WICHITA, Kan. - Conference play continues with a road trip to Tampa, Fla., to face the 18th-ranked USF Bulls on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

ON THE AIR
Wednesday'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.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State suffered its fourth straight loss after a 3-0 start with a 65-59 loss vs. Cincinnati on Saturday. Wichita State shot a season-low 36.5 percent from the field and dropped to 0-5 all-time vs. Cincinnati. Asia Strong scored a team-high tying 15 points to go with six rebounds. Strong has now scored 10 or more points in six of the team's seven games. Mariah McCully also finished with 15 points, one shy of a season high. Carla Bremaud went 4-of-8 from beyond the arc to chip in 12 points and Seraphine Bastin came up two points shy of a triple-double. Bastin tallied eight points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals.

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 six of the team's seven 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 15.0 points per game. She ranks 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).

SCOUTING THE BULLS
Nationally-ranked USF is 7-1 overall and 4-0 in American Athletic Conference play. The Bulls enter the matchup ranked No. 18 in the AP and No. 22 in the Coaches Poll. The highlight of their season to this point came in an upset of No. 6 Mississippi State on Dec. 5, 67-63. USF's lone loss came in tight matchup with No. 4 Baylor, 67-62. Sydni Harvey averages a team-high 11.5 points to lead a balanced scoring attack that sees eight players scoring 6.0 points or more per game. Bethy Mununga leads the league in rebounds, rebounds per game and double-doubles. USF tops the AAC in assists, field goal pct. defense, free throws, rebounds, 3-point defense and 3-pointers made and attempted.

THE SERIES VS. USF
Wichita State and USF have met four times prior to Wednesday's matchup, with both teams winning two games apiece. The first ever meeting came all the way back in Feb. 1983 on a nuetral court that Wichita State won going away, 75-52. This will be the second time Wichita State has faced a nationally-ranked USF squad. This will be just the second-ever trip to Tampa for Wichita State. The Shockers dropped a 55-46 contest in 2019 to USF in the Yuengling Center. USF makes the return trip to Wichita in just two weeks on Jan. 20.

LAST MEETING
Wichita State hosted USF in the lone meeting between the two programs during the 2019-20 season on Jan. 22, 2020. USF erased a six-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Wichita State, 56-50. Mariah McCully scored nearly half of Wichita State's points, going for a game-high 21. Carla Bremaud added 16 and three steals. The rest of the Wichita State lineup combined for 13 points. Wichita State shot just 32.1 percent from the field, thanks in large part to a second quarter that saw the Shockers go 3-for-16. USF committed 25 turnovers in the game, but outrebounded Wichita State by 13. USF's Bethy Mununga grabbed 15 boards for the Bulls to go with 13 points.

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 4-4 on the season
... make them 1-2 in conference play
... snap a four-game losing streak
... be their first vs. a ranked foe since 2018
... move them to 3-2 all-time vs. USF
... snap a two-game losing streak vs. the Bulls
... run Adams' career coaching record to 457-300
... make Adams 330-263 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 616-702 all-time

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...
... make them 3-5 to start the season
... make them 0-3 in conference play
... give them five straight losses after starting 3-0
... drop them to 2-3 all-time vs. USF
... be their third straight loss to the Bulls
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 456-301
... make Adams 329-264 at the Division I level
... make Wichita State 615-703 all-time

MCCULLY LANDS ON PRESEASON SECOND TEAM    
Wichita State senior guard Mariah McCully became the first Shocker to collect preseason accolades for Wichita State since joining the American Athletic Conference when she was placed on the Preseason All-Conference Second Team by the league's coaches. McCully earned All-Conference Third Team honors after leading Wichita State in scoring (12.6 ppg) and steals (56) as a junior in 2019-20.

SHOCKERS PICKED 6TH IN PRESEASON POLL
Wichita State was picked to finish 6th in the American Athletic Conference by the league's coaches. It is the highest preseason pick for the Shockers since joining The American. WSU returns 65.0 percent of its scoring from a season ago, including All-Conference Second Team selection Mariah McCully.

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
Wichita State faces ECU for the first time in 2021 when the Pirates come to Charles Koch Arena Saturday, Jan. 6 for a 2 p.m. tip on ESPN+.