Wichita State women’s basketball beat Division II Oklahoma Christian University (OCU) in Charles Koch Arena on Monday afternoon, but the road bench was filled with more smiles than the home one as time expired.
It was an underwhelming and error-prone performance for Wichita State, but the Shockers etched a win, 66-52. The Shockers open the 2024-25 season at 1-0.
“That was a tough team that we played today,” said Wichita State head coach Terry Nooner. “I thought we had a really good start … and then just had to fight and claw at the end to make sure we pulled one out.”
The game featured dismal shooting from both teams. Wichita State shot 37% from the field and 3-16 from 3-point range. OCU went 31% from the field and 3-14 from beyond the arc.
Nooner said he didn’t have a problem with WSU’s shot selection, but the team needs to knock down more attempts.
“For the most part, all the threes were open,” Nooner said. “And we need the threes to go down so we can keep feeding into our post players when they’re dominating inside.”
The Shockers also shot 9-23, 39% from the free-throw line. It was the team’s worst single-game mark from the charity stripe since 2019.
Wichita State got its scoring done in the paint and in transition. The Shockers scored 70% of their points in the paint and out-scored the Eagles 17-7 on fast breaks.
Wichita State started the game with an 8-0 run where Oklahoma Christian failed to get off a clean shot. The Shockers scored all their first 10 points in the paint, getting off quick layups or post moves while forcing erratic play from the Eagles.
However, as Oklahoma Christian settled in, Wichita State continued playing out of control. Both teams committed seven turnovers in the first quarter and the Shockers failed to execute from the free throw line, shooting 3-10. The teams exited the first quarter knotted at 18.
“We kind of took our foot off the gas, for whatever reason,” Nooner said. “It’s a new team, so we (are) still learning each other. They’re learning me, I’m learning them.”
The second quarter was slightly more successful for the Shockers. After falling behind, 19-18, the home team ripped off a 10-0 run. Junior guard Princess Anderson capped off the period with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to put Wichita State ahead, 39-29.
Wichita State maintained its lead for most of the third quarter. However, the frame ended with a 7-0 Eagles run that culminated with OCU senior Kate Bradley crossing up WSU sophomore wing Jordan Jackson to make her fall and then nailing a 3-pointer to the delight of the Eagles bench.
The Shockers shot 23% from the field and 0-6 from the 3-point line in the third quarter. OCU didn’t fare much better, shooting just 20% from the 3-point line and 22% overall.
Wichita State closed the game easily but unconvincingly, with its lead never dipping below 6 points. The Eagles subbed in their bench to close the game, proceeding to not make a field goal for the last five minutes of regulation.
Graduate student guard Taylor Jameson led the offensive attack for WSU with 13 points without committing a turnover. Junior forward Jayla Murray was an all-around workhorse with 10 points, 13 rebounds (six of which were on the offensive glass) and four assists.
Senior center Aicha Ndour scored 10 points and picked up eight rebounds and two blocks. However, she was a primary culprit at the free throw line, missing all four of her attempts and growing more frustrated each time.
“We just need to work on it, to be honest,” Ndour said as Nooner playfully shot her a glare during the press conference.
13 Shockers received playing time in the win, with 11 players staying on the court for five minutes or more. It’s an intentional decision Nooner’s making to “wear teams down.”
“We want to keep constant pressure on (teams) and make teams very uncomfortable,” Nooner said. “So I think the fact that we had so much depth … really helps us.”
Tipoff was delayed 45 minutes due to “unexpected travel delays” for the road team. On education day in the Roundhouse, the stands were filled with local middle schoolers. The students departed around the middle of the third quarter, leaving a near-empty arena in their wake.
Jameson, making her return to Wichita after growing up in the city and playing her first four years of college ball in Virginia, said she remembered being one of the kids watching Wichita State play.
“I was excited to be able to have the opportunity to play in front of them and show them that if they chase their dreams the same way that I did, they could end up on the same big stage as me,” she said.
Wichita State will play its first Division I opponent of the season on Saturday, Nov. 9, when it takes on Belmont University. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Charles Koch Arena.
