In its first-ever meeting against the University of St. Thomas – Minnesota (UST), Wichita State women’s basketball narrowly defeated the Tommies on Saturday afternoon, 69-64.
With the win, the Shockers avoided a three-game losing streak and improved to 2-2 on the season. UST dropped to 3-2 overall.
Graduate student guard Taylor Jameson said getting a win after losing two games in a row was important for the team’s momentum going forward.
“Losing doesn’t feel the greatest,” Jameson said. “There’s lessons to learn in losses and I think that we learned a lot from our last two losses.”
Sophomore guard Salese Blow gave Wichita State its only lead of the first quarter after draining a couple of free throws, 4-2. The Tommies then went on a 7-0 run where they hit 4-5 field goals to give them a 5-point lead.
At the end of the opening quarter, UST made a layup as time expired and led 17-12 going into the break. The Shockers couldn’t find the bottom of the net, shooting 33% from the field and 0-4 from deep, despite four points from senior center Aicha Ndour off the bench.
Trailing 24-18 halfway through the second quarter, Wichita State found its rhythm on offense and ripped off a huge 17-0 run that Jameson capped off with a 3-pointer to give the Shockers an 11-point lead. Jameson added more fireworks at the end of the half as she drained a half-court shot to extend the Shockers’ lead to 12-points, 38-26.
Jameson said she practices half-court shots every day after the team’s shootaround session.
“It’s crazy because I think I’ve only made one (half-court shot),” Jameson said while laughing. “So you know, (it was) a full circle moment in the game. I was just like, ‘Shoot it.’”
After shooting 33% in the first quarter, Wichita State bolstered its percentage in the second to 49%, draining 4-11 shots from beyond the arc. Ndour and senior center Ella Anciaux added depth down low, scoring a combined 12 points on 6-7 shooting off the bench in their 17 combined minutes of game time.
Jameson said during the second quarter, the team trusted each other more.
“We trusted the game plan that coach (Terry) Nooner put together,” Jameson said. “I feel like everyone, even the bench players, stepped up when they came in … Everybody played their role today, which is something that we really harp on and focus on at practice.”
The Shockers won the rebound battle in the first half by eight, 12-4, and made the most out of forced turnovers, scoring 12 points off turnovers to the Tommies’ three, despite losing the turnover margin by three, 8-5
Wichita State’s offense turned sour throughout the third quarter, forcing bad shots and making sloppy turnovers, while UST continuously capitalized and found the open shooter. The Shockers ended the quarter shooting 20% and watched its 12-point halftime lead dwindle to a tie at 47 by the end of the period.
Jameson was the only Wichita State player to score more than one bucket, totaling just four points during the third quarter. UST managed 21 points in the third, shooting 57.1% from the field and 66.7% from the 3-point line, ending the quarter making the last three shots.
The Shockers’ and the home crowd’s intensity picked up at the start of the fourth quarter. Wichita State jumped out to a 55-47 lead after sophomore wing Jordan Jackson’s 3-pointer capped off an 8-0 run in the quarter’s first two minutes.
Despite the hot start to the quarter, the Shockers left the door open again for the Tommies who cut the deficit to one point, 61-60, with 2:12 left in the game.
An up-and-under from senior forward Ornella Niankan with less than a minute left gave Wichita State a 3-point cushion, 65-62, but a foul on the other end granted UST a pair of free throws, which helped the away team cut the lead to a single point again.
After a UST time-out with under 30 seconds left in the game, junior forward Bre’Yon White high-pointed the inbounds pass, forcing a much-needed turnover for the Shockers. Jameson ended the game by hitting three free throws.
White said she didn’t expect UST to lob a pass at the rim, but successful communication from her teammates helped her make the play.
“I thought she (the opponent) was going to come off a cross-screen again,” White said. “But when they lobbed it, I saw it and I said, ‘Look, I have to jump and make a play.’ So, that’s what I did.”
Wichita State lost in every statistical shooting category during the game, shooting 43% from the field, 32% from beyond the 3-point arc and 46% from the free-throw line. Despite the low shooting percentages, the Shockers capitalized better off turnovers, converting 22 points off turnovers to the Tommies’ five.
Wichita State won the rebound battle, nabbing 39 boards to UST’s 30, including an 11-rebound margin of victory on the offensive glass.
Jameson scored a team-high 18 points on 6-11 shooting and made six assists. Niankan followed right behind Jameson with 11 points and Ndour scored 10 of her own off the bench
Women’s basketball will end its season-opening five-game stint in the Roundhouse when it plays against the #9 University of Oklahoma on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The Sooners lead the all-time matchup against the Shockers, 3-1.
Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Charles Koch Arena.
