2024-25 Shocker WBB AAC Conference Games

[1972Shocker]

WICHITA STATE (6-7) vs. NORTH TEXAS (8-4)
Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 | 1:00 p.m.
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+
Radio: GoShockers.com/Listen with Pat Strathman

SCOUTING THE MEAN GREEN
Led by 11^th-year (second at UNT) head coach Jason Burton, North Texas is 8-4 going into conference play.

Four players are averaging double figures, led by senior forward Tommisha Lampkin with 17.3 points per game. Kyla Deck (11.7), Desiree Wooten (11.3) and Ereauna Hardaway (10.1) join her in double figures. Lampkin with also the team's leading rebounder with 8.8 per game. Lampkin leads the conference in field goal percentage (58.8), double-doubles (6) and free throws (50) and ranks third in rebounds per game. Deck ranks second in the AAC in steals with 25 this season.

The Mean Green were picked second of 13 teams in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Poll, receiving three first-place votes. Lampkin was named the Co-Preseason Player of the year.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks trail 20-16 to UNT at the end of the 1st quarter, Keeping it close by hitting 4 three-pointers, 2 by Jayla Murray, which is not their game. UNT lookls like the better team. Better athletes and perhaps better baske---tball skills.

Murray picks up her 2nd foul early in the 2nd quarter.

North Texas may have put this game away with a 17-7 advantage in the 2nd quarter to take a 37-20 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The discrepancy in talent is glaring. North Texas with an advantage at every position.

The Shocks use a much better defensive effort and intensity in the 3rd quarter to cut the lead to 9 at 38-47 heading into the final quarter. Then Shocks defensive effort was just not there in the 1stt half.

The Shocks continue making North Texas uncomfortable with their defensive effort and led by Taylor Jameson pulled to within 1 point st the mid-point of the quarter at 47-48. With the Shocks down 49-52 at around the 3 minute mark Taylor rolled her right ankle and had to leave the game. When Taylor returned with 2 minutes to play North Texas had extended the lead to 10 at 59-49. The Shocks as close a 5 in the final 2 minutes but North Texas closed it out at 62-56.

The Shockers lost this game because they simply were not ready to and did not compete in the 1st half on either end off he court. Cred.it to Coach Nooner for getting the ladies fired up at half time as their effort, especially on defense was very good. The Shockers might have been able to overcome their 1st half struggles if the could have made their free throws but 9-21, including 7-17 in the 2nd half, pretty much prevented a successful comeback.

The Shockers were very good, especially for them, making 9-19 (47.4%) of their ( 3-point shots. Unfortunately, they were only 10-44 (22.7%) from inside the arc which along with the 9-21 free throw shooting pretty much sealed their fate.

Taylor Jameson lead the Shocks on both ends of the court scoring points on 6-11 shooting include 5-10 three-pointers. At 5-5 she also led the Shocks with 6 rebounds.

I guess the silver lining is that if the Shock will show up and really compete for a full 40 minutes and figure out how to make free throws they should be able to hang with most AAC teams this .

[flyingMoose]

The WBB officiating is bad, with rare exceptions.

[1972Shocker]

The WBB officiating is bad, with rare exceptions.

That is true, but not the difference in this game I don't think. But yeah, you kind of accept going in the you will see less than stellar officiating.

[flyingMoose]

That is true, but not the difference in this game I don't think. But yeah, you kind of accept going in the you will see less than stellar officiating.

Agreed. Mine was just a general observation, prompted by especially bad officiating today.

[1972Shocker]

WICHITA STATE (6-8, 0-1 AAC) at MEMPHIS (2-9, 0-0 AAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.
Memphis, Tenn. | Elma Roane Fieldhouse
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Audacy.com/KFH with Pat Strathman

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Led by seventh-year (second at Memphis) head coach Alex Simmons, Memphis is 2-9 going into conference play. Memphis owns over over NET 350 Mississippi Valley State and NET 295 Samford who are a combines 2-23 in D-1 games. However, Memphis did were somewhat competitive against 15th ranked Tennessee a couple of weeks ago losing 75-90.

Five Tigers are averaging double figures, led by senior guard Tilly Boler with 16.6 points per game. DeDee Hagemann (16.0), Alasia Smith (11.6), Hannah Riddick (11.5) and Tanyuel Welch (10.6) join her in double figures.

Riddick is the team's leading rebounder with 8.0 per game. Hagemann leads the NCAA in minutes per game with 37.55.

The Tigers were picked seventh of 13 teams in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Poll. Memphis has a NET ranking of 244.

Despite a NET ranking of 244 vs a NET ranking of 172 for the Shocks, WarrenNolan.com favors Memphis with a 61% win probability and a score of 69-66.

Me thinks WarrenNolan's system places a lot of weight on home court advantage. Maybe too much, especially for run-of-the-mill women's basketball.

Looks like Memphis can score a little bit. On the other hand the Shockers at time struggle to put points on the board. Nevertheless, if the Shocks play as hard on the defensive end as they did against North Texas in the second half of that game I think they can and perhaps should win this game.

[1972Shocker]

Memphis leads the Shocks at the half 50-45 in what so far has been a high scoring game. Considering Memphis has outscored the Shocks by 18 points on three-pointers (10-18 vs 4-12) and by 5 from the free throw line (6-6 vs 1-3) the Shocks are doing well to be trailing by only 5.

This kind of a high scoring game probably favors Memphis. Memphis already has 3 players in double figure points and a 4th with 9 points. I'm thinking the Shocks need to find a way to slow Memphis down in the 2nd half and guard the 3 point line better.

The Shocks slowed Memphis down in the 3rd quarter but slowed down themselves even more. Memphis leads 66-57 heading into the 4th quarter. Memphis extended their lead to 17 at 75-58 with 7 minutes to play and still led by 17 at 86-69 with 3:20 to play before a late spurt led by Princess Anderson pulled the Shocks to within 10 points as the game ended with Memphis winning 93-83.

I did not watch the game live but Taylor Jameson and Jayla Murray only played 15 minutes each. Taylor played 13.5 minutes in the first half and then left the game after only playing 1.5 minutes in the 3rd quarter never to return. She had rolled her ankle in the 4th Quarter of the North Texas game so I'm wondering if that was limiting her. Looks like Jayla was dealing with foul trouble picking up her 2nd with 7 minutes to play in the 1st half and her 3rd 1 minute into the 3rd quarter before returning to the bench. Jayla only played about 5 minutes after that all in the 4th quarter.

Jayla had a +/- if -16 in her 15 minutes and KP Pare had a -14 in her 19 minutes of play. Princess Anderson entered the game for the 1st time with about 7 minutes to play and proceeded to score 11 points was the only Shocker with a positive +/- for the game at +7.

The Shocks next 3 games are @ UAB, home vs USF and @ UTSA. If they can't get by UAB they are probably staring at an 0-5 start in AAC play as USF and UTSA appear to be the top 2 teams in the AAC this year.

[1972Shocker]

So Taylor took a big knee to her left quad with about 3 minutes to play in the first half. Taylor tried to go in the 2nd half with a heavily wrapped thigh but was unable to make a go of it after about a minute and a half. This definitely was a major blow to the Shocks.