WICHITA, Kan. - After a two-week pause in activities due to COVID-19, Wichita State returns to action with a road matchup against the Temple Owls on Saturday in Philadelphia.

ON THE AIR
Saturday's game can be heard on the air at KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM with the voice of Shocker Women's Basketball Steve Strain calling the action. Strain is in his seventh season broadcasting games for the women's program. The game will also be televised on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.

THE AMERICAN ON ESPN+ 
The American Athletic Conference is in its first season of a new TV deal that will see a majority of Wichita State's games televised on ESPN+. Fans can find more information and how to subscribe to ESPN+ here.

A CASE OF THE 'RONA
COVID-19 has wrecked havoc on the 2020-21 Wichita State women's basketball program. To date, the Shockers have had six games postponed due to positive tests within the program. The Shockers are coming off a pause in all team-related activities due to a lack of players available that saw games against ECU, Memphis and USF all postponed. As of now, Wichita State's two matchups vs. SMU are the only contests that will not be made up, due to the Mustangs canceling the remainder of their season.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State suffered its fifth straight loss after a 3-0 start with a 66-48 loss at No. 18/19 USF on Wednesday. Wichita State shot a season-low 29.2 percent from the field and dropped to 2-3 all-time vs. USF. USF's Elena Tsineke scored a game-high 31 points - the most by an opposing player this season. Asia Strong scored a team-high 17 points to go with seven rebounds. Strong has now scored 10 or more points in seven of the team's eight games, including three straight. Ene Adams added a season-high 10 points off the bench. Seraphine Bastin chipped in eight points, six rebounds and six assists.

STRONG START
Wichita State junior forward Asia Strong is off to fast start in her first season at Wichita State. The South Bend, Ind., native has scored 10 or more points in seven of the team's eight games, including two games of 20 or more. Strong set a season high in points and rebounds vs. UNI on Dec. 6 with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Strong leads Wichita State in scoring at 15.3 points per game and ranked in the top five in the conference in field goals made (2nd), field goal attempts (3rd), points per game (4th) and field goal percentage (5th) before WSU paused.

SCOUTING THE OWLS
Temple enters the matchup having lost two straight after beginning conference play 4-0. The Owls own league wins against SMU, Tulsa, ECU and UCF. Their back-to-back losses have come against Cincinnati and Houston. Senior forward and Co-Preseason Player of the Year Mia Davis averages nearly a double-double for Temple with 19.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Davis ranks second in the AAC in points per game, third in total points, double-doubles, free throws made, free throw attempts and rebounds per game, and fourth in field goal percentage. Sophomore guard Asonah Alexander dishes out 6.0 assists a game - good for third in the AAC.

THE SERIES VS. TEMPLE
Wichita State and Temple have met seven times prior to Saturday's matchup, with Wichita State winning the last two meetings. Wichita State swept the regular season series with the Owls a season ago. The first ever meeting came all the way back in Nov. 1983 on a nuetral court that Temple won, 83-79. Wichita State is 1-1 vs. the Owls in Philadelphia after last season's 85-75 win in McGonigle Hall.

LAST MEETING
Wichita State completed the 2020 regular season sweep of Temple with a 10-point win in Philadelphia on Feb. 5, 2020. Five Shockers scored 10 or more points on the afternoon. Maya Brewer scored a team-high 19 points behind 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Ashley Reid also cashed in five three-pointers to finish with 15 points and six assists. DJ McCarty (14), Seraphine Bastin (13 points, 8 assists) and Asia Henderson (10) rounded out the top scorers. Wichita State broke the school record for three-pointers made in a single game with 15. The Shockers went 15-of-27 from beyond the arc and shot 50.8 percent overall.

SHOCKERS ADD WALK-ON
Wichita State added some roster depth over the holiday break in the addition of walk-on Mariah McKinney. McKinney is a Wichita native having played her prep basketball at nearby Wichita East High School. Most recently she completed a season at Fort Scott Community College in 2018-19. McKinney played in 27 contests for the Greyhounds and averaged 5.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

BASTIN NABS HONOR ROLL SPOT
Junior Seraphine Bastin picked up her first American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll selection of the season following a stellar two-game stretch at Houston (Dec. 30) and vs. Cincinnati (Jan. 2). Bastin averaged 13.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 2.0 steals, while shooting 14-of-14 at the free throw line. The Belgium native had a pair of double-doubles, going for 18 points and 11 rebounds at Houston and finishing with a near triple-double vs. Cincinnati. Against the Bearcats she logged eight points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

PERFECT AT THE LINE
Junior Seraphine Bastin went a perfect 12-for-12 at the free throw line in Wichita State's Dec. 30 contest at Houston. Her unblemished night at the charity stripe tied a school record for most free throws made without a miss. Bastin matched the record set by Jennifer Kaczka (12/8/01), Keomi Johnson (11/21/99) and Karen Lewis (3/4/95).

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...
... make them 4-5 on the season
... make them 1-3 in conference play
... snap a five-game losing streak
... be their first win since Dec. 4, 2020
... move them to 4-4 all-time vs. Temple
... be their third straight win vs. the Owls
... run Adams' career coaching record to 457-301
... make Adams 330-264 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 616-703 all-time

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...
... make them 3-6 to start the season
... make them 0-4 in conference play
... give them six straight losses after starting 3-0
... drop them to 3-5 all-time vs. Temple
... snap a two-game win streak vs. the Owls
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 456-302
... make Adams 329-265 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 615-704 all-time

DYNAMIC POINT GUARD
Wichita State's point guard Seraphine Bastin has started the season on a mission. Bastin is averaging 10.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals a game, while shooting 82.6 percent from the free throw line. The 5-foot-8 guard leads the team in rebounding, assists, steals and double-doubles. In two games at Houston and vs. Cincinnati, Bastin racked up double-doubles of 18 points and 11 rebounds and 10 rebounds and 10 assists. She missed a triple-double vs. Cincy by two points. In The American, Bastin ranks second in free throw percentage (82.6) and fourth in  assist-turnover ratio (1.61), assists per game (4.6), free throws made (38) and minutes per game (34.70).

BREMAUD ON THE CAREER CHARTS      
Wichita State junior guard Carla Bremaud comes into the 2020-21 season already in the top 10 for three-pointers attempted in a career at Wichita State. Her 313 three-point attempts place her in seventh and needing 11 more to pass Alie Decker for sixth in school history. Bremaud also passed Jessica Diamond and Shelley Crow for seventh place on the career three-pointers made list. She now has 102 made triples and is 19 shy of moving into sole possession of sixth place.

UP NEXT
The Shockers wrap up a two-game road trip with a visit to Cincinnati on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Wichita State then begins a three-game homestand vs. UCF on Saturday, Jan. 30.