WICHITA STATE (10-21) vs. SOUTH FLORIDA (18-13)
Sunday, March 10, 2024 | 2 p.m. CT
Fort Worth, Texas | Dickies Arena
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Audacy.com/KFH with Steve Strain  OPENING TIPS
> Wichita State [13] faces South Florida [5] in the second round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Dickies Arena.
> The teams meet for the 12^th time in program history and second time this year with South Florida leading the all-time series 8-3 and getting the win over the Shockers earlier this season in Tampa.
> Three Shockers are averaging double figures with Daniela Abies leading the team with 13.2 points per game, Salese Blow averaging 12.1 and Tre'Zure Jobe averaging 10.0.
> Abies is also the team's leading rebounder, averaging 9.6 rebounds per game with 11 double-doubles. She broke the AAC tournament single-game rebound record with 22 in the opening round win over Florida Atlantic.
> Abies has landed on the AAC Honor Roll four times, most recently following her performance in the win at UAB (21 pts, 12 reb).
> DJ McCarty is just 34 points away from 1,000 career points.
> 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 has claimed three American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week awards, the first on Nov. 27 following her 19 points in the win over Omaha and 20 points against Dayton, leading the team in scoring in both contests, the second after a career-high 24 points with a buzzer-beater three to take SMU to overtime and 18 points against UTSA, and the third after her 14 points in the season finale win over UAB.
> 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. 46 in three-point percentage defense (28.5), No. 61 in free throw attempts per game (19.1), and No. 74 in offensive rebounds per game (12.9).
> The Shockers are ranked second in the American Athletic Conference in three-point percentage defense.
> Abies leads the conference in total rebounds (289) and offensive rebounds per game (4.0) and ranks second in rebounds per game (9.6). She is now third in the conference in double-doubles (11).
> 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 14 times and has led the team in rebounding in 22 games this season. She has 11 career double-doubles, all this season. She scored a career-high 23 points against UAB and recorded a career-high 22 rebounds last time out against Florida Atlantic, breaking the AAC tournament single-game rebounds record. Abies moved up to No. 7 all-time in Shocker history in single season rebounds with 289. She is five rebounds away from tying for No. 6 and 16 away from tying for No. 4. She has led the team in scoring nine times this season.
 
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 before leading the team in scoring again with 18 against UTSA. She has now finished in double figures in 20 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 (except for senior day). Blow has led the team in scoring 12 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 seven 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 34 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 BULLS
> Led by 24^th-year head coach Jose Fernandez, the Bulls are on a two-game winning streak after beating Tulane at home and defeating SMU in overtime in their regular-season finale.
> Two Bulls are averaging double figures with Romi Levy leading the way with 14.9 points per game and the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year Vittoria Blasigh averaging 13.4.
> Evelien Schipholt Lutje leads the team in rebounding with 8.1 per game.
> Aerial Wilson leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.31).
> Blasigh ranks third in the conference in three point attempts and fourth in made threes.
> The Bulls lead the conference in assist/turnover ratio, scoring defense and turnovers per game rank.
> South Florida was picked to win the American Athletic Conference preseason poll and is the No. 5 seed in the tournament.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SOUTH FLORIDA
> The teams meet for the 12^th time with South Florida leading the series 8-3.
> Wichita State and South Florida met for the first time in 1983 and then didn't face each other again until the Shockers joined the AAC in 2018.
> The Bulls won seven straight from 2019-23 before the Shockers knocked them out of the conference tournament in the quarterfinal a year ago.
 
LAST MEETING
> South Florida led wire-to-wire, defeating Wichita State, 79-57, on Feb. 13 in Tampa, Fla.
> South Florida's Romi Levy scored 28 points, helping the Bulls lead by as many as 35 in their bounce-back victory.
> Three Shockers finished in double figures with Salese Blow, Sierra Morrow and Jayla Murray all putting up 11 points apiece.
> Daniela Abies tied for a game-high 8 rebounds, and DJ McCarty scored eight points and dished out five assists.
> Despite finishing the game on a 12-2 run and winning the fourth quarter, 22-12, the Shockers were unable to overcome the deficit after falling behind, 25-6 in the first quarter.
> Wichita State was out-rebounded 28-11 in the first half and 46-28 overall.

LAST TIME OUT
> Daniela Abies broke the AAC tournament single-game rebounding record to lead the Shockers past Florida Atlantic in the first round, 64-50.
> Abies recorded her 11^th double-double of the season with a game-high 22 points and 22 rebounds.
> Abies is the first Shocker since Antoinette Wells in 2006 to grab 20-plus rebounds in a game and ties for No. 6 all-time in Wichita State history in single-game rebounds. She also moves up to No. 7 in Shocker history for total rebounds in a season with 289.
> Two Shockers joined Abies in double figures with Jayla Murray and Salese Blow scoring 12 and 11, respectively, and Raissa Nsabua dished out a career-high five assists.
> Wichita State out-rebounded FAU 48-43, tying for the most offensive rebounds in an AAC Championship game in program history with 17.
> The Shockers finished the game on a 12-0 run over the final two and a half minutes and held the Owls to just nine fourth quarter points.
> Wichita State shot just 4-for-19 (.211) from three but scored 34 points in the paint while holding FAU to 18-for-59 (.305) from the field.

UP NEXT
If Wichita State defeats South Florida, it will take on No. 4-seed UTSA in the second round on Monday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.