Wichita State women’s basketball got its first road non-conference win of the head coach Terry Nooner era on Sunday afternoon.
The Shockers defeated Loyola Marymount University (LMU), 68-56, never trailing at any point of the game.
The Shockers improved their record to 5-6, while the Lions’ record fell to 6-2.
The Wichita State defense held the Lions to 34% shooting from the field, the fourth consecutive game a WSU opponent has made less than 35% of its shots. LMU also shot just 25% from the 3-point line on a whopping 24 attempts.
Wichita State shot 46% from the field and 35% from 3-point range, the team’s second-best mark of the year. Sophomore guard Salese Blow and junior forward Jayla Murray led the team in points with 14.
Murray started the scoring for WSU with a layup. The Shockers made four of their first five shots to jump out to an early 10-2 lead.
With the help of seven first-quarter points from Blow, Wichita State led the Lions, 22-13, at the end of the period.
LMU cut the lead to five points near the beginning of the second quarter. The Shockers slowed the Lions’ momentum and pushed the lead to double digits with a 3-pointer from junior guard Princess Anderson halfway through the quarter.
The WSU defense held the Lions without a field goal in the final six minutes of the half, going into the break with a 40-23 lead.
Murray scored back-to-back field goals to open the second half as WSU went on an 8-0 run and pushed the lead to 25 points. LMU went on a 7-0 run later in the quarter that forced Nooner to call his first timeout of the game.
The two teams mostly traded points in the fourth quarter. With a little less than two minutes to go, the Lions cut the WSU lead down to single digits, 63-54. However, the Shockers were able to hold onto the lead and secure the win.
The Shockers will stay in the Golden State to play California State University at Bakersfield on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Tipoff against the Roadrunners is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the Icardo Center.
