WICHITA STATE (2-2) vs. AKRON (1-2)
Daytona Beach Classic
Friday, Nov. 24, 2023 | 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT
Daytona Beach, Fla. | Daytona Beach Ocean Center 
TV: FloHoops
Radio: Audacy.com/KFH with Steve Strain  OPENING TIPS
• Wichita State faces Akron in the first game of the 10-game 2023 Daytona Beach Classic.
• Wichita State is 2-0 all-time vs. Akron, defeating the Zips 67-61 in 2010 and 70-48 in 1998, both games at home.
• Wichita State is 5-8 all time when playing on Nov. 24.
• Tre'Zure Jobe is averaging 15 points and 1.8 steals through the first four games of her first Division I season after averaging 18.8 points per game at Emporia State.
• Jobe has started all 115 games of her collegiate career.
• Daniela Abies is the team's leading rebounder, averaging 6.8 rebounds per game, nearing double-doubles at Belmont with 11 points and 8 rebounds and against
Oklahoma with a career-high 18 points and 8 rebounds.
• Abies leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game (4.2) and is ranked second in the conference in field goal percentage (59.5%).
• The Shockers are 2-0 in games they were not out-rebounded.
• Wichita State ranks in the top 100 nationally in the following categories: No. 25 in three-point percentage defense (21.7), No. 76 in bench points per game (25.5), No. 87 in turnover margin (+4), and No. 97 in turnovers per game (14.8).
• The Shockers are ranked third in the American Athletic Conference in three-point percentage defense and fourth in scoring offense (71.8).
• First-year head coach Terry Nooner has only one returning starter, DJ McCarty.
• Wichita State returns just 34.7 percent of its scoring from a season ago, having lost its top two leading scorers and three other triple-digit point scorers. Trajata Colbert and Curtessia Dean exhausted their eligibility, and three of the top six scorers departed through the transfer portal.
• Wichita State has only two true freshmen on the roster in Salese Blow (Texas) and Sophia Goncalves (California).
• Blow has scored 9, 9, 8 and 19 points in her first four collegiate games.
• Sierra Morrow has yet to make her Shocker debut as she awaits the NCAA's decision on her transfer waiver.

SCOUTING AKRON
• Led by first-year head coach Ryan Gensler, Akron (1-2) is coming off their first win of the season, defeating Robert Morris 63-58 in overtime Wednesday, Nov. 15.
• Two Zips are averaging double-digit scoring with Reagan Bass leading the team with 20.3 points per game, while Morgan Haney is averaging 13.
• Bass was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week for the second-straight week after putting up 22 points and 19 rebounds against Robert Morris.
• The Zips lead their conference in rebounding (43 rpg).
• Haney ties for the national lead in free-throw percentage, hitting all eight attempts from the charity stripe.
• Akron was picked sixth of 12 teams in the MAC preseason poll.
• The Zips currently tie for fifth in their conference standings at 1-2.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. AKRON
• Wichita State leads the all-time series, 2-0, dating back to 1998.
• The Shockers defeated the Zips 67-61 in 2010 and 70-48 in 1998, both games at home.

NON-CONFERENCE NOTABLES
• Wichita State faces three first-time foes in the non-conference docket, Presbyterian, Belmont and Dayton.
• The Shockers opened their season against No. 23 Oklahoma.
• Belmont (MVC) and Southeastern Louisiana (Southland) were picked to win their respective leagues.
• The Shockers' play two games against teams that finished inside the Top 50 of last year's NCAA NET Rankings (Kansas – 30 and Oklahoma – 38).

LAST TIME OUT
• Three Shockers scored career highs en route to Wichita State's 92-86 victory over Omaha Monday evening in Charles Koch Arena.
• Freshman Salese Blow led the scoring with a career-high 19 points, while sophomore Daniela Abies put up a career-high 18 points and 8 rebounds, and junior Ornella Niankan tallied a career-high 16 points with 5 rebounds and a career-high 5 assists.
• Abies tied with Jeniah Thompson to lead the team in rebounding for the third time this season, but foul trouble kept her out of the game for half of the second, third and fourth quarters before she eventually fouled out with 2:21 left in the game.
• The Shockers saved their best quarter for last, outscoring Omaha 29-17 and winning the rebound battle 12-7 to secure their redemption victory after falling to the Mavericks in overtime a season ago.
• All 12 Shockers who suited up saw the court, as Sophia Goncalves made her collegiate debut, recording a big block right after she entered the game at the end of the second quarter.
• Tre'Zure Jobe marked the fourth Shocker in double figures, coming alive and scoring 13 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 3-2 on the season
... make them 1-0 in neutral site games
... make them 3-0 all-time against Akron
... bring Terry Nooner's record to 3-2 at Wichita State
... run Nooner's career coaching record to 3-2
... make Wichita State 653-742 all-time

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 2-3 on the season
... make them 0-1 in neutral site games
... make them 2-1 all-time against Akron
... bring Terry Nooner's record to 2-3 at Wichita State
... lower Nooner's career coaching record to 2-3
... make Wichita State 652-743 all-time

UP NEXT
Wichita State continues play at the Daytona Beach Classic, taking on Dayton on Saturday at 10 a.m. CT at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center.