By the end of the first quarter of the Wichita State women’s basketball team’s matchup against South Florida on Tuesday night, the game was functionally over.
The Bulls ran out to a staggering 25-6 lead in the first quarter, and nothing the Shockers could do after that point would make a difference in the sizable deficit. Wichita State eventually fell on the road, 79-57 on Feb. 13.
With this, the Shockers dropped to 7-18 overall and 3-10 in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). South Florida is 7-6 in the AAC.
The Bulls scored the first 11 points of the game until freshman guard Salese Blow finally hit a 3-pointer for Wichita State nearly five minutes into the first quarter.
The shot didn’t stop the bleeding, as South Florida proceeded to go on a 10-1 run immediately afterward. Wichita State shot a miserable 2/14 in the first quarter with five turnovers.
The second quarter didn’t start any better for the Shockers, as the Bulls opened the period with a 6-0 run, extending its lead to 31-6. South Florida preserved the 25-point advantage, going into half leading 45-20.
Yet again, the beginning of the third quarter saw an immediate South Florida 6-0 run. Late in the third, the Bull’s lead was expanded to 35, 66-31.
In the final four minutes of the game, Wichita State went on a 12-2 run to make the score appear closer, but the game’s result was never in question.
Three Shockers scored 11 points in the game: Blow, redshirt sophomore forward Jayla Murray, and senior forward Sierra Morrow, with Morrow’s tally coming in only 13 minutes.
Aside from Blow, the Wichita State guards struggled to make baskets. Seniors Tre’Zure Jobe, DJ McCarty, Aniya Bell, and Jeniah Thompson and junior Raissa Nsabua combined to shoot 5/25 (20%) from the field.
Sophomore forward Daniela Abies nabbed eight rebounds, but Wichita State was out-rebounded 46-28 as a team.
The Shockers will attempt to turn around its bad form on Saturday, Feb. 17, when they host the University of Tulsa. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
