The RoundHouse | 11/17/2019 5:43:00 PM

 
Mariah McCully prepared for bad news when coach Keitha Adams texted her on Friday to ask her to come to the women's basketball office.
 
"I got into my car and I had a sad face," said McCully, who was waiting on a junior-college transfer waiver from the NCAA.
 
She walked into the coach's office. Adams said "Are you ready to put your jersey on?" 
 
Waiver approved. 
 
Happy face.
 
"Tears of joy," McCully said. "I instantly FaceTimed my mom. I knew she was praying. She had so many people praying. Coach Adams had so many people praying for me to get cleared. It was just a blessing."
 
McCully, a junior guard from Wabash Valley (Ill.) College, missed Wichita State's first two games. She made an immediate impression in Sunday's 69-63 win over Southern at Koch Arena by scoring 12 points with four steals and three assists.
 
The Shockers (1-2) needed those contributions with starting point guard Seraphine Bastin out with a concussion (as are teammates Trajata Colbert and Vendela Danielsson). Guards Carla Bremaud and DJ McCarty fouled out.
 
"Mariah's played point guard," Adams said. "With our situation . . . it was great timing that we had her help."
 
McCully stayed ready during the uncertain time by putting full effort into practice.
 
"I told my team that practice is my game," she said. "I want to get better. I want to get my team better. I want to play aggressively. When I needed to vent, I went to Coach Adams. She was always an open ear for me to get any stress off. She kept me motivated, too."
 
Southern (2-2), the preseason favorite in the SWAC, played a trapping, physical style of basketball. The frantic nature of the game, McCully said, helped her debut. Southern gave her no time to ease into NCAA Division I basketball.
 
"The first basket I got was off a rebound, and that showed me how aggressive this team was," she said. "This is exactly what I want. My first basket is what got me excited."
 
Wichita State had to overcome 24 turnovers and surrendering 19 offensive rebounds to allow 21 second-chance points. The Shockers made 18 of 20 foul shots with Bremaud making all six of hers. They outscored Southern 16-8 in the fourth quarter by making 5 of 8 shots and 6 of 8 free throws.
 
"Kind of an ugly game," Adams said. "They're a team that's really going to try to do things defensively to cause havoc. We've got to really focus and understand clock and score situation. We've got to learn when to slow down and reverse the ball and move the ball."
 
Raven Prince and Asia Henderson both scored 10 points. Shyia Smith added seven points and grabbed eight rebounds. Prince attempted and made her first three-pointer in two seasons to beat the buzzer before halftime. Her teammates charged off the bench to swarm her.
 
"I loved their reaction," Prince said. "They know I don't really shoot threes. It was meant to be, just like shooting free throws, that was just confidence and I'm thinking it's going in."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.