FLORIDA ATLANTIC (5-13, 0-7 AAC) at WICHITA STATE (6-14, 2-6 AAC)
Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024 | 5 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 seeks its third American Athletic Conference win, taking on Florida Atlantic for the first time ever on Saturday at 5 p.m. in Charles Koch Arena.
> Three Shockers are averaging double-digit scoring with Daniela Abies leading the team with 12.7 points per game, Tre'Zure Jobe averaging 12.3, and Salese Blow averaging 11.5.
> Abies is also the team's leading rebounder, averaging 8.3 rebounds per game with five double-doubles (18 pts, 11 reb against Akron, 12 pts, 12 reb at UTSA, 18 pts, 16 reb against Memphis, 17 pts, 10 reb at Tulsa, 23 pts, 10 reb).
> Abies and Jobe have finished in double figures in 13 of 20 games.
> DJ McCarty is 117 points away from 1,000 career points.
> Morrow is now just one block away from 100 career blocks after denying three shots in the last game against UAB.
> 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 has been named to the AAC Honor Roll twice, and Blow claimed the AAC 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.
> Blow has scored in double figures 10 times with a career-high 23 points at North Texas. She has started the last eight games and has led the team in scoring five times this season. She now has three 20-plus point games.
> Wichita State ranks in the top 100 nationally in the following categories: No. 43 in three-point percentage defense (27.4), No. 67 in free throw attempts per game (19.3), No. 84 in offensive rebounds per game (12.9), and No. 90 in bench points per game (21.9).
> The Shockers are ranked third in the American Athletic Conference in three-point percentage defense.
> Abies ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage (.537) and 50^th in the nation. She is third in the AAC and 53^rd in the nation in rebounds.
> 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).

SCOUTING FLORIDA ATLANTIC
> Led by third-year head coach Jennifer Sullivan, the Owls are on an eight-game losing streak and have yet to claim their first conference win.
> Florida Atlantic has only won twice on the road this season, beating North Florida and UCF.
> Two Owls are averaging double-digit scoring with Aniya Hubbard leading the team with 18.8 points per game and Mya Perry averaging 12.5.
> Janeta Rozentale leads the team in rebounding with 9.2 per game.
> Hubbard has been name to the AAC Honor Roll twice and Mya Perry has earned a spot one time.
> Perry leads the conference in three-point percentage (.444) and is ranked second in three pointers per game with 2.82. She is 17^th in the nation in three pointers per game.
> Rozentale is third in the conference in rebounds per game.
> The Owls are ranked second in the conference in fouls per game (14.8).
> FAU was picked 14^th of 14 teams in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll and currently sits in 14^th.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
> The teams meet for the first time in program history.
 
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
> Salese Blow hit a buzzer beater to take the No. 2 team in the American Athletic Conference to overtime, but UAB slipped past the Shockers in the final seconds of overtime to claim an 83-81 victory.
> Daniela Abies recorded her third-straight double-double and fifth of the season with a career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. She scored 19 of her 23 points after halftime.
> Salese Blow and Tre'Zure Jobe finished with 21 and 18 points, respectively, Blow's second game over 20 this year.
> Wichita State out-rebounded the Blazers 55-43, the Shockers' most rebounds in a game this season.
 
A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 7-14 on the season
... make them 6-6 at home
... give the Shockers the first win of the series
... bring Terry Nooner's record to 7-14 at Wichita State
... make Wichita State 657-754 all-time

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 6-15 on the season
... make them 5-7 at home
... give the Owls the first win of the series
... bring Terry Nooner's record to 6-15 at Wichita State
... make Wichita State 656-755 all-time

UP NEXT
Wichita State seeks its first true road win at Temple on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 6 p.m.