Wichita State (16-12, 6-9) at Houston (12-15, 9-5)
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 | 7:00 PM CT | Fertitta Center
ESPN+ | KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM | ShockerStats.com

ON THE AIR
Wednesday's game can be heard on the radio at KFH 97.5 FM/1240 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 sent its two seniors out with a bang on Senior Day last Saturday. The Shockers defeated Temple, 79-67, in Charles Koch Arena, avenging a loss just three weeks ago in Philadelphia. For just the third time this season Wichita State shot better than 50 percent from the field, and nearly went perfect at the free throw line, 17-for-18. The duo of Jane Asinde and Curtessia Dean combined for 44 of Wichita State's points. Asinde logged her 11th double-double behind 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Dean saved her best game for Senior Day where she poured in a career-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Trajata Colbert added 13 and Shamaryah Duncan chipped in 11.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Led by ninth year head coach Ronald Hughey, Houston enters Wednesday's matchup at 12-15 this season and 9-5 in American play. The Cougars like to create havoc for opposing offenses. Opponents are averaging only 61.0 points on 24.3 percent shooting from three-point range. Houston is elite at forcing turnovers where they force nearly 25 per game with almost 14 of those coming in the way of steals. Houston ranks second nationally in steals per game, three-point defense; third in turnovers forced per game and fifth in turnover margin. Laila Blair leads three Cougars in double figures at 14.6 points. Tiara Young and Bria Patterson add 12.0 and 10.0 points per game.

THE SERIES VS. HOUSTON
Wichita State and Houston have met 10 times prior to Wednesday night's matchup. The Shockers' lone win in the series came on a neutral court in the 2020 American Athletic Conference Championship first round. Wichita State is seeking its first-ever win vs. the Cougars in Houston. The Shockers have lost three straight in the series.

LAST MEETING
Wichita State and Houston met only once in 2022 - the conference opener for both teams on Jan. 5. A tight game throughout, Houston pulled out a 66-61 win in Wichita behind a fourth quarter rally. Neither team shot the ball particularly well, but 18 Wichita State turnovers led to 24 points for Houston. Three-point shooting and free throws were essentially a wash, but Houston's ability to create turnovers and not turn it over to Wichita State was the difference. Mariah McCully (23) and Jane Asinde (16) accounted for 39 of Wichita State's 61 points.

PAINT POWER
Over Wichita State's last eight games the duo of Jane Asinde and Trajata Colbert have taken their game to another level. Asinde has five double-doubles and is averaging 17.3 points and 10.6 rebounds, while Colbert is playing the best basketball of her career. During that span Colbert has six double-doubles and is posting 15.8 points and 9.1 rebounds. Combined they are responsible for 33.1 points and 19.7 rebounds over the last nine outings.

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 53.9 percent of Wichita State's points on the offensive end. On the glass, they combine to pull down 21.7 rebounds a game. On the defensive end, the trio makes up 62.0 percent (134 steals) of the team's steals this season and 60.0 percent (48 blocks) of the team's blocks.

RARE AIR ASINDE
Jane Asinde is one of only three players in the country averaging at least 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. DePaul's Annesah Morrow and Texas A&M Corpus Christi's Alecia Westbrook are the only other players putting up those stats in 2022-23.

SEEING DOUBLE
Wichita State senior Jane Asinde is averaging a double-double through 28 games this season at 13.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. The Uganda native is on pace to finish the season with a top 10 single season rebounding mark. Her current 10.5 boards per game would rank as the 8th 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 28 games. McCarty has recorded at least one steal in all but five games, and has multiple in 16 of the 28 games. Her 59 steals are the most on the team. Asinde is second on the team with 53 steals and averages 2.04 steals a game and has multiple steals in 15 games this season. They rank 4th and 7th in the American in steals.

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 28 games in 2022-23, she is 99-for-120 (82.5 percent). Colbert ranks fifth in the American in free throw percentage.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Through 28 games Wichita State ranks in the top 70 nationally in the following categories: No. 25 in free throws made per game (15.00), No. 25 in rebound margin (7.5), No. 40 in rebounds per game (40.86), No. 50 in free throw attempts per game (20.00), No. 58 in offensive rebounds per game (13.5), No. 58 in three point defense (28.6), No. 62 in free throw percentage (75.0) and No. 64 in defensive rebounds per game (27.4). Jane Asinde ranks 16th nationally in rebounds per game, No. 29 in total rebounds and No. 30 in offensive and defensive rebounds per game.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...
... make them 17-12 on the season
... make them 7-9 in conference play
... make them 5-8 on the road this season
... move them to 2-9 all-time vs. Houston
... snap a three-game losing streak vs. the Cougars
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 79-90 at Wichita State
... make Adams 363-299 at the Division I level
... run Adams' career coaching record to 490-336
... make Wichita State 649-738 all-time

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...
... make them 16-13 this the season
... make them 6-10 in conference play
... drop them to 4-9 on the road this season
... make them 1-10 all-time vs. Houston
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 78-91 at Wichita State
... make Adams 362-300 at the Division I level
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 489-337
... make Wichita State 648-739 all-time

UP NEXT
Wichita State prepares for the American Athletic Conference Championship, March 6-9 in Fort Worth.