Wichita State (11-5, 1-2) at Tulane (10-6, 0-3)
Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023 | 6:00 PM CT | Devlin Fieldhouse
ESPN+ | KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM | ShockerStats.com
ON THE AIR
Wednesday's game can be heard on the radio at KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM with Steve Strain calling the action. Strain is in his ninth season as the radio voice for Wichita State women's basketball. The game will also be televised on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State dropped its second straight American Athletic Conference game on Saturday, falling 69-46 to South Florida in Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State set season lows in points (46), field goal percentage (31.1%) and rebounds (31). Wichita State trailed by just one at halftime, but was outscored 38-16 after the intermission, including 25-6 in the deciding third quarter. Jane Asinde came up a rebound shy of a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. A bright spot came in the way of Daniela Abies who played a season-high 26 minutes and finished with 14 points, four rebounds and three steals. DJ McCarty played only 14 minutes and was held to a season-low four points.
SCOUTING THE GREEN WAVE
Led by 29th year head coach Lisa Stockton, Tulane enters Wednesday's matchup at 10-6 this season and 0-3 in American play. The Green Wave average 73.6 points per game on a league-leading 17.0 assists, and shoot just under 45 percent from the field. Marta Galic leads Tulane in scoring (13.8) and rebounding (7.7), and a majority of her scoring comes from beyond the arc where she's converting on 44.0 percent of her attempts. Galic ranks in the top 10 nationally in three-pointers made and attempted this season. Dynah Jones (12.7 PPG) and Kyren Whittington (11.6 PPG) round out the double figure scorers. Rachel Hakes has dished out 86 assists so far this season.
THE SERIES VS. TULANE
Wichita State and Tulane have met 10 times prior to Wednesday's matchup with the series being split at five wins apiece. The Green Wave have won three of the last four meetings. Wichita State avoided a season sweep in 2022 with an overtime win in Wichita in the regular season home finale. The Shockers are 3-2 all-time in New Orleans.
LAST MEETING
Wichita State overcame a five-point fourth quarter deficit to force overtime on March 2, 2022 vs. Tulane. The Shockers would escape with an 84-83 win after Tulane's missed layup as time expired. Wichita State held Tulane to just 4-of-19 from beyond the arc, while the Shockers converted 8-of-20 attempts. Tulane was able to get to the free throw line 36 times, making 27. Asia Strong scored a team-high 22 points and Mariah McCully recorded her first career double-double with 19 points and 10 asssists. Trajata Colbert added a double-double of her own with 10 points and 11 boards.
TALENTED TRIO
Jane Asinde, DJ McCarty and Trajata Colbert are forming a potent trio for the Shockers. All three are averaging double figures on the season and combine for 35.9 points per game on the offensive end. On the glass, they combine to pull down 22.7 rebounds a game. On the defensive end, the trio makes up 63.2 percent (74 steals) of the team's steals this season and 58.1 percent (25 blocks) of the team's blocks.
SEEING DOUBLE
Wichita State senior Jane Asinde is averaging a double-double through 16 games this season at 11.2 points and 11.1 rebounds. The Uganda native is on pace to finish the season with a top 10 single season rebounding mark. Her current 11.1 boards per game would rank as the 6th most in school history. She is also trying to become the first Shocker to average a double-double over the course of a season since Antionette Wells during the 2006-07 season when she posted 13.0 points and 10.4 rebounds.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Wichita State boasts a top 60 defense through the first 16 games of the season. They have held all but five opponents to less than 38 percent shooting, and only seven teams have shot better than 30 percent from three-point range. Wichita State's field goal defense is holding teams to just 35.7 percent, good for 30th nationally. Opponents are connecting on only 29.3 percent of their attempts from long range. Wichita State has held seven opponents under 60 points, including three under 50.
GLASS CLEANERS
Wichita State is one of the top rebounding teams in the country once again this season. Through 16 games Wichita State ranks 23rd nationally in rebound margin, 42nd in defensive rebounds per game and 45th in total rebounds per game. The Shockers have outrebounded 14 of their 16 opponents.
COLBERT CASHING IN
Trajata Colbert has improved dramatically the last two years at the free throw line. The Georgia native began her career shooting 42.1 percent as a freshman, 61.1 percent as a sophomore and 50.9 percent as a COVID sophomore. In 2021-22 she shot a career-high 76.0 percent and so far through 16 games in 2022-23, she is 54-for-66 (81.8 percent). Colbert ranks second in the American in free throw percentage.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Through 16 games Wichita State ranks in the top 70 nationally in the following categories: No. 23 in rebound margin (9.5), No. 30 in field goal percentage defense (35.7), No. 42 in defensive rebounds per game (28.6), No. 45 in rebounds per game (41.8), No. 50 in fouls per game (14.7), No. 56 in free throws made per game (14.3) and No. 70 in free throw attempts per game (19.7). Jane Asinde ranks 15th nationally in defensive rebounds per game, No. 13 in rebounds per game and No. 21 in total rebounds.
WANTED FOR THEFT
Junior guard DJ McCarty and senior forward Jane Asinde have been a pest on defense for opposing offenses through 16 games. Asinde leads the team with 30 steals and averages 2.2 steals a game and has multiple steals in eight games this season. McCarty has recorded at least one steal in all but three games, and has multiple in eight of the 16 games. Her 29 steals are the second most on the team. They rank 5th and 12th, respectively, in the American in steals per game.
HUGE WIN
In Wichita State's 105-38 win over South Carolina State on Dec. 27, the Shockers broke a 41-year old school record for largest margin of victory. Wichita State won by 67, besting the previous mark of 64 set in 1981 vs. Phillips. It also marked just the second 100-point game of the Keitha Adams era, two points shy of the school record for most points in a game. Wichita State's 28 assists were also the most of the Adams era. Wichita State's field goal percentage of 60.3 was the highest since Feb. 2018 when the Shockers shot a school record 70.0 percent vs. Temple in Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State did set Charles Koch Arena records for points (105), field goals made (38) and assists (28).
BEST START IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Wichita State's 8-1 record to open the season marked the best start in program history. The Shockers got there behind a seven-game win streak. The seven-game win streak was the longest since 2015 when Wichita State won 12 in a row.
A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...
... make them 12-5 on the season
... make them 2-2 in conference play
... make them 4-3 on the road this season
... move them to 6-5 all-time vs. Tulane
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 74-83 at Wichita State
... make Adams 358-292 at the Division I level
... run Adams' career coaching record to 485-329
... make Wichita State 644-731 all-time
A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...
... make them 11-6 this the season
... make them 1-3 in conference play
... drop them to 3-4 on the road this season
... make them 5-6 all-time vs. Tulane
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 73-84 at Wichita State
... make Adams 357-293 at the Division I level
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 484-330
... make Wichita State 643-732 all-time
UP NEXT
Wichita State wraps up a two-game road trip in the Sunshine State vs. UCF on Jan. 15 at 12 p.m. CT.