MEMPHIS (5-11, 1-4 AAC) at WICHITA STATE (5-12, 1-4 AAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024 | 6 p.m. CT
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+ with Shane Dennis and Tracey Anderson
Radio: GoShockers.com/Listen with Steve Strain  OPENING TIPS
> Wichita State looks to snap a four-game losing streak, taking on Memphis Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Charles Koch Arena.
> Both teams are in search of their second conference victory with records of 1-4.
> The teams meet for the 11^th time with Memphis leading the series 6-4.
> Three Shockers are averaging double-digit scoring with Jobe leading the team with 11.8 points per game, Daniela Abies averaging 11.5, and Salese Blow averaging 10.9.
> 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.
> Abies is the team's leading rebounder, averaging 7.7 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 17 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. 29 in three-point percentage defense (26.1), No. 42 in free throw attempts per game (20.4), No. 80 in bench points per game (22.6), and No. 99 in offensive rebounds per game (12.9).
> 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.
> 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.
> 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 seven times with a career-high 23 points at North Texas. She has started the last five games and has led the team in scoring five times this season.
> 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 119 points away from 1,000 career points.
> Morrow is six blocks away from 100 career blocks.

SCOUTING MEMPHIS
> Led by sixth-year head coach Alex Simmons (first at Memphis), the Tigers (5-11, 1-4 AAC) are coming off their first conference win, beating Temple, 59-57, on the road.
> Memphis is 1-5 on the road this season.
> Two Tigers are averaging double-digit scoring with Madison Griggs leading the team with 17.5 points per game and Alasia Smith averaging 10 points per game.
> Smith leads the team in rebounding with 9.1 per game.
> No Tigers have landed on the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll this season.
> Memphis ties the Shockers at 29^th in the nation in three-point percentage defense (26.1).
> North Texas was picked fifth of 14 teams in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll and currently sits in 12^th right in front of Wichita State.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. TEMPLE
> The teams meet for the 11^th time with Memphis leading the series 6-4.
> This is the sixth time the teams will face off in Charles Koch Arena.
> The last five meetings have been decided by 10 points or less with Memphis coming out on top last year in CKA, 70-60.
> The Shockers' last win over the tigers was in February of 2022 when they won 68-61 on the road.
 
LAST MEETING
> Memphis claimed a 10-point victory over the Shockers on Feb. 4, 2023 in Charles Koch Arena.
> Jane Asinde collected her eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and 15 rebounds and Trajata Colbert picked up her second straight and fifth of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Ambah Kowcun scored all 10 of her points in the fourth quarter.
> Three Tigers finished in double figures with Jamirah Shutes leading the scoring with 21 points.

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 dropped a heartbreaker at North Texas, as it watched its 18-point lead fade away while North Texas mounted a fourth quarter comeback, defeating the Shockers, 72-68, Sunday afternoon in The Super Pit.
> Freshman Salese Blow led all scoring with a career-high 23 points, shooting 8-for-17 and hitting three triples for the Shockers.
> Tre'Zure Jobe and Jayla Murray also finished in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
> The Shockers hit a season-best nine three pointers as a team (Blow 3, Jobe 3, Aniya Bell 2, Murray 1), shooting 9-for-21 (.429), their best three-point percentage of the season on 10 or more attempts.
> Bell hit two or more threes for the fourth time this season and sixth time in her Wichita State career.
> Daniela Abies led the team in rebounding for the 10^th time this season and was just shy of a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 2:16 left in the game.
> North Texas went on a 12-0 run to gain its first lead since midway through the second quarter with two minutes left and increased its lead to six with less than a minute remaining.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 6-12 on the season
... make them 5-5 at home
... improve their record to 5-6 all-time against Memphis
... bring Terry Nooner's record to 6-12 at Wichita State
... make Wichita State 656-752 all-time

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 5-13 on the season
... make them 4-6 at home
... drop their record to 4-7 all-time against Memphis
... bring Terry Nooner's record to 5-13 at Wichita State
... make Wichita State 655-753 all-time

UP NEXT
Wichita State heads to Tulsa to take on the Golden Hurricane Saturday at 2 p.m.