percent, but went 0-for-11 from beyond the arc. UH knocked down 11 three-pointers and outscored WSU 35-14 in points off turnovers.
Shocker Summary
Wichita State is 10-13 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), UCF (53-59) and ECU (67-77). The Shockers defeated UC Irvine, 76-53, Missouri State, 72-58, UMKC, 72-63, Chicago State, 66-63, Alcorn State, 87-46, Memphis, 69-61 and 77-64, Tulane, 64-56, SMU, 66-43 and No. RV/23 USF, 64- 56. Senior F
Rangie Bessard leads Wichita State in scoring (18.9), rebounding (7.8) and blocks (28) through 23 games. Senior G
Diamond Lockhart ranks second on the team at 10.4 points per game. Senior F
Angiee Tompkins averages 9.4 points and is shooting a team-best 54.1 percent from the floor. Bessard has scored in double-digits in 22 of the team's 23 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 67 career games of 10 or more points. Out of those 67 games, she has led the team in scoring 48 times. Wichita State is averaging 65.7 points per game and allowing 66.9. Shocker opponents are shooting 42.6 percent overall. On the offensive side of the ball, Wichita State is making 43.7 percent of its shots, including 25.7 percent from long range. WSU has converted on 77.2 percent of its attempts from the free throw line. The Shockers have outrebounded their opponents in 18 of the 23 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 four offensive categories. Through 23 games Bessard ranks 16th in field goal attempts (359), 19th in field goals made (162) and free throws made (107) and 25th in total points (434). Out of American Athletic Conference players only, Bessard ranks first in field goals made, second in field goal attempts and free throws made, third in total points, free throw attempts and free throw percentage, fourth in rebounds, fifth in blocks and blocks per game and points per game and eighth in field goal percentage and rebounds per game.
A Shocker Win Would...
... make them 11-13 on the season
... run their record to 6-4 in conference play
... give them their first-ever win vs. Houston
... split the season series with UH
... make them 1-1 vs. the Cougars in Wichita
... move their record in Charles Koch Arena to 354-220
... run Adams' career coaching record to 422-259
... make Adams 295-222 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 581-661 all-time
A Shocker Loss Would...
... drop them to 10-14 on the season
... send them to 5-5 in the league this season
... make them 0-4 all-time vs. Houston
... give UH the season series sweep
... drop them to 0-2 vs. the Cougars in Wichita
... move their record in Charles Koch Arena to 353-221
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 421-260
... make Adams 294-223 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 580-662 all-time
Up Next
Wichita State hosts Cincinnati on Wednesday, Feb. 7, before making the trip north to face No. 1 UConn on Feb. 10. The Shockers and Bearcats will tip at 7 p.m. CST on COX YurView.
