A poor paint presence and overall defense proved faulty once again for Wichita State women’s basketball.
The Shockers allowed Rice to shoot near-lights out Friday night at Tudor Fieldhouse and suffered their worst defeat to a conference opponent this season, 80-42.
With its fifth straight loss, WSU fell to 5-21 overall and 2-11 in American Conference play. Rice’s dominance over league foes continued, as the Owls have started 12-0 in conference play. After their win, they’ve bested opponents by an average of 13 points per game.
The Shockers will need to course-correct quickly to climb from out of the gutter with five games left in the regular season. They can do so Saturday, Feb. 21, when UTSA visits Koch Arena for a 1 p.m. tipoff.
Graduate guard Abby Cater was the only Shocker in double digits with 11, including nine in the third quarter. It marked the 10th time this season that Cater has led WSU in scoring and upped her average to 12 PPG.
Graduate forward Bre’Yon White accounted for six of the Shockers’ first 11 points, knocking down three of her first four shots to keep them afloat in the first quarter. Rice took no time establishing control, however, connecting on 10 of its first 15 field goals, and were especially dominant in the paint, with 12 points in the first period alone.
As the first quarter came to an end, WSU trailed 23-11, struggling to settle in on defense and compile stops. Just 15 minutes into the contest, WSU found itself down 17 points and had turned the ball over seven times.
The Shockers’ early struggles continued, missing their last seven field goals heading into the break. A nearly six-minute drought stalled any momentum they hoped to build.
By halftime, Rice’s lead had extended to 24, taking a commanding 43-19 lead into the break. The Owl’s offensive efficiency (nearly 55%) paired with WSU’s shooting struggles (just 25%) created an uphill battle for coach Terry Nooner’s squad.
The third quarter proved more of the same, as WSU was outscored 21-9. The Shockers shot just 3-of-18, and Rice’s lead ballooned to 36 points, 64-28. Cater scored all 9 of WSU’s points in the stanza.
The fourth period showed some promise for WSU, as both teams brought in their reserves, but the Shockers were still outscored 16-14.
Box Score breakdown
WSU — 11; 8; 9; 14 — 42
Rice — 23; 20; 21; 16; — 80
Shooting Totals (fg-3pt-ft)
WSU (25%-15%-83%)
FAU (48%-46%-100%)
Stat leaders
Points — WSU: Abby Cater (11), Bre’yon White (8), Treasure Thompson (5). Rice: Dominique Ennis (18), Aniah Alexis (13), Victoria Flores (10).
Rebounds — WSU: Maimou Sissoko (4), Karys Washington (4), Bre’yon White (4). Rice: Hailey Adams (17), Kennedy Clifton (7), Aniah Alexis (5)
Assists — WSU: Bre’yon White (2), Jaila Harding (1), Jaida McDonald (1), Treasure Thompson (1). Rice: Hailey Adams (6), Victoria Flores (5), Shelby Haynes (3)
