WICHITA STATE (5-11, 1-3 AAC) at NORTH TEXAS (12-3, 2-1 AAC)
Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024 | 2 p.m. CT
Denton, Texas | The Super Pit
TV: ESPN+ with John Liddle and Brian Burton
Radio: Audacy.com/KNSS with Steve Strain  OPENING TIPS
> Wichita State looks to pick up its first road win of the season, heading back to Texas to take on North Texas in Denton.
> The teams meet for just the third time and first as conference opponents, with Wichita State leading the series 2-0.
> Senior transfer from Miami (OH) Sierra Morrow made her long-awaited Shocker debut against Kansas after her NCAA transfer waiver was finally approved just before the court decision. She tied for a team-high 12 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds off the bench. In her third game of the season, she scored a career-high 29 points against Oral Roberts to land herself on the AAC Weekly Honor Roll.
> Tre'Zure Jobe was named AAC Player of the Week on Jan. 1 following her 21 points, 8 assists and 2 steals against Tulane and went on to record her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds at Rice.
> Three Shockers are averaging double-digit scoring with Jobe leading the team with 11.8 points per game, Daniela Abies averaging 11.6, and Salese Blow averaging 10.1.
> Jobe has started all 127 games of her collegiate career, including her five years at Emporia State.
> Abies is the team's leading rebounder, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game with two double-doubles (18 pts, 11 reb against Akron, 12 pts, 12 reb at UTSA).
> Abies has finished in double figures in 10 of 16 games with three 18-point games and a career-high 19 against Oral Roberts.
> Wichita State ranks in the top 100 nationally in the following categories: No. 37 in three-point percentage defense (26.6), No. 44 in free throw attempts per game (20.4), No. 78 in free throws made per game (13.4), No. 85 in bench points per game (22.6), and No. 96 in offensive rebounds per game (13.1).
> The Shockers are ranked third in the American Athletic Conference in three-point percentage defense.
> The Shockers have yet to win on the road this season.
> 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 in double figures six times with a career-high 20 points against Dayton and got her first collegiate start at Belmont. She has led the team in scoring in four games and has started the last four games.
> Blow claimed the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week award on Nov. 27 following her 19 points in the win over Omaha and career-high 20 points against Dayton, leading the team in scoring in both contests.
> DJ McCarty is 120 points away from 1,000 career points.
> Morrow is 9 blocks away from 100 career blocks.

SCOUTING NORTH TEXAS
> Led by 10^th-year head coach Jason Burton (first at North Texas), the Mean Green (12-3, 2-1 AAC) are coming off a dominant 86-52 home win over Florida Atlantic.
> North Texas is undefeated in The Super Pit at 6-0.
> Three players are averaging double-digit scoring with DesiRay Kernal leading the team with 15.7 points per game, Tommisha Lampkin averaging 14.5, and Jaaucklyn Moore averaging 10.8.
> Kernal also leads the Mean Green in rebounding with 7.9 per game.
> Kernal was named AAC Player of the Week on Dec. 11 and was named to the Honor Roll on Dec. 18.
> Lampkin has found herself on the Honor Roll three times and Moore has earned a spot once.
> North Texas was picked 12^th of 14 teams in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll and currently sits in fifth.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. TEMPLE
> The teams meet for the third time and first as conference opponents with Wichita State leading the series 2-0.
> This is the second time the teams will face off in Denton.
> Both meetings between the two teams were under five-point games.
 
LAST MEETING
> Wichita State completed a 57-53 come-from-behind win after trailing by 17 at halftime, holding the Mean Green to just 12 second-half points.
> Jane Asinde scored a team-high 13 points and Shamaryah Duncan scored all nine of her points after halftime. Duncan now plays for the Mean Green.

NON-CONFERENCE NOTABLES
> Wichita State faced 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' played 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
> Wichita State suffered its worst conference loss, falling 72-49 to Temple Tuesday evening in Charles Koch Arena.
> Wichita State (5-11, 1-3 AAC) was caught in an offensive slump, shooting just 1-for-19 (.053 from three and 18-for-64 (.281) from the field.
> Temple (9-7, 3-1 AAC) shot 30-for-59 (.508) with seven three pointers as Demi Washington's 20 points led the Owls to its second-straight conference victory.
> Freshman Salese Blow led the Shockers in scoring for the fifth time this season with 10 points and dished out a career-best three assists. Jayla Murray was the team's leading rebounder with nine.
> The Shockers forced 25 turnovers but were unable to capitalize, scoring just five points off turnovers, compared to the Owls' 21 points scored off 19 Wichita State turnovers.
> Wichita State was out-rebounded for the seventh time this season, 46-33, and the Shockers have only won one game in which they lost the battle of the boards.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 6-11 on the season
... be their first road win of the season
... improve their record to 3-0 all-time against North Texas
... bring Terry Nooner's record to 6-11 at Wichita State
... make Wichita State 656-751 all-time

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 5-12 on the season
... make them remain winless on the road this season
... drop their record to 2-1 all-time against North Texas
... bring Terry Nooner's record to 5-12 at Wichita State
... make Wichita State 655-752 all-time

UP NEXT
Wichita State returns home to take on Memphis Wednesday, Jan. 17 in Charles Koch Arena.