The RoundHouse | 2/6/2025 6:56:00 AM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
KP Parr didn't block a shot, and she recorded one steal. Her value on defense came from her constant, frustrating presence to pester the opposition on Wednesday.
 
Wichita State defeated Florida Atlantic 55-44 at Koch Arena, largely thanks to a shutdown second half. The Shockers (8-16, 2-9 American Athletic Conference) snapped a seven-game losing streak by holding the Owls to 14 second-half points and 5-of-27 shooting.
 
"Defense wins," coach Terry Nooner said. "We were making them take tough shots. KP's pressure on the ball really bothered them. You can't get really get into your offense as naturally as you want to."
 
Wichita State took over in the third quarter by outscoring the Owls 16-4. FAU missed 11 of 12 shots and committed five turnovers in the quarter. The Shockers, who trailed 28-21 late in the second quarter and 30-29 at half, started the third with a 14-3 run to take control of the game.
 
Parr, a freshman guard, contributed a steal and layup to put WSU up 41-33 during that burst. In the first half, she forced a 10-second call with her pressure on a ball-handler struggling to dribble past the halfcourt line. Even when she didn't produce a turnover, her defense disrupted the offensive flow for the Owls (10-14, 2-9) and forced them into rushing against the shot clock.
 
"When I apply pressure, it takes them longer to get in their sets," Parr said. "They aren't as comfortable as they would be in practice. It gives them a little sense of panic."
 
Parr uses her quickness to shut off lanes. She also uses her leverage to make dribblers unsteady. She picks up some clues in scouting reports but does most of her observation during the game.
 
 

Gimme dat! pic.twitter.com/QXop8kodml

— Wichita State Women's Basketball (@GoShockersWBB) February 6, 2025

 
 
"All ball-handlers, they have a routine," she said. "Most people will take two dribbles with their right, cross over, take two dribbles with their left and go back. That's easy for me to time."
 
The third-quarter display of defense also featured Taylor Jameson smothering FAU's Mya Perry. While she finished with 22 points, the attention from Jameson made her work much harder for shots. Late in the game, Nooner substituted Ornella Niankan for defense, and she blocked a shot by Jada Moore to preserve a 51-44 lead with 1:38 to play.
 
With the Shockers playing solid defense, Nooner turned the offense to Jayla Murray. She used her speed to take the ball near the foul line and drive to the basket against man-to-man defense. Early in the game, she found holes in the zone defense for short jump shots.
 
"She brought us home today," Nooner said. "She's one of the top finishers in our league. She can drive and she can shoot it."
 
Murray finished with 18 points and five rebounds. Bre'Yon White added 10 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Shockers face UTSA, the first-place team in the AAC, at 1 p.m. Saturday at Koch Arena.
 
 

The Wichita connection! 🤌 pic.twitter.com/KR5tppxKtY

— Wichita State Women's Basketball (@GoShockersWBB) February 6, 2025

 
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.