Wednesday night’s women’s basketball game in Charles Koch Arena was contested between the team picked to finish second-to-last in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and the preseason favorites.
The teams played to their predicted roles. Wichita State was outclassed on all levels by the University of South Florida (USF), 72-46.
“For whatever reason (in) this game, it just took us a while to just kind of get into the flow of the game and be able to match the physicality of the game,” head coach Terry Nooner said. “I think once we got adjusted, especially the second quarter, I think we looked a little bit better.”
The Bulls remained perfect in the conference at 4-0 while the Shockers slipped to 1-3.
Wichita State never seemed to give up during the game but was simply beaten handily by USF’s skill and size. The Bulls went 7-13 from 3-point range and shot 52% from the field, the second-best mark for a WSU opponent this year. USF also out-rebounded the Shockers, pulling down 12 offensive boards for 15 second-chance points.
Nooner said the team didn’t rebound well, but WSU’s poor shooting also contributed to the team’s struggles on the glass.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well, and they were able to rebound, and they were kind of packing the paint a little bit, so they were in (a) rebounding position when we weren’t knocking down shots,” Nooner said. “So I think our bad offense probably kind of helped in that.”
WSU never got off the launch pad offensively. Its 46-point output is a season-low, and 17 turnovers are the most in a month. However, the Shockers also forced 19 turnovers, the most USF has committed since Thanksgiving.
Any hope Wichita State received from a quick 4-0 start was quickly extinguished by a USF 12-0 run that featured Shocker turnovers on three of five possessions.
Then, after a jumper by junior forward Jayla Murray, the Bulls went on a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 22-6 as WSU failed to score for nearly four minutes.
Down by 17, some Wichita State players looked dejected coming off the court at the end of the first quarter with nothing going right on offense or defense.
“We let them punch first, and that was the first problem,” Murray said.
Sophomore guard Salese Blow kicked off the second quarter with a free throw. That was the only point WSU scored in the first 5:45 of the period, as South Florida expanded its lead to 26 points, 35-9.
The Shockers continued playing hard, going on a 14-3 run to close the half that ended with a 3-pointer from Blow as time expired. However, the game’s result was still largely decided with the Bulls leading by 13 at the break.
“I think we just needed anything at that point,” Blow said. “I was like, ‘Let’s go.’ Just like, we just need anything we can get … I feel like that three was a little like an energy booster.”
USF put any lingering doubt to rest near the end of the third quarter with a 10-0 run to move ahead, 56-31. The Shockers committed three turnovers during that stretch.
The fourth quarter was trivial from a winning perspective, but the Shockers continued to play tough defense. USF had five consecutive possessions end with an offensive foul, blocked shot or turnover.
USF subbed in its reserve unit with two minutes left — and then the Bulls’ bench outscored Wichita State’s usual rotation, 7-1, the rest of the way.
The mostly empty gym was quiet for the majority of the second half. The most lively the stands got was during the back-and-forth remarks exchanged between Wichita State’s band and South Florida’s bench whenever either team shot a free throw.
Nooner said the game was a “big-time learning lesson” for the young Wichita State squad, especially in matching the physicality of a stronger team.
“We’ve been a good team that knows how to pick ourselves up when it looks like we’re down, whether it’s in game or after (the) game … so we’re gonna be a lot better on Saturday, I promise.”
Murray was WSU’s lone standout, leading the team in points (15) and pulling down six boards. However, Murray committed four turnovers. Blow and graduate student guard Taylor Jameson combined for eight more giveaways.
Blow said she’s working on her decision-making and playmaking on the offensive end.
“I (have) got to learn how to just know when I can take it and when I can kick it out, so that’ll decrease my amount of turnovers and help my overall status, like, help us get more points on the board,” Blow said.
Wichita State will play another unbeaten AAC opponent on Saturday, Jan. 11, when it takes on the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Tipoff in San Antonio is scheduled for noon.
“At the end of the day, it’s one loss,” Nooner said. “You can’t let that one loss (determine what happens) later on because then it hurts you over the course of the season. So we’ll go back and watch the film, and then tomorrow (we’ll) start getting ready for UTSA.”
