The RoundHouse | 11/9/2021 3:09:00 PM
The game played out as expected. Wichita State routed an overmatched opponent.
How it played out is what struck coach
Keitha Adams as significant. The Shockers exhibited a physical style she hasn't always seen from her group. They forced turnovers and hustled for loose balls from the tip, not needing any prompting. They kept that pace up – offensively and defensively – for most of the game.
The Shockers handled Chicago State 78-34 on Tuesday afternoon at Koch Arena in the opener for both teams. They led 15-0 and 25-2 in the first quarter and 40-15 at halftime.
That was all good, but it's even better if it indicates the Shockers are ready for the three-game road trip that comes next – at Wyoming, at Denver and at Northern Iowa, picked third in the Missouri Valley Conference.
"We brought a lot of energy," Adams said. "I was really impressed with how many times we got on the floor for loose balls."
The Shockers appear to possess the talent and depth to sustain that energy on the road against better opponents. They want to play fast to create scoring and there are plenty of Shockers who can operate in the open court – passing, sprinting and finishing with baskets or free throws. Wichita State scored 26 points on fast breaks, a stat helped by forcing 28 turnovers.
Mariah McCully led the Shockers with 13 points and five assists.
DJ McCarty added 11 points and two assists. Those two, and guard
Seraphine Bastin, led many of the breaks and they enjoyed a wealth of teammates running the floor to help. Bigs
Asia Strong,
Trajata Colbert and
Jane Asinde are all created good scoring opportunities by sprinting and looking for the ball in transition.
"Our team really just got hyped together because we realized we were getting steals, we were running the court," McCully said. "We already knew that our team was a fast-break team. We were really focused on that. We just know our posts are going to be there, because that's what they're known for doing."
The Shockers forced 11 turnovers in the first quarter and scored 12 points off those giveaways by the Cougars. Wichita State held the Cougars to 1-of-15 shooting in the first 10 minutes. Things will get much tougher on the road, but that effort is the blueprint.
"It was exciting and fun to get out there and play some competition," McCarty said. "We know what we have to do. We know what Coach puts in our head – play defense, get a steal."
That kind of effort is needed on the road, where shooting often suffers and trips to the foul line are sometimes infrequent. Hustle and physical play can carry a road team.
"If you're going to be a transition team – you've got to defend, you've got to rebound," Adams said. "Carla (Budane) got called for a foul for being overly physical, which really excited me. She probably hasn't been called for a foul like that since she's been here. Physicality and strength and playing that way – that's something that's cost us in some in some games in the past. We're being more physical."
An exhibition game against an NCAA Division II opponent and Tuesday's rout showed the Shockers what happens when they play with urgency and energy. Now it is time to take that on the road.
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
