WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita State will try for the season sweep of SMU Saturday when the Shockers travel to Dallas to face the Mustangs at 2 p.m. CT.
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.
70.0%
Wichita State broke the school record for field goal percentage in a single game in the win Wednesday night vs. Temple. The Shockers converted 35-of-50 attempts - good for 70.0 percent - to obliterate the previous record of 65.4 percent. Earlier this season, WSU tied that mark in the win vs. Alcorn State.
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 Mustangs
SMU comes into the matchup sporting a 10-16, 4-9 record. The Mustangs own wins over Nicholls State (68-61), Abilene Christian (65-44), UC Riverside (73- 51), CSU Bakersfield (41-29), Loyola Marymount (63-60), McNeese State (65-59), ECU (65-51), Temple (52-55), Tulsa (74- 70) and Memphis (53-35). McKenzie Adams leads SMU in scoring at 17.0 points per game. Kiara Perry ranks second on the team in scoring at 10.5 points and leads SMU with 6.8 rebounds per contest and 59 steals. Mikayla Reese leads SMU in assists (62). SMU averages 56.9 points per game and allows 60.5 a contest.
Wichita State-Temple Leftovers
Wichita State tied the all-time series with Temple at 1-1... The Shockers snapped a four-game skid... Wichita State broke the school record for field goal percentage in a single game by shooting 70 percent (35-50)... The 88 points marked a season high... Finished with a season-high 26 assists, including a career-high eight dimes from senior guard
Keke Thompson... Senior F
Rangie Bessard was held scoreless in the first quarter, but finished with a career-high 38 points over the final three quarters... Bessard was three points shy of the school record (41) set by Kareema Williams... It marked the third game of her career with 30 or more points and first of the season... Senior F
Angiee Tompkins made her sixth start of the season and first since Nov. 25 vs. Illinois... Tompkins finished with 17 points, six rebounds and a career-high six assists... Senior G
Jeliah Preston added 11 points off the bench - her first game in double-figures since Dec. 30 vs. Tulsa... Junior F
Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage scored all 10 of her points before halftime.
Approaching 300
Wichita State head coach
Keitha Adams is just five 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 295-225.
Block Party
Junior F
Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage has upped her game on the defensive end during Wichita State's recent run of games. Over her last nine games, Lozada-Cabbage has blocked 22 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 nine games, Wichita State is averaging 5.3 blocks per game as a team. The Shockers averaged 2.9 in the first 18 games.
Shockers in Conference
In American Athletic Conference games only, the Shockers rank in the top five in scoring offense (5th), free throw percentage (1st), field goal percentage (2nd), rebounding defense (2nd), rebound margin (4th), blocked shots (3rd), assists (2nd), steals (5th), assist-turnover ratio (3rd), offensive rebounds (5th) and offensive rebound percentage (3rd). Individually,
Rangie Bessard ranks third in scoring (21.2), fourth in rebounding (7.8), fifth in free throw percentage (.850), sixth in offensive rebounds (2.9), fifth in defensive rebounds (4.8) and sixth in blocked shots (1.4).
Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage is tied for second in blocked shots (2.0).
Bessard in Conference Action
Through the first 13 games of conference play, senior forward
Rangie Bessard is posting 21.2 points and 7.8 rebounds, while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 85.0 percent from the free throw line. Bessard has produced a 20-10 double-double in four of the 13 American games.
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 26 games in 2017-18, Lockhart has scored 262 points (10.1 ppg), while making 103-of-256 (40.2 percent) shots from the field.
| Stat |
2016-17 |
2017-18 |
| GP |
31 |
26 |
| GS |
17 |
26 |
| Minutes |
572 |
822 |
| FG Made |
40 |
103 |
| FG Attempts |
109 |
256 |
| Free Throws Made |
15 |
43 |
| Free Throw Attempts |
21 |
46 |
| Points |
105 |
262 |
| Rebounds |
59 |
101 |
| Assists |
38 |
85 |
| Steals |
23 |
37 |
The Series with SMU
Wichita State and SMU have met only five times prior to Saturday's matchup. The Shockers lead the series 3-2 after taking the first matchup this season in Wichita. The Shockers are 1-1 all-time vs. the Mustangs in Dallas.
Last Meeting
Wichita State handed SMU a 66-43 loss in Wichita one month ago. It was the third straight win for WSU during a season-best five game winning streak. The Shocker defense held SMU to 26.5 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers. The Mustangs were also only 3-of-17 from beyond the arc. Senior
Angiee Tompkins was one of four Shockers in double-figures with 16 points.
Rangie Bessard (15),
Cesaria Ambrosio (11) and
Diamond Lockhart (10) rounded out the leading scorers.
Shocker Summary
Wichita State is 11-16 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 62-73), UCF (53-59), ECU (67-77), Cincinnati (69-75) and No. 1 UConn (43-124). 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 and Temple, 88-81. Senior F
Rangie Bessard leads Wichita State in scoring (19.7) and rebounding (7.5) through 27 games. Senior G
Diamond Lockhart ranks second on the team at 10.1 points per game. Senior F
Angiee Tompkins averages 9.9 points and is shooting a team-best 53.2 percent from the floor. Bessard has scored in double-digits in 26 of the team's 27 contests this season with seven double-doubles. She is far and away the current leader in double-figure scoring games for Wichita State with 71 career games of 10 or more points. Out of those 71 games, she has led the team in scoring 52 times. Wichita State is averaging 65.7 points per game and allowing 70.0. Shocker opponents are shooting 44.3 percent overall. On the offensive side of the ball, Wichita State is making 43.6 percent of its shots, including 26.0 percent from long range. WSU has converted on 77.0 percent of its attempts from the free throw line. The Shockers have outrebounded their opponents in 18 of the 27 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 27 games Bessard ranks 13th in free throws made (136), field goals made (195) and total points (531), 18th in field goal attempts (426) and 21st in free throw attempts (167). Out of American Athletic Conference players only, Bessard ranks second in free throws made and attempted, total points and field goals made, third in field goal attempts and free throw percentage, fourth in points per game and total rebounds and eighth in rebounds per game and field goal percentage.
A Shocker Win Would...
... make them 12-16 on the season
... run their record to 7-7 in conference play
... lift them to 4-2 all-time vs. the Mustangs
... give them their fourth straight win vs. SMU
... make them 2-1 vs. the Mustangs in Dallas
... run Adams' career coaching record to 423-262
... make Adams 296-225 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 582-664 all-time
A Shocker Loss Would...
... drop them to 11-17 on the season
... send them to 6-8 in the league this season
... tie the all-time series with SMU at 3-3
... snap a three-game win streak vs. SMU
... drop them to 1-2 vs. the Mustangs in Dallas
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 422-263
... make Adams 295-226 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 581-665 all-time
Up Next
Wichita State returns to Charles Koch Arena for its 2017-18 home finale on Saturday, Feb. 24 vs. Tulane at 2 p.m. Eight seniors will suit up for the final time in the Roundhouse and will be recognized following the game.
