Wichita State (13-10, 3-7) vs. Tulane (13-10, 3-7)
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 | 6:00 PM CT | Charles Koch Arena
ESPN+ | GoShockers.com/Listen | ShockerStats.com

ON THE AIR
Thursday's game can be heard online at GoShockers.com/Listen 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 followed up its worst shooting game of the season with its third-worst in a 70-60 loss vs. Memphis on Saturday in Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State made a season-low 18 field goals and shot just 31.7 percent from the floor. Without the free throw line, where Wichita State went 21-of-26, points would have been even more hard to come by. Wichita State committed only 11 turnovers and blocked a season-high seven shots. Jane Asinde recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and 15 rebounds to go with two steals and three blocks. Trajata Colbert picked up her fourth double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Ambah Kowcun scored all 10 of her points in the fourth quarter.

SCOUTING THE GREEN WAVE
Led by 29th year head coach Lisa Stockton, Tulane enters Thursday's matchup at 13-10 this season and 3-7 in American play. The Green Wave average 69.3 points per game on a league-leading 15.7 assists, and shoot just under 43 percent from the field. Marta Galic leads Tulane in scoring (12.9) and rebounding (7.0), and a majority of her scoring comes from beyond the arc where she's converting on 37.1 percent of her attempts. Kyren Whittington (12.4 PPG) and Dynah Jones (11.6 PPG) round out the double figure scorers. Rachel Hakes has dished out 116 assists so far this season. She leads the American Athletic Conference in assists and ranks 28th nationally.

THE SERIES VS. TULANE
Wichita State and Tulane have met 11 times prior to Thursday's matchup with the series being in favor Tulane by one game, 6-5. The Green Wave have won four of the last five meetings. Tulane won the first matchup this season in New Orleans and will be looking for the season sweep. Wichita State is 2-2 vs. Tulane in Wichita.

LAST MEETING
Wichita State fell in a deep hole early in the first matchup this season at Tulane, and never recovered, falling 76-53 on Jan. 11. Tulane scored 31 points in the first quarter and then outscored the Shockers, 18-6, in the third quarter to put the game away. Wichita State committed 19 turnovers, and missed 16-of-20 attempts from beyond the arc. Tulane shot nearly 50 percent from the field and outrebounded Wichita State by nine. DJ McCarty scored a team-high 16 points on 7-of-12 from the field. Jane Asinde recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Wichita State boasts a top 70 defense through the first 23 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 56th 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 51.6 percent of Wichita State's points on the offensive end. On the glass, they combine to pull down 21.9 rebounds a game. On the defensive end, the trio makes up 60.5 percent (107 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 23 games this season at 11.9 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 23 games. McCarty has recorded at least one steal in all but five games, and has multiple in 13 of the 23 games. Her 46 steals are the most on the team. Asinde is second on the team with 42 steals and averages 2.00 steals a game and has multiple steals in 12 games this season. They rank tied for 4th 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 23 games in 2022-23, she is 78-for-96 (81.3 percent). Colbert ranks fourth in the American in free throw percentage.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Through 23 games Wichita State ranks in the top 70 nationally in the following categories: No. 25 in rebound margin (7.6), No. 34 in rebounds per game (41.17), No. 41 in free throws made per game (14.43), No. 49 in offensive rebounds per game (13.8), No. 56 in field goal percentage defense (37.3), No. 63 in free throw attempts per game (19.6), No. 64 in fouls per game (15.0) and No. 65 in defensive rebounds (27.4). Jane Asinde ranks 12th nationally in rebounds per game, No. 19 in total rebounds, No. 23 in offensive rebounds and No. 24 in defensive rebounds per game.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...
... make them 14-10 on the season
... make them 4-7 in conference play
... make them 9-4 at home this season
... move them to 6-6 all-time vs. Tulane
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 76-88 at Wichita State
... make Adams 360-297 at the Division I level
... run Adams' career coaching record to 487-334
... improve their record to 395-252 in Charles Koch Arena
... make Wichita State 646-736 all-time

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...
... make them 13-11 this the season
... make them 3-8 in conference play
... drop them to 8-5 at home this season
... make them 5-7 all-time vs. Tulane
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 75-89 at Wichita State
... make Adams 359-298 at the Division I level
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 486-335
... drop their record to 394-253 in Charles Koch Arena
... make Wichita State 645-737 all-time

UP NEXT
Wichita State travels to Greenville, N.C., for a Super Bowl Sunday rematch with the East Carolina Pirates at 1 p.m. CT on Feb. 12.