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Wichita State (15-12, 5-9) vs. Temple (10-16, 5-9) on Saturday, February 25, 2023 | 2:00 PM CT | Charles Koch Arena ESPN+ | ShockerStats.com
ON AIR
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. No audio stream will be available.
LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State followed up one of its best performances in a win against Tulsa with one of its worst in a 69-51 loss to SMU on Wednesday. Wichita State trailed by seven at halftime, but was outscored 18-9 in the third quarter and never recovered. SMU shot 47.6% from the floor despite missing 17 of 20 attempts from beyond the arc. That nearly 48 percent shooting was a season-high by an opponent. One of the best rebounding teams in the country, Wichita State, was crushed to the glass. They were minus-15 – a worst season. Jane Asinde scored eight of her 11 points after the break, while Curtessia Dean also added a season-high 11. Trajata Colbert and DJ McCarty both scored 10 points each.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Led by first-year head coach Diane Richardson, Temple enters Wednesday matchup at 10-16 this season and 5-9 in American play. The Owls started conference play 5-4, but have lost five straight. Temple is led by Aleah Nelson and Tiarra East. Nelson leads the team in scoring (15.6 points) and assists (109), while East adds 11.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 41 steals. Nelson was a two-time American Athletic Conference Player of the Week. Temple leads the conference in free throw shooting with 73.1%. The Owls won the first meeting in Philadelphia, 72-59, as Wichita State turned in one of its worst shooting performances of the season in the loss.
THE SERIES VS. TEMPLE
Wichita State and Temple have met 11 times before Saturday’s matchup, with Temple winning the last four meetings. The first ever fight was in November 1983 at a neutral field which Temple won, 83-79. Wichita State is looking for its first home win against the Owls since 2020. The Shockers are 2-2 all time against Temple in Wichita.
LAST MEETING
Temple drove essentially the entire game in the first meeting of the season on Feb. 1 in Philadelphia. The Owls led by six after 10 minutes and escaped with a 72-59 victory. Wichita State had a season-low 27.8%, including 2 of 11 from beyond the arc. Temple shot 46.4% at the other end to go with 8 three-pointers. Trajata Colbert scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a losing effort. DJ McCarty and Shamaryah Duncan each added 10 points.
POWER OF PAINT
In Wichita State’s last eight games, the duo of Jane Asinde and Trajata Colbert have taken their game to another level. Asinde has four double-doubles and is averaging 16.8 points and 10.6 rebounds, while Colbert is playing some of the best basketball of her career. During that span Colbert has six double-doubles and is posting 16.1 points and 9.5 rebounds. Together they are responsible for 32.9 points and 20.1 rebounds in their last seven outings.
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 combine for 54.0 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 61.6% (130 steals) of the team’s steals this season and 60.8% (48 blocks) of the team’s blocks.
RARE AIR ASINDEJane Asinde is one of only three players in the country averaging at least 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. DePaul’s Annesah Morrow and Texas A&M Corpus Christi’s Alecia Westbrook are the only other players posting these stats in 2022-23.
SEE DOUBLE
Wichita State senior Jane Asinde is hitting a double-double in 27 games this season with 13.2 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 pests on defense as they tackled offense for 27 games. McCarty recorded at least one steal in all but five games and had more in 16 of 27 games. His 57 steals are the most on the team. Asinde is second on the team with 50 steals and averaging 2.00 steals per game and she has the most steals in 14 games this season. They rank 4th and 7th in Americans in 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 27 games so far in 2022-23, she is 92 for 112 (82.1%). Colbert ranks fifth in the American in free throw percentage.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
With 27 games Wichita State ranks in the top 70 nationally in the following categories: No. 27 in free throws made per game (14.93), no. 29 in rebounding margin (7.2), no. #50 in free throw attempts per game (20.07), #55 in offensive rebounds per game (13.6), #65 in three-point defense (28.7), #66 in defensive rebounds per game (27.3) and #70 in field goal percentage defense (37.9). Jane Asinde ranks 15th nationally in rebounds per game, 25th in total rebounds and 25th in defensive rebounds per game.
A SHOCKER VICTORY WOULD BE…
… make them 16-12 on the season … make them 6-9 in conference play … make them 11-4 at home this season … move them to 4-8 all-time against Temple. .. snapping a four-game losing streak against the Owls … taking Keitha Adams’ record to 78-90 at Wichita State … taking Adams 362-299 to the Division I level … running career high coaching Adams to 489-336 … improve their record in Charles Koch Arena to 397-252 … lead Wichita State 648-738 all-time
A SHOCKER LEAK WOULD BE…
… make them 15-13 this season … make them 5-10 in conference play … make them drop to 10-5 at home this season … make them 3-9 all-time against Temple. .. take Keitha Adams record to 77-91 at Wichita State … take Adams to 361-300 at the Division I level … lower Adams career record to 488-337 … lower the record at Charles Koch Arena at 396-253 … make Wichita State 647-739 all time
NEXT
Wichita State heads to Houston for the regular season finale on Wednesday, March 1.
