SMU (13-13, 7-8 AAC) at WICHITA STATE (8-19, 4-11 AAC)
Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 | 6 p.m. CT
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+ with Pat Strathman and Tracey Anderson
Radio: KFH with Steve Strain  OPENING TIPS
> Wichita State hosts SMU for the Play4Kay Pink Out game Wednesday, Feb. 28 in Charles Koch Arena.
> The teams meet for the 14^th time with Wichita State leading the series 7-6.
> Three Shockers are averaging double-digit scoring with Daniela Abies leading the team with 12.4 points per game, Salese Blow averaging 11.4 and Tre'Zure Jobe averaging 11.2.
> Abies is also the team's leading rebounder, averaging 9.0 rebounds per game with eight double-doubles.
> Abies has landed on the AAC Honor Roll three times, most recently following her performance in the win at Florida Atlantic (15 pts, 15 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl).
> DJ McCarty is 64 points away from 1,000 career points with only three remaining regular-season games before the conference tournament. She scored a career-high 26 points in the win over Tulsa on Feb. 17.
> 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.
> 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.
> Wichita State ranks in the top 100 nationally in the following categories: No. 61 in free throw attempts per game (19.1), No. 72 in three-point percentage defense (28.9) and No. 94 in offensive rebounds per game (12.7).
> The Shockers are ranked third in the American Athletic Conference in three-point percentage defense.
> Abies leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game with 3.9 and is 21^st in the nation. She ranks third in the conference in rebounds per game (9.0).
> 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.
> 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).
 
DANI DOMINANCE
Daniela Abies has finished with 10-plus rebounds 11 times and has led the team in rebounding in 20 games this season. She has eight career double-doubles, all this season. She scored a career-high 23 points against UAB and recorded a career-high 16 rebounds against Memphis and has led the team in scoring seven times.
 
FRESHIE ON FIRE
Salese Blow had finished in double figures in 10-straight games before being held scoreless against Tulsa. She came back to lead the team in scoring at Charlotte with 17 points and has now finished in double figures in 16 games. She made her first career start at Belmont in November and then didn't start again until Dec. 30 against Tulane and has started every game since.
 
She put up a career-high 23 points at North Texas, has led the team in scoring 10 times and has three 20-plus point games.
 
NATIONAL TRE'ZURE
Jobe had started all 127 games of her collegiate career, including her five years at Emporia State, before coming off the bench against North Texas and Memphis. She made her return to the starting lineup at Tulsa and has continued to start since. She missed the last two games due to injury.
 
She had her best game of the season in the conference opener against Tulane, recording 21 points, 8 assists and 2 steals and being named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week. She recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds at Rice and has scored in double figures 14 times this season.

SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
> Led by third-year head coach Toyelle Wilson (6^th overall), the Mustangs are coming off a 74-64 home loss to East Carolina.
> SMU is 3-5 on the road this season with their two conference road wins coming against Tulane and Memphis.
> Four Mustangs are averaging double-digit scoring with Tiara Young, the reigning AAC Sixth-Player of the Year, leading the team with 16.8 points per game, Chantae Embry averaging 12.1, Amirah Abdur-Rahim averaging 11.5 and Ella Brow averaging 10.
> Abdur-Rahim leads the conference in blocks per game, averaging 1.8 and is the team's leading rebounding with 6.5 per game. She also ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage (53.8).
> Tiara Young ranks fourth in the conference in free throws made, Reagan Bradley is the team's best passer, ranking fourth in the conference in assists per game (4.0).
> The Mustangs rank second in the conference in field goal percentage (43.6) and third in the conference in made free throws per game (14.4).
> SMU was picked fourth in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll and currently sits in 10th.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SMU
> The teams meet for the 14^th time with Wichita State leading the series 7-6.
> SMU came out on top in the last meeting in Dallas, winning 69-51.
> Prior to the last meeting, the Shockers had won the last two in a row at home, beating the Mustangs 58-47 in 2022 and 73-65 in 2023.
 
LAST MEETING
> SMU outscored Wichita State by 11 in the second half to take down Wichita State, 69-51, on Feb 22. 2023 in Moody Coliseum.
> Wichita State shot below 40 percent from the field, including 3-of-11 from beyond the arc and was outrebounded by 15.
> Jane Asinde and Curtessia Dean scored a team-high tying 11 points each, followed by Trajata Colbert and DJ McCarty with 10 apiece.

LAST TIME OUT
> Charlotte shut down the Shockers in Halton Arena, taking the lead three minutes into the game and never looking back as Wichita State fell 74-48.
> Charlotte's Dazia Lawrence led the scoring with 22 points, and Jacee Busick recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
> Salese Blow led the Shockers with 17 points, her 16^th game in double figures, and Raissa Nsabua tied her career high with 10.
> The 49ers shot 25-for-53 (.472) from the field and 11-for-27 (.407) from behind the arc.
> The Shockers struggled to rebound without their leading rebounder, Daniela Abies, who was out due to concussion protocols as Charlotte won the battle of the boards 43-26.
> Wichita State forced 20 turnovers but only was able to capitalize with 11 points from turnovers.
> The Shockers outscored Charlotte in the paint, 30-18, but only shot 4-for-18 (.222) from three.
 
A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 9-19 on the season
... make them 8-6 all-time against SMU
... be their second-straight home win

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 8-20 on the season
... even the series record against SMU to 7-7

UP NEXT
Wichita State plays its final home game of the season against UTSA on Saturday, March 2 in Charles Koch Arena at 2 p.m. and will honor its six seniors following the game.