Wichita State (10-6, 1-2) at Tulane (10-6, 2-3)
Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022 | 2:00 PM CT | Avron B. Fogelman Arena
ESPN+ | KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM | TulaneGreenWave.com

WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita State hits up the Big Easy for a Saturday matchup vs. the Tulane Green Wave on Jan. 22 at 2 p.m.

ON THE AIR
Saturday's game can be heard on the radio at KNSS 98.7 FM/1330 AM with Steve Strain calling the action. Strain is in his eighth season as the radio voice for Wichita State women's basketball. The game will also be televised on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.

LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State dropped to 1-2 in league play following a tough 50-49 loss to the Memphis Tigers last Sunday in Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers finished the game at 30.2 percent from the field - a season low, while their 49 points also set a new season low. For just the third time in 16 games, Wichita State lost the rebound battle. The Shockers were minus-13 on the glass - a season worst. Mariah McCully was the lone Shocker to reach double figures with a team-high 13 points, but was only 5-of-16 from the floor. Jane Asinde was on the cusp of another double-double, finishing with nine points and 10 rebounds. Seraphine Bastin was held scoreless for the first time this season and grabbed a season-low tying two rebounds.

SCOUTING THE GREEN WAVE
THE SERIES VS. TULANE
Wichita State and Tulane have met eight times prior to Saturday's matchup with both teams winning four games apiece. The Green Wave have won three of the last four meetings. Tulane completed the regular season series sweep a season ago. Wichita State is 3-1 all-time vs. Tulane in New Orleans.

LAST MEETING
Tulane finished off the regular season sweep of Wichita State with a 79-63 win in New Orleans on Feb. 13, 2021. Tulane outscored Wichita State 16-6 in the second quarter to turn a one-point game into a double-digit lead at halftime. Asia Strong scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed six rebounds. DJ McCarty added 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting off the bench and Mariah McCully chipped in 10 points, but was just 4-of-16 from the floor. Tulane's Krystal Freeman led all scorers with 20 points. Wichita State committed only nine turnovers in the game, but converted only 3-of-15 attempts from beyond the arc and shot 35.9 percent overall. Tulane made up for 16 turnovers by shooting 50 percent from the field and 9-of-20 from long range.

HOT START
Wichita State opened the season winning seven of its first eight games (7-1), making it the best eight-game start in school history. Wichita State finished the non-conference portion of the schedule with a 9-4 record, marking the first time since 2014-15 the Shockers won nine out-of-league contests. It's only the third time in program history a Wichita State team has recorded nine non-conference wins.

WANTED FOR THEFT
Wichita State senior guard Mariah McCully has been pest on defense for opposing offenses through 16 games this season. McCully is riding a streak of 12 straight games with a steal and has swiped at least one in 15 of the first 16 games. She's had multiple in 11 of the 16. Her 36 steals easily lead the team and rank 62nd nationally and fourth in the American Athletic Conference. Her 2.20 steals per game also rank fourth in the conference. During her first season at Wichita State (2019-20), McCully had a career-long 19-game streak with a steal, including a career-high seven at Tulane on Feb. 16, 2020.

MARIAH MCBUCKETS
Senior Mariah McCully is on a hot streak over the last nine games. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native is averaging 15.7 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc. She has scored 10 or more points in 11 of the team's 16 games, including eight of the last nine. Her scoring tear began vs. Oral Roberts on Dec. 1 when she lit up the Golden Eagles to the tune of a season-high 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting. Her 24 points were one shy of a career high. She then scored 13 at South Dakota, 10 vs. Grambling, 12 at North Texas, 23 vs. Kansas, 16 at Oklahoma and most recently 23 vs. Houston. In the game vs. KU she was 10-for-22, while the rest of the team was a combined 12-for-50. Through 16 games Wichita State has had four 20-point scoring outputs - three of those four belong to McCully.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING      
Wichita State is ranked in the top 80 nationally in eight categories after the first 16 games. The Shockers rank No. 5 in rebounds per game (45.6), No. 7 in offensive rebounds per game (16.5), No. 18 in total rebounds (730), No. 20 in rebound margin (8.6), No. 29 in defensive rebounds per game (29.1), No. 63 in field goal percentage defense (36.8), No. 72 in steals (147) and No. 78 in blocked shots (63).

GLASS CLEANERS
Wichita State is off to an impressive start rebounding the basketball through its first 16 games. The Shockers have outrebounded all but two teams and currently average 45.6 rebounds a game, which ranks fifth nationally. Their 730 total rebounds rank 18th in the NCAA. Wichita State ranks seventh in offensive rebounds per game, 20th in rebound margin and 29th in defensive rebounds per game. As it stands now, Wichita State's 45.6 rebounds per game would rank fourth-most in school history. Four different Shockers pull down at least 5.9 boards per game, led by Jane Asinde at 9.1.

DYNAMIC POINT GUARD
• Wichita State point guard Seraphine Bastin had her best season in a Shocker uniform in 2020-21. Bastin averaged 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals a game, while shooting 78.7 percent from the free throw line. The 5-foot-8 guard led the team in rebounding, assists, steals and double-doubles. In The American, Bastin ranked second in free throw percentage, third in assists, fourth in rebounding and fifth in assist-turnover ratio.

• She is off to another great start on the glass in 2021-22. Her 7.1 rebounds rank second on the team, and she's already had four games with 10 boards. In all but three games she's had five or more rebounds. Her season low is two.

• Bastin entered the Wichita State top 10 list for career assists on Nov. 26 vs. Alcorn State. She passed Allison Daniel who held the No. 10 spot with 308 career dimes. Bastin is already in the top 10 for career assists per game at 3.8. Her 3.8 helpers rank ninth best in school history.

• The Dinant, Belgium, native has a bulldog mentality and that is evident in her rebounding. Bastin led Wichita State and ranked sixth in the American Athletic Conference in rebounding at 7.7 per game and 131 total rebounds in 2020-21. Her 131 rebounds were 15 more than the next closest Shocker, which was Trajata Colbert with 116. Bastin has been one of the program's best rebounders since she arrived in 2018. She has 489 career rebounds, far and away the team's active leader. She has averaged 4.6 rebounds or more every season, including her career best 7.7 in 2020-21.

• With another season of eligibility remaining after the 2021-22 season, Bastin could find herself among the Shocker greats. She is on pace to finish her career with more than 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 400 assists and 150 steals. Only one player in Wichita State history has accomplished that feat - Alex Harden. As it stands now, Bastin has 747 career points, 536 rebounds, 353 assists and 128 steals.

SHOCKERS PICKED EIGHTH IN PRESEASON POLL
Wichita State was picked to finish eighth in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Shockers garnered 36 points from the league's coaches, just two points behind seventh-place East Carolina. The defending champions, South Florida, was picked to repeat after receiving 10 first place votes and 100 points. UCF (91), Houston (77), Tulane (72) and Temple (69) round out the top five.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...
... make them 11-6 on the season
... make them 2-2 in conference play
... improve their record to 5-3 on the road this season
... move them to 5-4 all-time vs. Tulane
... snap a two-game skid vs. Tulane
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 59-68 at Wichita State
... make Adams 343-277 at the Division I level
... run Adams' career coaching record to 470-314
... make Wichita State 629-716 all-time

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...
... make them 10-7 this the season
... make them 1-3 in conference play
... drop them to 4-4 on the road this season
... make them 4-5 all-time vs. Tulane
... be their third straight loss vs. Tulane
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 58-69 at Wichita State
... make Adams 342-278 at the Division I level
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 469-315
... make Wichita State 628-717 all-time

UP NEXT
Wichita State has two straight home games, beginning with a matchup vs. the East Carolina Pirates on Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 6 p.m.