Women's Basketball | 11/15/2026 7:52:00 AM
By
Paul Suellentrop
Wichita State women's basketball coach
Terry Nooner had a plan for forward
Ma'Riya Vincent. Four games in, Vincent meets those high expectations when on the court.
She just needed to play more and foul less. Nooner knew the minutes would equal production.
"Today was the vision for her to be on the court and not hacking and fouling," Nooner said. "For her to play this type of efficient game was great for us."
Vincent fouled once and played almost 27 minutes on her way to a career-high 33 points, as well as four rebounds, two assists and two steals. WSU (1-3) routed UC Riverside 87-61 at Koch Arena on Saturday by dominating the backboards and holding the Highlanders (1-3) to 21 baskets and forcing 19 turnovers.
After missing a season at Missouri due to injury and playing sparingly last season with the Tigers, Vincent is restarting her college career with a bang. She is averaging 17.3 points and shooting 54.3 percent from the field.
"She really put in a lot of time on her game throughout the summer expanding her three-point range," Nooner said. "She can score in the post. She can score from the perimeter."
Nooner, Vincent said, creates the kind of atmosphere in which she can play.
"You're able to be comfortable here," Vincent said. "We are all going through hard stuff. Everyone on this team can be themselves, and it's very family oriented."
Vincent, a 6-foot guard from Houston, made 12 of 15 shots, two of three three-pointers and all seven of her free throws. She was on her way to that type of game at Kansas City before fouling out after 17 minutes.
The Shockers need her on the floor. Vincent needed to dial back her gambling and aggressiveness just a bit to avoid unnecessary fouls.
"You get tired of not being in the game," she said.
Wichita State overwhelmed the Highlanders by shooting 56 percent from the field, thanks to 46 points in the paint. Freshman guard
Mari Milton scored 12 points and handed out seven assists. Guard
Kendal Robinson made 5 of 7 shots and scored 12 points. Center
Clara Koulibaly added 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting in 14 minutes.
"When we play great defense and we force people to miss and we rebound after one shot, then we're a dangerous team, especially playing in transition," Nooner said. "We want to play fast."
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
Season tickets are on sale now, and season ticket renewals are available as well. To purchase, visit
GoShockers.com/Tickets, dial 316-978-FANS (3267) or stop by the Shocker Ticket Office, located inside Charles Koch Arena, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
