WICHITA STATE (9-21, 5-13 AAC) vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC (18-11, 9-8 AAC)
Saturday, March 9, 2024 | 4 p.m. CT
Fort Worth, Texas | Dickies Arena
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Audacy.com/KFH with Steve Strain  OPENING TIPS
> Wichita State [13] opens the American Athletic Conference Tournament with a first-round game against Florida Atlantic [12] on Saturday at 4 p.m. in Dickies Arena.
> Three Shockers are averaging double figures with Daniela Abies leading the team with 12.9 points per game, Salese Blow averaging 12.1 and Tre'Zure Jobe averaging 10.1.
> Abies is also the team's leading rebounder, averaging 9.2 rebounds per game with 10 double-doubles.
> 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 36 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. 51 in three-point percentage defense (28.6), No. 63 in free throw attempts per game (19.1), and No. 81 in offensive rebounds per game (12.8).
> The Shockers are ranked second in the American Athletic Conference in three-point percentage defense.
> Abies ranks second in the conference in total rebounds (267) and third in offensive rebounds per game (3.9) and rebounds per game (9.2).
> 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 13 times and has led the team in rebounding in 22 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 eight 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 before leading the team in scoring again with 18 against UTSA. She has now finished in double figures in 19 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 six 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 36 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 OWLS
> Led by third-year head coach Jennifer Sullivan, the Owls are coming off a 74-53 loss to Temple on the road.
> Three Owls are averaging double figures with Aniya Hubbard leading the way with 17.5 points per game, Mya Perry averaging 11.0 points per game and Jada Moore averaging 10.3.
> Janeta Rozentale leads the team in rebounding with 8.9 per game.
> Perry ranks third in the conference in three-point percentage (39.3).
> The Owls rank third in the conference in three-point percentage (33.4) and rank second in fouls per game (14.9).
> Florida Atlantic was picked 14^th of 14 teams in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll and finished the regular season in 12^th.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
> The teams meet for the third time with the series tied at 1-1.
> Wichita State and Florida Atlantic met on Jan. 27 for the first time ever, and FAU took the first win of the series in Wichita, but the Shockers got them back down in Boca Raton on Feb. 10 to even the series.
 
LAST MEETING
> Wichita State claimed its first true road win of the season, downing Florida Atlantic 67-56.
> Four Shockers finished in double figures, led by Daniela Abies's seventh double-double of the season with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
> Jayla Murray put up a career-high 15 points, and Salese Blow and Raissa Nsabua finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
> Wichita State forced 18 Owl turnovers and scored 21 points off those turnovers while only committing nine turnovers.
> The Shockers dominated the paint scoring 36, over half, their points inside.

LAST TIME OUT
> Wichita State clawed back from down 16 to beat UAB, 68-65, in its regular-season finale Tuesday evening in Bartow Arena.
> Daniela Abies recorded her 10^th double-double of the season with a game-high 21 points and 12 rebounds, Salese Blow scored 14 points, her 19^th game in double figures, and Ambah Kowcun put up a season-high 11 points off the bench for the Shockers.
> DJ McCarty scored eight points and dished out a team-high four assists, Ella Anciaux tallied six points and six rebounds, her third-straight game with five or more rebounds, and Jayla Murray grabbed seven rebounds.
> Kowcun hit two crucial three pointers, one to help the Shockers start to cut into the Blazers' 16-point lead in the second quarter and the other to open the fourth quarter and make it a one-point game.
> Blow hit a career-high four three pointers, shooting 4-for-7 from behind the arc, and Abies led the Shockers to 36 points in the paint.
> Wichita State recorded its best field goal percentage since its win over Memphis, shooting 26-for-57 (.456) and shot 9-for-10 (.900) from the line, their best free throw percentage of the season.
> UAB shot 9-for-29 (.310) from three, seven of those coming in the first half.

UP NEXT
If Wichita State defeats Florida Atlantic, it will take on No. 5-seed South Florida in the second round on Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.