By: Wichita State
Fri., March 11 - Sun, March 13Wichita State at MVC TournamentRadio - AM 1330 KNSS
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Game Notes
- The Wichita State women's basketball team (16-13, 10-8 MVC) faces Creighton (18-11, 12-6 MVC) in the #4-#5 game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournmanet with a 2:35 p.m. tipoff Friday at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.
- The Shockers earned the fifth seed with a 10-8 MVC record, WSU's first winning record in the conference since posting a 14-4 mark in the 1999-00 season.
- Wichita State snapped an 11-game losing streak to Creighton with a 60-51 victory in Wichita on Feb. 25. The Shockers forced 25 turnovers while Haleigh Lankster poured in 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field. Jazimen Gordon added a career-high 17 points off the bench.
- The Shockers ended the year on a season-long five-game winning streak. That is WSU's longest MVC winning streak since 2002-03.
- SU is 9-4 following a loss but just 7-8 follwing a win this year.
- In 15 of 16 victories this year WSU has held the opponent to fewer than 60 points and in 12 of the 15 wins held the other team to a shooting percentage below .400. WSU has held all five opponents below 60 during the current five-game winning streak.
- The Shockers have forced 92 turnovers over the last four games (23.0/game) and are averaging 23.5 points off turnovers over that stretch. Perhaps even more importantly, Wichita State is turning it over on their own end just 11.8 times and surrendering just 7.5 points off turnovers.
- With 34 wins the last two seasons, Wichita State can match the program's second-best two-year win total with a victory Friday. The 1980-81 and 82-82 Shockers won 35 games. The 98-99 & 99-00 teams won 36 games to set the program's high-water mark.
- WSU is in the Quarterfinals of the MVC Tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1996-97 and 1997-98. The Shockers have never won the tournament and participated in just one Final (1997, lost to Drake 78-59). WSU is 4-10 lifetime in MVC Quarterfinal games.
LAST TIME OUT
The Shockers ended the regular season with the program's first win in Evansville since 2002, a 65-50 victory over the Purple Aces in the final game at historic Roberts Stadium. Haleigh Lankster produced a 21-point, 6-rebound game to lead the Shockers. WSU forced 20 turnovers and held Evansville to 28.6% shooting from the field.
DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN
The Shockers will face Creighton in the MVC Tournament for the third straight season. The Blue Jays knocked out WSU in 2009 (No. 2 CU 49, No. 10 WSU 41) and 2010 (No. 2 CU 76, No. 6 WSU 59).
BATTLING THE BLUE JAYS
The Shockers and Blue Jays split the regular season series with each team winning on its home court. Creighton took the first matchup with a 50-48 overtime victory in Omaha on Jan. 29 and the Shockers rebounded with a 60-51 win on Feb. 25 in Wichita to snap an 11-game losing streak to the Blue Jays. In an odd twist, the losing team had a generous rebounding cushion in both games (WSU +15 in Omaha and CU +20 in Wichita).
MVC TOURNEY TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS
)WSU enters the 2011 MVC Tournament with a lifetime 8-19 record. The Shockers are 6-11 in quarterfinal games and 1-5 in semifinal games. WSU's only visit to the finals came in 1997, a 78-59 loss to Drake.
)As the No. 5 seed, WSU's record is 1-3, with the lone win coming in 1994-95: a 70-68 victory over Creighton. The last time WSU was a 5-seed came in 2005-06 and the Shockers dropped a 77-73 overtime decision to Evansville.
- The Shockers have won their first game in each of the last two years, marking the first time in program history WSU has recorded wins in back-to-back tournaments.
- Wichita State has defeated a higher seed in each of the last two tournaments, winning as a 10-seed over 7-seed Missouri State in 2009 and as a 6-seed over 3-seed Missouri State last year.
- Haleigh Lankster is the only current Shocker to have played on both of those teams. She averages 10.3 ppg in four MVC games, including a 23-point outburst vs. Creighton last season.
NOTES ON JODY ADAMS
- Sixth on the WSU all-time wins list, passing Larry Thye earlier this year. Adams needs 2 wins to pass Jane Albright for fifth.
- 47-46 in her 3rd season at WSU and 71-54 overall (24-8 @ Murray St in 2007-08)
- 2-2 in the MVC Tournament with both wins coming vs. Missouri State and both losses to Creighton.
- Needs one win to match Linda Hargrove for the most MVC Tournament victories by a WSU coach.
- Is the only Shocker coach with a .500-or-better record in the MVC Tournament.
- WSU is 26-11 (7-5 this year) under Adams when out-rebounding opponent
- WSU is 30-1 (10-0 this year) under Adams when attempting more FTs that opponent
SWEET SIXTEEN
The Shockers reached 16 wins for the 9th time in school history with Saturday's victory at Evansville. Including last year's 18-15 record, WSU reached 16 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1998-99 & 1999-00. Wichita State enters the MVC Tournament with 34 wins, the third-highest two-year win total in school history. The aforementioned '98-'99 & '99-'00 teams hold the school record with 36 wins (16 and 20, respectively). This will also be the first time WSU finishes above .500 in back-to-back seasons since then.
CLIMBING THE CONFERENCE LADDER
- WSU's 10-8 record in MVC play marked the third straight year under Jody Adams Wichita State improved its conference record.
- The Shockers placed fifth or higher for just the sixth time since joining the then-Gateway Conference in 1983-84.
- WSU had averaged a 7.75 finish over the previous eight years, with a peak of 5th in 2005-06, a sixth place finish last year, two seventh place finishes, three ninth place, and one 10th.
- The Shockers have now finished above .500 in conference play seven times in school history but had not done so since going 14-4 in '99-'00.
- In the decade prior to this season, WSU had a 60-120 (.333) record in MVC play, with last year's 8-10, 6th place finish the program's best since 2005-06.
Last 10 MVC Seasons
2010-11 10-8/5th
2009-10 8-10/6th
2008-09 4-14/t-9th
2007-08 3-15/10th
2006-07 4-14/9th
2005-06 8-10/5th
2004-05 2-16/9th
2003-04 7-11/7th
2002-03 8-12/7th
2001-02 8-10/6th
MONTHLY MEASURES
- With a 4-4 record, the Shockers recorded their first .500-or-better January since 2006, when the team went 5-5. WSU was 8-24 (.250) during the four Januarys prior to this season.
- WSU's 4-3 record last month was the program's best mark in February since also going 4-3 in 2002. Over the previous five years, WSU was 12-25 (.324) in February.
- The Shocks have already matched the program record for wins in March (2).
AWARDS SEASON
- Haleigh Lankster became the first Shocker to make the MVC All-Conference 2nd Team since Antoinette Wells in 2006-07.
- She is also the first Shocker named to the MVC All-Defensive Team since Wells in 06-07.
- BreAnna Dawkins is the 7th Shocker named to the MVC All-Freshman Team. WSU was represented on the team last year by Jessica Diamond but had not placed anyone on the team since 2005-06, prior to Diamond's recognition.
SCOREBOARD
The Shockers are scoring at a rate of 64.4 points per game (6th in MVC) while surrendering 61.3 (3rd). Wichita State has put up more than 70 points eight times this year while last season it took until March 12 for WSU to score 70 for the sixth (and final) time. The Shockers put up the program's highest point total under Jody Adams in a 95-55 rout of UT Pan American on Dec. 19. The 40-point differential also set a Koch Arena record for WSU women's basketball program. Individually, Haleigh Lankster is averaging a career-best 12.9 ppg and seven players average 6.1 ppg or better.
-->Part of the scoring success for this year's team has been efficiency as the Shockers are shooting .413 from the field - 4th in the MVC. Only one Shocker team since 1994-95 has shot better than .420 for the season (2006-07, .432).
FREE THINKING
WSU is 30-1 (10-0 this year) under Jody Adams when attempting more free throws than the opponent. As a team, the Shocks shoot .656 from the line with five players hitting 70% or better. Heather Robben - the free throw percentage record holder at Hutchinson (Kan.) CC, leads the team at .857 (24-28).
Top Free Throw Shooters
Heather Robben .857 (24-28)
Morgan Boyd .806 (29-36)
Jessica Diamond .765 (65-85)
Alicia Sanchez .724 (21-29)
Haleigh Lankster .711 (59-83)
RESERVE POWER
The WSU bench continues to produce for Jody Adams, out-scoring the opponents' reserves in 21 of 29 games. WSU is 2-6 when its bench scores fewer points than the other side, with the wins coming vs. Illinois State and Drake. On average, the Shocker bench is out-scoring the opposition 24.4-15.3 this season. Morgan Boyd, the lone senior on the team, has provided a nice chunk of scoring off the bench, averaging 8.3 points with 39.2% shooting from three-point range.
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
Last year WSU forced more turnovers than it committed for the first time since 2003. This year's team is following suit, as WSU opponents have turned it over 553 times - 19.1 per game - while the Shockers have handed it back just 496 times (17.1/gm).
SHARING IS CARING
Through 29 games in 2010-11, Jessica Diamond leads the team with 92 assists - an average of 3.17 per game. Freshman BreAnna Dawkins has added 85 assists. Both players rank in the Top 10 in the MVC in assists per game. As a freshman, Diamond dished out 104 assists against 70 turnovers and paired with now-graduated Marisah Henderson to give Jody Adams a backcourt with two guards eclipsing the 100 assist plateau for the second straight season. Prior to Adams' arrival, WSU had not produced two players with 100+ assists in the same season since 1994-95.
BOARDING
The Shockers have out-rebounded only 12 of 29 opponents in 2010-11 (SIU Edwardsville by 2, CS Northridge by 20, Savannah St by 7, UC Davis by 10, UTPA by 10, Indiana St. by 3, Creighton by 15, UNI by 1, Illinois St. by 1, Missouri St. by 2, and Evansville by 8) and are 7-5 in those games. For the year, WSU has been out-boarded 36.9-38.8.
THREE'S AREN'T FREE
The Shockers have made it a difficult task for opposing teams to cash in from beyond the three-point arc. WSU foes are shooting .267 overall and just .230 in MVC games. The Shockers allowed an MVC opponent to shoot over 30% from downtown in just four of 18 Valley contests and were 2-2 in those games.
GIMME TWENTY
The Shockers are 7-1 this year when one player on the opposing team scores 20+ points. When two opposing players score 20+, WSU is 0-2.
FOR THREE
Junior Haleigh Lankster entered the year 12th on WSU's all-time three point field goal list. Lankster recently passed Lexee McDonald for 6th and needs three more treys to pass Shelley Crow for 5th.
WSU Career 3-pt Field Goals
1. 177 Courtney Sims (107 games) - 1997-01
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4. 124 Kim Evans (110 games) - 1992-96
5. 98 Shelley Crow (72 games) - 1986-90
6. 96 Haleigh Lankster (90 games) - 2008-now
(DON'T) STOP THIEF!
Lankster is also quickly moving up the WSU career steals list. Heading into the MVC Tournament, Lankster ranks 8th in Shockers history.
WSU Career Steals
1. 300 LaTeesha Hill - 1996-00
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7. 163 Kathy Garofalo - 1978-82
8. 157 Haleigh Lankster - 2008-now
9. 155 Courtney Sims - 1997-01
155 April Banks - 2002-04
SCORING MILESTONES
Haleigh Lankster passed the 900-point plateau Sat. at Evansville. She is the active career scoring leader on the team (22nd all-time) with 917, and is vying to become the 17th Shocker to reach 1,000 career points. Sophomore Jessica Diamond recently scored her 500th career point. She is the Shockers' No.2 career scorer with 582. Morgan Boyd (462), Chynna Turner (449) and Jazimen Gordon (442) each passed the 400-point mark in February.
CLASSROOM SUCCESS
Seven Shockers were named to the Fall Athletic Director's Honor Roll: BreAnna Dawkins, Jazimen Gordon, Krystle Henderson, Kelsey Jacobs, Heather Robben, Michelle Price, and Chynna Turner. These student-athletes landed on the Honor Roll for maintaining a 3.0-or-better GPA.
SIGNING DAY
Jody Adams inked two players to national letters of intent in the fall signing period, Molly O'Brien and Alex Harden. O'Brien stands 5-foot-9 and averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds for Spokane (Mo. ) High School, while earning all-league honors. She recently set her school's career scoring record. Harden (Springfield, Ill.) is 5-11 and carried averages of 13.7 points, 5.5 assists, 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 4.0 steals as a junior en route to picking up two all-state honors. Both are also accomplished track athletes.
