Wichita State (14-10, 4-7) at East Carolina (16-8, 7-4)
Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023 | 1:00 PM CT | Minges Coliseum
ESPN+ | KNSS 97.8 FM/1330 AM | ShockerStats.com

ON THE AIR
Sunday's game can be heard on the radio at KNSS 97.8 FM/1330 AM with Steve Strain calling the action. Strain is in his ninth 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 bounced back from a two-game skid to defeat Tulane on Thursday in Charles Koch Arena, 69-61. The loss for Tulane extended their slump to four consecutive losses. Wichita State finished the game just 1-for-11 from beyond the arc, but made up for it by getting to the free throw line where they were 24-of-27 - a season high for free throws made. Jane Asinde and Trajata Colbert continued their recent domination, collecting a pair of 20-10 double-doubles. Asinde recorded her ninth of the season behind 22 points and 11 boards, while Colbert added her third straight and sixth of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds. The duo were a combined 18-for-19 at the charity stripe with Asinde setting career highs - 12-for-13.

SCOUTING THE PIRATES
Led by fourth year head coach Kim McNeill, East Carolina enters Saturday's matchup at 16-8 this season and 7-4 in American play. East Carolina boasts the league's top defense where its opponents are only averaging 54.5 points per game. The Pirates create havoc in the way of forcing turnovers. Their opponents are averaging 25.0 turnovers a game with nearly 14 of those ending up in steals. ECU ranks second nationally in turnovers forced per game, third in steals per game and turnover margin. Danae McNeal leads ECU in scoring (16.6 ppg) and steals (72) to go with 3.0 rebounds and 37 assists. McNeal is 8th nationally in total steals. Amiya Joyner pulls down a team-best 8.3 rebounds to go with 10.3 points.

THE SERIES VS. EAST CAROLINA
Wichita State and East Carolina have met nine times prior to Sunday's showdown with the Pirates holding a slim 5-4 edge. ECU won the first two meetings only to see Wichita State take the next three. Wichita State is just 1-4 all-time vs. the Pirates in Greenville. Wichita State will look to avoid the regular season series sweep after East Carolina won the first matchup less than a month ago.

LAST MEETING
Wichita State and East Carolina met just a couple weeks ago in Wichita on Jan. 21, and it was the Pirates who sailed away with a 66-57 win. Wichita State hammered East Carolina on the glass, 51-22, but 27 a season-high 27 turnovers proved to be the difference. The Pirates scored 40 points off those miscues. Trajata Colbert and Curtessia Dean both collected double-doubles and Jane Asinde was two points shy of her own. Colbert went for 17 and 10, while Dean scored 13 points to go with her career-high 13 rebounds. Asinde pulled down 11.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Wichita State boasts a top 70 defense through the first 24 games of the season. They have held all but nine opponents to less than 38 percent shooting, and only eight teams have shot better than 32 percent from three-point range. Wichita State's field goal defense is holding teams to just 37.3 percent, good for 55th nationally. Opponents are connecting on only 29.5 percent of their attempts from long range. Wichita State has held nine opponents under 60 points, including four under 50.

TALENTED TRIO
Jane Asinde, DJ McCarty and Trajata Colbert are forming a potent trio for the Shockers. All three are averaging double figures on the season and combine for 52.6 percent of Wichita State's points on the offensive end. On the glass, they combine to pull down 22.0 rebounds a game. On the defensive end, the trio makes up 61.6 percent (114 steals) of the team's steals this season and 58.3 percent (42 blocks) of the team's blocks.

KOWCUN IS KOOKIN'
Junior Ambah Kowcun is heating up at the right time for Wichita State. Over her last six games, she is averaging 10.5 points on 57.1 percent shooting (20-for-35) and 56.0 percent from three-point range (14-for-25). The Australia sharpshooter is coming off a season-high 22 points at Cincinnati on Jan. 28 behind 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.

SEEING DOUBLE
Wichita State senior Jane Asinde is averaging a double-double through 24 games this season at 12.3 points and 11.0 rebounds. The Uganda native is on pace to finish the season with a top 10 single season rebounding mark. Her current 11.0 boards per game would rank as the 6th most in school history. She is also trying to become the first Shocker to average a double-double over the course of a season since Antionette Wells during the 2006-07 season when she posted 13.0 points and 10.4 rebounds.

WANTED FOR THEFT
Junior guard DJ McCarty and senior forward Jane Asinde have been a pest on defense for opposing offenses through 24 games. McCarty has recorded at least one steal in all but five games, and has multiple in 14 of the 24 games. Her 49 steals are the most on the team. Asinde is second on the team with 46 steals and averages 2.09 steals a game and has multiple steals in 13 games this season. They rank 4th and 5th in the American in steals per game.

COLBERT CASHING IN      
Trajata Colbert has improved dramatically the last two years at the free throw line. The Georgia native began her career shooting 42.1 percent as a freshman, 61.1 percent as a sophomore and 50.9 percent as a COVID sophomore. In 2021-22 she shot a career-high 76.0 percent and so far through 24 games in 2022-23, she is 84-for-102 (82.4 percent). Colbert ranks fourth in the American in free throw percentage.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Through 24 games Wichita State ranks in the top 70 nationally in the following categories: No. 24 in rebound margin (7.7), No. 30 in free throws made per game (14.83), No. 31 in rebounds per game (41.21), No. 50 in free throw attempts per game (19.92), No. 55 in field goal percentage defense (37.3), No. 58 in defensive rebounds per game (27.6), No. 59 in offensive rebounds per game (13.6) and No. 64 in fouls per game (15.0). Jane Asinde ranks 12th nationally in rebounds per game, No. 17 in total rebounds, No. 18 in defensive rebounds per game and No. 27 in offensive rebounds.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...
... make them 15-10 on the season
... make them 5-7 in conference play
... make them 5-6 on the road this season
... move them to 5-5 all-time vs. East Carolina
... snap a two-game skid vs. the Pirates
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 77-88 at Wichita State
... make Adams 361-297 at the Division I level
... run Adams' career coaching record to 488-334
... make Wichita State 647-736 all-time

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...
... make them 14-11 this the season
... make them 4-8 in conference play
... drop them to 4-7 on the road this season
... make them 4-6 all-time vs. East Carolina
... be their third straight loss in the series
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 76-89 at Wichita State
... make Adams 360-298 at the Division I level
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 487-335
... make Wichita State 646-737 all-time

UP NEXT
Wichita State hosts Tulsa on Wednesday, Feb. 15 for its annual Play4Kay Pink Game at 6 p.m. CT.