The RoundHouse | 2/26/2019 9:38:00 PM
Wichita State women's basketball coach
Keitha Adams liked the scene at Koch Arena and appreciated the fans who purchased tickets for Tuesday's game.
She hopes to see them again for a game when the Shockers are main attraction. She wants to see them again for a game the Shockers win and when their play produces a roar in Koch Arena.
"I'm sure a lot of fans enjoyed watching UConn play," she said. "It's enjoyable to watch them, but it's not to play against them."
Second-ranked UConn handled the Shockers 84-47 in front of 6,156 fans on Tuesday. The Huskies, with coach Geno Auriemma home with a stomach illness, forced 20 turnovers, shot 57.7 percent from the field and made 10 of 23 three-pointers. The Shockers led 3-1 and 5-4 before UConn scored the game's next 27 points to grab a 31-5 lead.
"We really pushed the ball in transition," UConn assistant coach Chris Dailey said. "That just makes us a better team. When those threes start going in, we're pretty hard to beat."
The Shockers (11-16, 4-10 American Athletic Conference) knew all that coming in. Their issues with rebounding and scoring weren't going to find an easy fix against one of the nation's top teams. Adams wanted her team to play hard, which it did most of the night. She complimented her team for keeping their composure during the rout.
"Tonight, was definitely a learning experience for our young squad," Adams said. "Big piece of humble pie. You play the No. 2 team in the country and they showed tonight why they're that."
The Shockers grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and came within one of the Huskies in total rebounds. They trailed by 31 in the second quarter and cut that margin to 20 midway through the third.
"We've got some kids that are competitive," Adams said. "There are some things we can take from tonight that are going to be a positive. It also shows us that we've got a lot of work to do. We're definitely in a building mode."
Wichita State freshman
Carla Bremaud scored 15 points and made 3 of 6 three-pointers.
Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage and
Raven Prince both added eight points and guard
Seraphine Bastin grabbed seven rebounds.
"We didn't have any pressure on us," Lozada-Cabbage said. "We just had to go out there and play hard. We got really excited that we had a lot of fans come in and I hope that we get some more fans that come back."
Napheesa Collier scored 32 points, making 13 of 15 shots, and grabbed 12 rebounds for UConn (26-2, 14-0), which clinched the American regular-season title and improved to 115-0 against conference opponents in its four-plus seasons in the league. Katie Lou Samuelson, the 2017 and 2018 conference Player of the Year, added 18 points and five assists.
The game was also about the female athletes who came to see college basketball's top program, like the two young women who brought a homemade sign that read "Go Katie Lou" with a drawing of her No. 33 jersey in blue magic marker. It was about the fans who got their first look at the Shockers and the conveying of one more benefit to membership in the American Athletic Conference. It was about the loyal fans who slapped hands with the Shockers and told them "Way to be tough."
Adams appreciates all of that. Dailey said her team understands its role as traveling ambassadors for the sport. She hopes fans who watch the Huskies leave with an appreciation for hustle and unselfish play.
"We want to leave here with the fans of Wichita State saying "They're a pretty good team," Dailey said.
Adams is ready for her team to do more with that role in Wichita, starting March 4 against Tulsa in the regular-season finale.
"It felt really good for us to come out tonight and there not be as many empty seats," she said. "We need you. I came back home to build this thing. I want people to know we need them here."
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
