2024-25 Shocker WBB Non-Conference Games

[WuDrWu]

I will be paying attention somewhat tomorrow to see how the ladies do against a more than decent ORU team that handled Missouri on Wednesday 76-63.

Probably fair to expect a hard fought game but a loss as Missouri whipped us in Florida earlier in the year. That being said, this appears to be a different team since returning from that Florida trip. Winners of 3 straight and 4 of 5, the only loss at (now) 10-1 Kansas, a game they led by 3 entering the 4th Q and were still tied with 6 and change left. Yes, PVA&M and CSB are terrible, but they mostly handled these terrible teams as you would hope, winning by 29 and 31 points.

Good luck ladies. Every opportunity to stay on this good track and make an early splash when conference play starts the 29th when the Shocks host North Texas.

[1972Shocker]

Apparently the ORU's coach was able to get her team attention after they lost to Oklahoma by 40 this past Sunday. That was a pretty impressive bounce back by ORU to beat Mizzou by 13 in Columbia. So they are no doubt feeling a lot better about themselves.

The Shocks lost to OU by 30 a month ago and were pretty bad at their Thanksgiving tournament in Florida losing by 28 to both Creighton and Mizzou.

I too will be paying attention to the ORU game tomorrow but can't say I have a real good feel for how it might go.

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WICHITA STATE (6-6, 5-6 in D-1 games) at ORAL ROBERTS (8-3, 6-3 in D-1 games)
Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024 | 2:00 p.m.
Tulsa, Okla. | Mabee Center
TV: Summit League Network
Radio: Audacy.com/KFH with Pat Strathman

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Oral Roberts is coming off a 76-63 win over Missouri, its second win over an SEC opponent this season after defeating Arkansas 94-73 on Nov. 21. The Golden Eagles also took down reigning AAC regular season champion Tulsa 67-56 on Nov. 17.

ORU is averaging 80.3 points per game with five players averaging double figures. Junior guard Jalei Oglesby leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game, junior guard Taleyah Jones is averaging 15.0, senior forward Ruthie Udoumoh is averaging 13.5, senior forward Makyra Tramble is averaging 12.1, and sophomore forward is averaging 10.1 points per game.

Oglesby leads the Summit League in field goal percentage (59.5 percent) and Udoumoh ranks fourth (55.0 percent) Udoumoh is the team's leading rebounder with 8.9 per game, leading the Summit League.

Tramble ranks second in the conference in three pointers per game with 2.3. ORU leads the Summit League in assists per game (15.7), rebounds per game (40.7), and turnover margin (3.0). The Golden Eagles were picked second of nine teams in the Summit League Conference Preseason Poll behind South Dakota State, who is receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls.

WarrenNolan.com Prediction:

3:00 PM		RP Prediction
		Score	O/U-Spread	Win Prob.	Confidence
Wichita State (5-6, Road 2-1)		67	144	20%	Low
Oral Roberts (6-3, Home 3-0)		77	-10	80%	Low

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That WarrenNolan.com prediction seems pretty reasonable. Despite the Shocks putting up a C-Note against CSUB I don't think that they can win a shoot out with ORU. The need to come with a good defensive plan and bring their hard hats and lunch pails.

[1972Shocker]

WarrenNolan.com prediction was pretty much right on target as the Shocks fall to ORU 65-77.

The Shocks trailed by 3 at the half and were still down by only 3 at the midway point of the 3rd quarter. But an 8 minute stretch over the final 5 minutes of the 3rd quarter and the first 3 minutes of the 4th where ORU outscored the Shocks 18-7 pretty much told the story as ORU pulled away to a 65-51 advantage with 7 minutes to play. The closest the Shocks got after that was 8 points.

The Shocks finish the non-con portion of their schedule at 5-7 (D-1 games only). While that was slightly better than I expected and while the AAC doesn't seem to be all that strong, although WarrenNolan.com shows the AAC as #6 in their conference NET rankings, I still don't have a great feel for how this team will do in AAC play but I think they have a shot at doing at least a little better than their preseason ranking of 12th in the AAC coaches poll.

South Florida picked up a the best win of the non-con for the AAC today with a 65-56 home win over 9th ranked Duke. USF is only 7-6 but have played a very tough schedule including 4 top 12 teams in addition to Vanderbilt, Louisville and Mississippi State against which they went 1-6. USF was the preseason pick to win the AAC and that looks pretty legit at this point.