Wichita State women’s basketball struggled down the stretch against Houston on Wednesday, dropping the AAC opener, 66-61. The Cougars used a 13-0 run in the final minutes, handing the Shockers their third straight loss.

WSU took a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but went 6-of-22 in the final quarter and turned the ball over eight times.

“The one word I have is finish,” head coach Keitha Adams said. “We’ve got to finish better. Finish the quarter, finish shots, finish plays and our offense let us down.”

Mariah McCully reached double figures for the seventh straight, with a game-high 23 points on a career-best 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. It marked her third 20-point game of the season. 

“She shot it well today,” Adams said. “She’s made some points for us, she’s been a scorer for us.”

Jane Asinde logged her fifth double-double of the season behind 16 points and 16 rebounds. Her 16 boards set a new career best. Seraphine Bastin also grabbed double-digit rebounds with 13 in the contest to go with five assists and four points.

The Shockers won the rebound battle by nine, but Houston grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, resulting in 21 second chance points. The Cougars also scored 24 points off WSU’s 18 turnovers.

“I’ve been putting more emphasis on us finishing plays in practice, I think I probably need to be putting more accountability on turnovers in practice,” Adams said.

WSU will now embark on a two-game road trip, beginning with a matchup against No. 24 South Florida on Sunday at 11 a.m. on ESPNU.