The RoundHouse | 11/30/2020 9:28:00 PM
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Asia Strong missed most of the first half on Monday while in the training room underneath Koch Arena. She could hear many of the usual game noises - announcements, buzzer – minus crowd reaction to give her a complete picture.
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"I was wondering 'What was the score? What quarter was it?'" she said. "I was so ready to get out there. I was thinking 'OK, I can go out there and I can still play my hardest, even though my lip is busted open. That can't stop me.'"
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No, the loss of a little blood – maybe more than a little – did not stop Strong.
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Strong took an elbow, she thinks, to the lower lip two minutes into Monday's game. She returned late in the second quarter after receiving six stitches.Â
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Once she returned, Strong made up for lost time. She scored 16 points and blocked two shots in 23 minutes to help Wichita State defeat Alcorn State 71-53.
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The Shockers (2-0) are learning how to deal with disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic – they suited up eight on Monday. Strong, a 6-foot-2 junior transfer from Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College, is unbothered by the circumstances and at this early point providing a constant amid all the uncertainty.
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Give Strong the ball and watch. She is going to make a decisive move. She scored 20 points in Wichita State's opener and in two games is 17 of 30 from the field. On Monday, she scored on post moves, short jump shots and ran the floor to get a layup.
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"She is different," Wichita State guard
Seraphine Bastin said. "She can finish around the basket. She has confidence. She has the soft touch."
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Strong, who scored 12 of her points in the second half, helped the Shockers outscore Alcorn State (0-2) 40-16 in the paint.Â
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"She was highly recruited by a lot of programs," Wichita State coach
Keitha Adams said. "When I watched her the very first time on film, I really liked what I saw. We recruited her really hard. It's a great fit for her and it's a great fit for us."
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Because of the roster limits, Adams is using zone defense to protect her team from foul trouble and fatigue. Alcorn State made six three-pointers and grabbed eight offensive rebounds in the first half and trailed 29-27 at halftime.
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In the third quarter, the Shockers trapped in the half court after the first pass and disrupted Alcorn State's offensive flow. Wichita State outscored Alcorn State 22-13 in the third quarter and cruised to the victory.
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"We played in a zone and I think Alcorn felt pretty good at halftime," Adams said. "The momentum, the pace, everything was pretty comfortable for them."
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After Alcorn State tied the game 29-all early in the third quarter, the Shockers responded with a 9-2 run.
Carla Bremaud started it with a four-point play and Strong made two baskets for a 38-31 lead. Another steal by Bremaud made it 45-39 and her steal and layup extended the lead to nine points, Strong's basket put the Shockers up 51-40 entering the fourth quarter.Â
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"The first quarter and the second quarter was ugly," Bastin said. "During the third quarter, we had chemistry. We moved the ball. We attacked the ball."
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Bremaud added 14 points and guard
Rachel Johnson scored 13 in her debut. Guard
DJ McCarty handed out a career-high six assists after setting a high with five in the opening win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday.
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"We've played more zone in two games than we probably played all last season," Adams said. "We're not in great shape, in terms of what we would normally be, I think, at this time of year. We've had people in. We've had people out. We've had days where we've had six players."
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In a pandemic, Adams is happy to take any victory. The Shockers played basketball and that is something to cherish.
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"We've been handling adversity every day," she said. "No Mariah (McCully). No Asia for the first half. That's what COVID is going to present for teams. The kids are getting to play, which is great."
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Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
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