Links to history
Wichita State (12-8, 2-5) at Cincinnati (7-12, 0-6) on Saturday, January 28, 2023 | 1:00 PM CT | Fifth Third Arena ESPN+ | KFH 97.5FM/1240AM | ShockerStats.com
ON AIR
Saturday’s game can be heard on the radio at KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM with Steve Strain calling the action. Strain is in her ninth season as the radio voice for Wichita State women’s basketball. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State fell short of a season-high 27 turnovers against East Carolina last Saturday at Charles Koch Arena as the Pirates downed the Shockers, 66-57. Eastern Carolina scored 40 of its 66 points on those turnovers. East Carolina also entered the game as the worst three-point shooting team in the league, but went 7-for-20 against the Shockers. Wichita State dominated the glass, outscoring ECU, 51-22, both season highs. Trajata Colbert had her third double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds and Curtessia Dean recorded her second with 13 points and 13 rebounds. DJ McCarty added 11 points and Jane Asinde he narrowly missed a double-double with 8 points and 11 rebounds.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Led by fifth year head coach Michelle Clark-Heard, Cincinnati enters Saturday’s matchup at 7-12 this season and winless in American play. Despite shooting 32.1% from beyond the arc, Cincinnati shot just 38.6% overall. The Bearcats excel at blocking shots, which was evident in their first meeting this season when they blocked 14 shots, a Charles Koch Arena record. Jillian Hayes leads Cincinnati in scoring (13.5), rebounding (8.4), stealing (28) and blocking (31). Mya Jackson adds 11.9 points and 54 assists to lead the backcourt. Malea Williams had seven of the team’s 14 blocks in the conference opener at Wichita State.
THE SERIES VS. CINCINNATI
Wichita State and Cincinnati have met eight times prior to Saturday, but the series dates back to their first meeting on December 9, 1983. The Shockers have won their last three games of the series after losing their first five. Wichita State is on the verge of its first win of the season against the Bearcats and third straight win in Cincinnati. This will be the final regular season matchup between the two programs as members of the American.
LAST MEETING
Wichita State won their first game of the season against the Bearcats, 61-49, on December 30 in Wichita. The matchup was a conference opener for both teams. Wichita State held Cincinnati to just 30.5% shooting and 7-of-22 from beyond the arc. The Bearcats hit a career-high 14 hits at Charles Koch Arena in the contest. Trajata Colbert dropped a career-high 24 points on the Bearcats and DJ McCarty added 15 points, five assists and four steals.
DEFEND YOURSELF
Wichita State boasts a top-70 defense in the first 20 games of the season. They held all but eight opponents to under 38% shooting and only six teams shot better than 32% from three-point range. Wichita State’s field defense holds the teams to just 37.2 percent, good for 57th nationally. Opponents only connect on 28.9% of their attempts from long range. Wichita State has held eight opponents under 60 points, including three under 50.
TRIS OF TALENTJane Asinde, DJ McCarty and Trajata Colbert are forming a powerful trio for the Shockers. All three average double-digits on the season and add up for 51.0 percent of Wichita State’s points on the offensive end. On the glass, they combine to pull down 21.6 rebounds per game. Defensively, the trio account for 62.1% (95 steals) of the team’s steals this season and 56.5% (35 blocks) of the team’s blocks.
SEE DOUBLE
Wichita State senior Jane Asinde is averaging a double-double in 20 games this season with 11.3 points and 10.6 rebounds. The Uganda native is on course to finish the season with top-10 rebounding in a single season. His current 10.6 boards per game would rank eighth in school history. She is also looking to become the first Shocker to average a double-double in a season since Antionette Wells during the 2006-07 season, when she recorded 13.0 points and 10.4 rebounds.
WANTED FOR THEFT
Junior guard DJ McCarty and senior forward Jane Asinde were a nuisance on defense as they tackled offense for 20 games. McCarty recorded at least one steal in all but three games and had more in 12 of 20 games. His 42 steals are a team high. Asinde is second on the team with 38 steals and averaging 2.11 steals per game and she has more steals in 11 games this season. They rank 3rd and 8th respectively in the American for steals.
COLBERT CASH Trajata Colbert has improved dramatically over the past two years on the free throw line. The Georgia native began her career shooting 42.1% as a freshman, 61.1% as a sophomore and 50.9% as a COVID sophomore. In 2021-22 she is shooting career high 76.0% and in 20 games so far in 2022-23, she is 60 for 75 (80.0%). Colbert ranks fifth in the American in free throw percentage.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
In 20 games Wichita State ranked in the top 70 nationally in the following categories: No. 22 in rebounding margin (8.6), no. 40 in rebounds per game (41.25), no. 59 in defensive rebounds per game (27.7), 64 in offensive rebounds per game (13.6) and 65 fouls per game (15.1). Jane Asinde ranks 16th nationally in rebounds per game, 26th in total rebounds and 26th in defensive rebounds per game.
A SHOCKER VICTORY WOULD BE…
… move them to 13-8 on the season … move them to 3-5 in conference play … move them to 3-5 on the road this season … move them to 4-5 all-time against Cincinnati .. be their fourth straight win against the Bearcats … bring Keitha Adams’ record to 75-86 at Wichita State … bring Adams 359-295 at the Division I level … bring Adams’ career record to 486-332 … make Wichita State 645-734 all time
A SHOCKER LEAK WOULD BE…
… take them to 12-9 this season … take them to 2-6 in conference play … take them to 3-5 on the road this season … take them to 3-6 all time against Cincinnati . .. hitting a three-game hitting streak against the Bearcats … taking Keitha Adams’ record to 74-87 at Wichita State … taking Adams 358-296 to the Division I level … shortening coaching career by Adams record at 485-333…make Wichita State 644-735 all-time
NEXT
Wichita State gets back on the road to the City of Brotherly Love where the Shockers take on Temple Feb. 1 at 6:00 PM CT.
