UTSA (14-13, 8-8 AAC) at WICHITA STATE (8-20, 4-12 AAC)
Saturday, March 2, 2024 | 2 p.m. CT
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+ with Pat Strathman and Tracey Anderson
Radio: GoShockers.com/Listen with Steve Strain  OPENING TIPS
> Wichita State hosts UTSA for its final home game of the season, seeking revenge on the Roadrunners Saturday at 2 p.m.
> The Shockers' six seniors will be honored following the game.
> The teams meet for the eighth time in program history with Wichita State leading the series 5-2.
> Three Shockers are averaging double figures with Daniela Abies leading the team with 12.6 points per game, Salese Blow averaging 11.9 and Tre'Zure Jobe averaging 10.7.
> Abies is also the team's leading rebounder, averaging 9.2 rebounds per game with nine 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 just 56 points away from 1,000 career points with only two 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 is now 0-2 in overtime contests after Salese Blow hit buzzer beaters at the end of regulation in both games to send the Shockers to OT at home against UAB and SMU.
> Wichita State ranks in the top 100 nationally in the following categories: No. 52 in free throw attempts per game (19.4), No. 58 in three-point percentage defense (28.6) and No. 78 in offensive rebounds per game (12.9).
> The Shockers are ranked third in the American Athletic Conference in three-point percentage defense.
> Abies ranks second in the conference in offensive rebounds per game with 3.9 and is 23^rd in the nation. She ranks third in the conference in rebounds per game (9.2).
> 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 12 times and has led the team in rebounding in 21 games this season. She has nine 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 score a career-high 24 points at home against SMU. She has now finished in double figures in 17 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. Blow has led the team in scoring 11 times and now has four 20-plus point games in the books.
 
NATIONAL TRE'ZURE
Tre'Zure Jobe 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 with two 20-plus point games.
 
MORE McCARTY
Senior DJ McCarty has come alive in the last four games, scoring a career-high 26 points to lead the Shockers to a home win over Tulsa. She re-entered the starting lineup on Feb. 17 and recorded back-to-back career highs in assists with seven at Charlotte and nine against SMU. She is now just 56 points away from 1,000 career points.
 
SIERRA SNIPER
Sierra Morrow became the first Shocker since 2004 to shoot 100% from three with a minimum of four attempts, shooting 5-for-5 in her career game against Oral Roberts. She broke the Charles Koch Arena three-point percentage record (min. 5 attempts).

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
> Led by third-year head coach Karen Astron (16^th overall), the Roadrunners are coming off a 60-53 road loss to Memphis.
> Five Roadrunners are averaging double figures with AAC Preseason All-Conference Second Team selection Jordyn Jenkins leading the way with 14.2 points per game, having played just the last six games. Elyssa Coleman, Kyra White, Aysia Proctor and Sidney Love are also averaging double figures.
> Coleman is the team's leading rebounder, averaging 7.8 per game and ranking 10^th in the conference in rebounds per game.
> Coleman also ranks second in the conference in blocks per game with 1.6.
> Kyra White ranks second in the conference in assists with 4.7 per game.
> The Roadrunners lead the conference in field goal percentage defense (36.3), rebounds per game (45.5) and rebound margin (10.0) and rank second in the conference in blocks per game (4.7).
> UTSA was picked eighth in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll and currently sits in 10th.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. UTSA
> The teams meet for the eighth time with Wichita State leading the series 5-2.
> UTSA came out on top in the last meeting in San Antonio earlier this season.
> Prior to the last meeting, the Shockers had won the last three in a row.
> The Shockers have yet to fall to UTSA in Charles Koch Arena.
 
LAST MEETING
> UTSA ran past Wichita State in the fourth quarter as the Shockers dropped their second-straight conference game, 74-60, in the Convocation Center on Jan. 6, 2024.
> UTSA's Elyssa Coleman tallied 32 points and 19 rebounds as the Roadrunners picked up their first conference win.
> Aniya Bell scored a career-high 16 points, shooting 3-for-6 from three to lead the Shockers in scoring, and Daniela Abies recorded her second career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
> UTSA out-rebounded the Shockers 52-40 with 23 offensive rebounds, scoring 24 second-chance points.

LAST TIME OUT
> Wichita State dropped an overtime heartbreaker, falling 88-84 to SMU despite a career night from Salese Blow.
> For the second time this season, Blow, the freshman from Murphy, Texas, hit a buzzer beater to send the game to overtime, banking in a three pointer as time expired. Blow finished with a career-high 24 points, shooting 6-for-18 from the field and going a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe.
> Daniela Abies recorded her ninth double-double of the year with 17 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
> Jayla Murray and Raissa Nsabua also finished in double figures, with Murray putting up 13 and Nsabua scoring a career-high 12.
> Ella Anciaux collected a career-high 11 boards, playing her most minutes of the season after getting her first career start.
> The Shockers recorded their best assist to turnover ratio of the season with a season-high 21 assists and 11 turnovers and out-rebounded the Mustangs 48-43.
> The Shockers held SMU to just 3-for-15 (.200) from behind the arc, but SMU dominated the paint, scoring 56 points inside.
 
 
A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 9-20 on the season
... let them remain undefeated at home against UTSA

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...                                                                     
... make them 8-21 on the season
... be their first home loss to UTSA

UP NEXT
Wichita State plays its final regular season game at UAB on Tuesday, March 5 at 6 p.m.