In Game The TBP Official In Game Threads: AAC Tourney WBB #27/22 Bulls vs Wichita State- L 65-53

[MikeG]

 

USF Athletics

Pairings Set For 2023 American Women's Basketball Championship

03.01.23

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IRVING, Texas – On the heels of a regular season that saw South Florida go 15-1 in American Athletic Conference play, the Bulls have earned the No. 1 seed for the 2023 American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship, which takes place March 6-9 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
 
The Bulls, who have advanced to The American Championship final six times in the tournament's first nine years, will look for their second tournament title. South Florida last won the tournament championship in 2021. 
 
The latest tournament information can be found online at The American's Championship Central by visiting www.TheAmerican.org/wbb. Tickets for the championship are on sale through Ticketmaster.
 
South Florida (26-5), which is ranked No. 22 in this week's USA Today coaches' poll, won The American's regular-season title in convincing fashion as the Bulls won 15 of their 16 regular-season conference games to earn the No. 1 seed for the second time in the last three seasons. South Florida's 26 overall wins are tied for the second-most in program history, while the 15-1 conference mark stands as the team's best in league play. The Bulls, who earned a first-round bye in the tournament for the ninth time in 10 seasons, will begin play Tuesday in the quarterfinal round against either No. 8-seeded Wichita State (16-13) or No. 9-seeded Temple (11-17). The Shockers and Owls will kick off the tournament Monday at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT.
 
Memphis (19-9) earned the No. 2 seed in the championship for the first time after the Tigers registered a program-best second-place finish in the conference standings, thanks in large part to a seven-game winning streak to close the regular season. Memphis, which has a bye to Tuesday's quarterfinals, will await the winner of Monday's first-round matchup between No. 7-seeded Tulsa (17-12) and No. 10-seeded UCF (13-14). The Golden Hurricane and Knights will play at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT Monday in a rematch of tonight's regular-season finale, won by Tulsa.
 
East Carolina (20-9) enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed after the Pirates were projected for a last-place finish in The American's preseason coaches' poll. East Carolina, which has registered its first 20-win season since the 2014-15 campaign, will play its tournament opener Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT against either No. 6-seeded Tulane (17-12) or No. 11-seeded Cincinnati (9-20). The Green Wave and Bearcats close Monday's first round with a 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT tip.
 
Houston (13-15) and SMU (16-11) claimed the last two first-round byes in the championship by virtue of top-five finishes in the conference standings. The Cougars will be the No. 4 seed after they overcame a slow start to the regular season to go 10-5 in The American, including a 71-69 victory at South Florida Feb. 12 that stood as the Bulls' only conference loss. The Mustangs are the No. 5 seed as they finished percentage points ahead of Tulane and Tulsa in the final standings. Houston and SMU will meet in a quarterfinal game Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT.
 
Wednesday's semifinals are scheduled for 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. and 6 p.m. CT).
 
The March 9 championship final will be televised on ESPNU, while all games of the 2023 American Championship will be available on ESPN+
 
The winner of the 2023 American Women’s Basketball Championship will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.
 
 
 
2023 American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship
March 6-9, 2023
Dickies Arena | Fort Worth, Texas
 

First Round | Monday, March 6
Game 1	No. 9 Temple (11-17) vs. No. 8 Wichita State (16-13)	2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Game 2	No. 10 UCF (13-14) vs. No. 7 Tulsa (17-12)	4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Game 3	No. 11 Cincinnati (9-20) vs. No. 6 Tulane (17-12)	6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Quarterfinals | Tuesday, March 7
Game 4	Temple-Wichita State winner vs. No. 1 South Florida (26-5)	1 p.m. ET/Noon CT (ESPN+)
Game 5	No. 5 SMU (16-11) vs. No. 4 Houston (13-15)	3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Game 6	UCF-Tulsa winner vs. No. 2 Memphis (19-9)	7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Game 7	Cincinnati-Tulane winner vs. No. 3 East Carolina (20-9)	9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Semifinals | Wednesday, March 8
Game 8	Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner	5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Game 9	Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner	7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Final | Thursday, March 9
Game 10	Semifinal winners	9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT (ESPNU and ESPN+)

Edited March 2, 2023 by MikeG

[MikeG]

First Round | Monday, March 6 Game 1  No. 9 Temple (11-17) vs. No. 8 Wichita State (16-13) 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT (ESPN+)   Quarterfinals | Tuesday, March 7
Game 4	Temple-Wichita State winner vs. No. 1 South Florida (26-5)	1 p.m. ET/Noon CT (ESPN+)

[MikeG]

Wichita State, Temple Set for Round III in First Round of AAC Championship

3/4/2023 10:00:00 AM

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[8] Wichita State (16-13, 6-10) vs. [9] Temple (11-17, 6-10)
Monday, March 6, 2023 | 1:00 PM CT | Dickies Arena
ESPN+ | KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM | ShockerStats.com

ON THE AIR
Monday'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
In the regular season finale Wichita State suffered a 62-55 loss at Houston last Wednesday, finishing league play at 6-10. For the second straight game Wichita State shot better than 50 percent from the floor, but the game was won by Houston in the turnover and rebound battles. Houston scored 26 points off 22 Wichita State turnovers and outrebounded the Shockers by six, including 15 offensive rebounds. Wichita State held Houston to 35.5 percent shooting and just 6-of-21 from beyond the arc. Trajata Colbert and Curtessia Dean scored 14 points apiece to lead the offensive attack. Colbert also added seven rebounds and a career-high four steals. Jane Asinde added 11 points and six boards.

SCOUTING THE OWLS
Led by first year head coach Diane Richardson, Temple enters Wednesday's matchup at 11-17 this season and 6-10 in American play. The Owls started conference play 5-4, but lost six of their last seven. Temple is led by Aleah Nelson and Tiarra East. Nelson leads the team in scoring (15.2 points) and assists (124), while East adds 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 47 steals. Nelson is a two-time American Athletic Conference Player of the Week. Temple ranks at the top of the conference in free throw shooting at 73.5 percent. Wichita State and Temple split the regular season series with each team winning at home.

THE SERIES VS. TEMPLE
Wichita State and Temple have met 12 times prior to Monday's matchup, with Temple winning four of the last five meetings. The first ever meeting came all the way back in Nov. 1983 on a nuetral court that Temple won, 83-79. Wichita State snapped a four-game skid against Temple with a win in the regular season home finale just a little over a week ago.

LAST MEETING
Wichita State evened the regular season series with a 79-67 win over the Owls just barely over a week ago in Wichita on Feb. 25. Wichita State shot better than 50 percent from the field and held Temple to 5-of-20 from beyond the arc. Wichita State held the Owls to only eight points in the deciding fourth quarter. On Senior Day, Curtessia Dean poured in a career-high 22 points to go with 10 rebounds. Jane Asinde also finished with 22 points and 10 boards.

TOURNAMENT TIME
Wichita State is set to make its sixth appearance at the American Athletic Conference Championship. The Shockers are the No. 8 seed in the 2023 Championship after earning the No. 6 seed in their inaugural season in 2018, No. 10 seed in 2019, No. 7 seed in 2020 and No. 9 seed in 2021 and 2022. This is the third straight year Wichita State will play in the No. 8/9 game. The matchup with the Owls marks the second time the two programs will meet at the American Athletic Conference Championship. Temple is 1-0 vs. Wichita State at the AAC Championship after defeating the Shockers in 2018.

PAINT POWER
Over Wichita State's last 10 games the duo of Jane Asinde and Trajata Colbert have taken their game to another level. Asinde has five double-doubles and is averaging 16.7 points and 10.1 rebounds, while Colbert is playing the best basketball of her career. During that span Colbert has six double-doubles and is posting 15.6 points and 8.9 rebounds. Combined they are responsible for 32.3 points and 19.0 rebounds over the last 10 outings.

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 53.7 percent of Wichita State's points on the offensive end. On the glass, they combine to pull down 21.6 rebounds a game. On the defensive end, the trio makes up 62.4 percent (141 steals) of the team's steals this season and 61.9 percent (52 blocks) of the team's blocks.

RARE AIR ASINDE
Jane Asinde is one of only three players in the country averaging at least 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. DePaul's Annesah Morrow and Texas A&M Corpus Christi's Alecia Westbrook are the only other players putting up those stats in 2022-23.

SEEING DOUBLE
Wichita State senior Jane Asinde is averaging a double-double through 29 games this season at 13.4 points and 10.4 rebounds. The Uganda native is on pace to finish the season with a top 10 single season rebounding mark. Her current 10.4 boards per game would rank as the 8th 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.

WANTED FOR THEFT
Junior guard DJ McCarty and senior forward Jane Asinde have been a pest on defense for opposing offenses through 29 games. McCarty has recorded at least one steal in all but five games, and has multiple in 17 of the 29 games. Her 61 steals are the most on the team. Asinde is second on the team with 54 steals and averages 2.00 steals a game and has multiple steals in 15 games this season. They rank 4th and 7th in the American in steals.

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 29 games in 2022-23, she is 99-for-122 (81.1 percent). Colbert ranks sixth in the American in free throw percentage.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Through 29 games Wichita State ranks in the top 70 nationally in the following categories: No. 29 in rebound margin (7.0), No. 32 in free throws made per game (14.66), No. 41 in rebounds per game (40.52), No. 53 in free throw attempts per game (19.72), No. 61 in offensive rebounds per game (13.2), No. 61 in three point defense (28.6) and No. 65 in defensive rebounds per game (27.3). Jane Asinde ranks 18th nationally in rebounds per game, No. 32 in total rebounds and No. 29 in defensive rebounds per game.

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD...
... make them 17-13 on the season
... make them 2-0 on a neutral court this season
... be just their third-ever win in the AAC Championship
... move them to 5-8 all-time vs. Temple
... snap a three-game losing streak vs. the Cougars
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 79-91 at Wichita State
... make Adams 363-300 at the Division I level
... run Adams' career coaching record to 490-337
... make Wichita State 649-739 all-time

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD...
... make them 16-14 this the season
... drop them to 1-1 on a neutral court this season
... drop them to 2-6 all-time in the AAC First Round

... make them 4-9 all-time vs. Temple
... bring Keitha Adams' record to 78-92 at Wichita State
... make Adams 362-301 at the Division I level
... lower Adams' career coaching record to 489-338
... make Wichita State 648-740 all-time

 

[MikeG]

Women’s Basketball Begins AAC Tournament with Wichita State

03/3/2023 11:35:00 PM | Women's Basketball

PHILADELPHIA – Temple women's basketball (11-17, 6-10 AAC) will head to Fort Worth, Texas for the American Athlete Conference Tournament Monday. The Owls will face the Wichita State Shockers (16-13, 6-10 AAC) for the third time this season in the 8/9 game, with the Cherry & White positioned as the nine seed. Should TU be victorious, the Owls will move on to face No. 1 seed South Florida in the second round.

The game will tip off 2 p.m. eastern. It will be broadcasted live on ESPN+.

LAST TIME OUT: SMU 62 @ Temple 68
> Temple claimed victory over the SMU Mustangs on Senior Night.
> The Cherry & White gained the lead in the second quarter and held SMU at bay for nearly the entire contest. The Mustangs tied the contest at 59 with 2:21 remaining in the game. Temple scored nine of the last 12 points to secure the victory
> Wing Tiarra East had her first 20+ point game since Temple's win at Tulane in late January. She scored 21 points to go with six rebounds. 11 of her points came in the fourth quarter.

TEMPLE AND THE AAC TOURNAMENT
> Temple is 4-9 in the American Athletic Conference tournament all-time.

> Temple and Wichita State have met once in the tournament in 2018. The No. 11 seed Owls upset the Shockers 72-59 at Mohegan Sun Arena, the same score the Cherry & White defeated WSU by earlier this season.

THE OWLS
> Aleah Nelson sits at sixth in the American in scoring (15.2 ppg) and third in assists (4.4 apg). She is averaging 7.5 assists in the last two games.
> East ranks second on the team in scoring (11.9 ppg) and leads the Owls in rebounding (5.9 rpg). The wing ranks top 20 in both points and rebounding in the American. She ranks third in the league in free throw shooting (.837). East was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Thursday.
> Forward Brittany Garner has had two of her top games this season in the last two outings. She is averaging 12.5 points per game in the last pair including a season-high 15 points on her senior night. Garner grabbed seven rebounds last game against SMU.
> Tarriyonna Gary has bounced back in spectacular fashion after a tough stretch of games. She has scored in double-figures in four straight contests, including 15 points in the last two. In her last three games she is averaging 14.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg.

SCOUTING WICHITA STATE
> Wichita State has just one winning record in conference play since joining the AAC for the 2017-18 season. Last season, the Shockers went 14-16, with a 5-11 mark in conference.
> The squad is 16-13 this season and 6-10 in conference. The Shockers are 3-3 in their last four games.
> Wichita State's strength is in the post. Forward Jane Asinde leads the squad in both points (13.4 ppg) and rebounding (10.4 rpg). Trajata Colbert is second in both categories, with 12.5 ppg and 7.9 rpg.
> Keitha Adams is in her sixth season leading the Shockers after spending 16 years at the helm of UTEP. She is 362-300 in 22 seasons as a head coach and 78-91 in her six years in Wichita.

 SERIES HISTORY
> Temple and WSU have played each other every season since Wichita State joined the AAC in 2017. The Owls are 8-4 all time against the Shockers. The two sides met once prior to sharing a conference in 1983.
> Temple took three straight after Wichita State won the first conference meeting between the two in 2018.
> Wichita State and Temple split this season. The Owls took the first match, while Wichita State took the second, with both claiming victory on their home courts.

> Forward Caranda Perea has had her two highest scoring games this season against the

Shockers. Perea put up a career-high 17 against them in Temple win on Feb. 1^st and scored 14 in the game at Wichita on Feb. 25.

UP NEXT
> A Temple victory garners a battle against No. 1 seed South Florida on Tuesday at 1 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+.

[Triple B]

Covered half the Sports section front page today ...

Could late bloomer Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu lead USF women to unprecedented heights?

---

The 6-foot-4 senior has the Bulls poised to contend for their first Sweet 16 berth.

 

[MikeG]

Aerial Wilson’s Quiet Leadership Helping to Guide South Florida Women’s Basketball into the AAC Tournament

March 06, 2023

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GAME 32 | TUE., MARCH, 7, 2023 | 1 P.M. ET | AAC TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL | FT. WORTH, TEXAS | DICKIES ARENA
Watch Live | Listen Live | Live Stats | AAC Tournament Central
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV/Video: ESPN+ ($)                                    
Sam Gore (PxP), Aja Ellison (Color), Morgan Uber (Sideline)
Audio: Bulls Unlimited (iHeartRadio/GoUSFBulls.com)
Darek Sharp (PxP)
Live Stats: GoUSFBulls.com
Twitter Updates: @USFWBB
 
(1) No. 25/22 USF BULLS | 26-5
Last Game: March 1 at Cincinnati, W, 85-55
Next Game: March 7 vs. 9 Temple/8 Wichita State 1 p.m.
Head Coach: Jose Fernandez
Alma Mater: FIU, 1994
Career Record: 442-290 (23rd season)
at South Florida: Same
 
(9) TEMPLE OWLS | 11-17
Last Game: March 1 vs. SMU, W, 68-62
Next Game: March 7 vs. South Florida, 1 p.m.
Head Coach: Diane Richardson
Alma Mater: Frostburg State, 1982
Career Record: 91-83 (Sixth season)
at Temple: 11-17 (First season)
 
(8) WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS | 16-13
Last Game: March 1 at Houston, L, 62-55
Next Game: March 7 vs. South Florida, 1 p.m.
Head Coach: Keitha Adams
Alma Mater: Southwestern, 1989
Career Record: 489-337 (27th season)
at Wichita State: 78-91 (Sixth season)
 
By Joey Johnston
 
FT. WORTH, Texas (March 6, 2023) – On a championship team with so many crowd-pleasing, entertaining facets, USF women's basketball point guard Aerial Wilson often operates anonymously. There's no fanfare. Sometimes, there's hardly any notice at all.
 
But within the confines of USF's practice court, or on the sidelines during a game, Wilson is universally praised and appreciated. She sets up USF's high-powered offense. She plays tight defense. And she has transformed one of the game's most thankless tasks — taking a charge — into an art form.
 
Flashy headlines might be elusive, but Wilson has unquestioned value for the top-seeded Bulls (26-5), who begin play Tuesday in the American Athletic Conference Tournament at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
 
Last season, Wilson barely made a sound for the Bulls after transferring from Memphis with her teammate, center Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu. Wilson was the backup point guard in 2021-22, but never seemed to get into the flow of things.
 
This season, she's running the show. She's averaging just 1.2 points — with just 37 points scored all season — but she has 141 assists (4.5 per game) against just 57 turnovers.
 
"I think there are different expectations in this program, so I had to get used to that,'' said Wilson, a 5-foot-10 junior from just outside Toronto in Canada. "It's a different mindset. I feel like I had to put in a lot of work to get confident and comfortable. It gradually came, but I didn't get much chance to show that (improvement) during games.
 
"Now I'm talking to teammates and trying to be a vocal leader. My demeanor is completely different. I feel like with the way I'm playing and the way I feel about myself now, I feel like I'm in control. And that kind of confidence is a big part of basketball.''
 
USF coach Jose Fernandez said he's delighted with the new and improved version of Aerial Wilson.
 
"She quite often guards the other team's best player, so that has freed up Sammie (Puisis) on the wing and made us a better offensive team,'' Fernandez said. "You feel pretty comfortable with Aerial guarding anybody. I think she's always up for that kind of challenge.
 
"She can knock down open shots, but she does a lot of things well and she plays winning basketball. She had a great summer as far as getting her body in shape and she earned everything she has gotten. I think she's the kind of player you love having on your team.''
 
Teammates appreciate Wilson, too.
 
 "The way Aerial takes charges, I think that's legendary,'' said Bulls guard Elena Tsineke, who was named Co-AAC Player of the Year along with Fankam Mendjiadeu. "She's really, really good at it. It's definitely a skill. She's not scared to put her body out there and get hit. I think we trust her a lot on defense.''
 
"She has really helped us this season,'' Fankam Mendjiadeu said. "She gets the ball to me and the other players in great spots on the court. She's a leader out there. And the way she takes the charges … wow! That gets us really fired up.''
 
Wilson said she's willing to do anything necessary in order to help the team win — even when it involves getting flattened while drawing an offensive foul.
 
"I think it comes naturally,'' Wilson said. "It's the kind of thing you can control every game. It's about effort and want-to. It's fun to try and read the player before the play actually happens.
 
"When you draw a charge, it's such a momentum-changer and everyone gets super excited. Over time, you kind of figure out the best way to do it and you don't get hurt too much. Your adrenaline gets going on a play like that, so it's almost like the bruises are worth it. I'm willing to do whatever is needed for us to win the game.''
 
When Elisa Pinzan transferred to Maryland after last season, an opening was created at the point-guard position. Wilson felt ready to step up into a primary role.
 
"My first year (at USF), I feel like I was still learning,'' Wilson said. "I'm not sure I was ready to speak out. Because no one wants to listen to someone who doesn't really know what they're doing. I was observing and learning.
 
"I focused on myself, did what I needed to do in order to improve. When my chance came, I was ready.''
 
And USF women's basketball has been the biggest beneficiary.
 
"Aerial Wilson probably doesn't get talked about enough,'' Fernandez said. "But we're glad we have her. She helps make us go and she's a very important part of our success.''

[BullyPulpit]

The Bulls seeding in the NCAAT was not helped by Washington State's shocking run to the Pac 12 title or Louisville making the ACC Final. At this point, the Bulls are likely looking at a 7 seed. Quite honestly, I am not all that certain that USF will beat Houston in the second round (assuming they take care of Temple or Wichita State in the first round). Houston just seems like a matchup nightmare for us. Alternatively, SMU played us tough as well. If the Bulls are going to lose in the AACT it will likely be in the semifinals against the 4/5 seed winner. I'm hoping this team plays its best ball at the end of the season. 

[BullyPulpit]

The AP poll came out and USF falls out of the Top 25, despite not losing. Washington State's run through the Pac 12 and Tennessee losing in the SEC final were apparently enough for the Bulls to fall back. This blatant level of disrespect is probably a harbinger of things to come from the selection committee. 

[MikeG]

• Box Score

61

Temple 11-18,6-10 AAC

71

Winner Wichita St. 17-13,6-10 AAC

Score By Periods

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Temple	8	17	24	12	61
Wichita St.	17	15	20	19	71

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 3/6/2023 3:19:00 PM

Shockers Lead Wire-to-Wire in First Round Win over Temple

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Next Game:

vs. South Florida

3/7/2023 | 12:00 P.M.

 

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FORT WORTH – No. 8 seed Wichita State never trailed en route to a 71-61 first round win over No. 9 Temple Monday afternoon in the opening game of the American Athletic Conference Championship.

Wichita State (17-13) advances to the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Championship where the top seed South Florida Bulls await Tuesday at 12 p.m. CT.

DJ McCarty scored a team-high 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting to go with a career-high tying six assists and four rebounds. Trajata Colbert went for 15 points and six rebounds. Shamaryah Duncan and Ambah Kowcun both added 11 to round out the double figure scorers.

For the third straight game, Wichita State hit the 50 percent mark from the field, going 29-for-58. Despite losing the rebound battle, Wichita State scored 21 points off 13 Temple turnovers.

Wichita State dished out 20 assists and committed only 12 turnovers.

Wichita State scored the game's first eight points, all from Asinde and McCarty, to take an 8-0 lead. At the 3:26 mark that lead jumped to double digits at 13-2 behind a McCarty triple.

Back-to-back scores from Shamaryah Duncan gave the Shockers a 17-8 lead after 10 minutes.

After Wichita State pushed the margin back to 11 to start the second quarter, Temple used an 8-2 spurt to pull within five, 25-20. Ambah Kowcun knocked down a corner three-pointer to make it 28-20, and then both teams went scoreless for more than 2:00 minutes.

Wichita State's final four points came at the foul line, sending them into the locker room with a 32-25 lead.

Wichita State held Temple to just 31 percent shooting and eight turnovers. Offensively, Wichita State converted on 43 percent of its attempts. McCarty had a game-high tying nine first half points, while Colbert and Duncan added six apiece.

The second half started much like the first. An 8-0 run gave Wichita State its largest lead, 40-25, forcing a Temple timeout just 2:02 into the quarter. Back-to-back three-point plays from McCarty and Colbert capped the run.

Trailing 45-28, Temple put together seven straight to pull within 10, but a Duncan triple snapped

the run and made it a 13-point game again.

The final minute of the period was dominated by the Owls. Temple cut that 13-point deficit all the way down to three, 52-49. An off-balance three-pointer at the buzzer saw Temple close on an 8-0 run in just 59 seconds.

On the first possession of the fourth, Temple grabbed an offensive rebound and capitalized with a second chance three-pointer to tie the game at 52.

Temple had a chance to take its first lead on the next possession, but came up empty, and Wichita State never looked back. An 11-2 run forced a Temple timeout, and effectively put the game away. The Owls used up all their energy coming back to tie the game only to see Wichita State have one of its more impressive answers of the season.

Wichita State led 67-57 with 4:13 remaining and Temple would come no closer than eight the rest of the way.

 

[BullyPulpit]

It will be only our second meeting against the Shockers on the season. In the first matchup, January 7th at WSU, they played the Bulls tough for 29 minutes, leading 30-26, before the Bulls got their act together and blew them out 69-46. This is a team the Bulls should beat by 20+ points. They have a total of 2 wins on the season against the NET top 100 (#81 SMU and #91 Tulane). They don't shoot well, or often, from 3 as a team, with only 110 made 3's on the season (for reference, Sammie Puisis has 108 on her own). They shoot pretty well from inside the arc and rebound well. So long as the Bulls don't turn the ball over, it should be a relatively easy win.