| Sophomore guard Jordan Stark scored a game-high 19 points on Friday night. |
WICHITA, Kan. ? Sophomore guard Jordan Stark scored a game-high 19 points, but it was not enough as Marcy Sudbeck and Daria Frazier combined for 30 points to lead Wichita State past UTSA, 54-51, on Friday night in non-conference action at Charles Koch Arena.
Senior guard Monica Gibbs was the only other Roadrunner to reach double digits with 14 points, as UTSA fell to 1-2 on the season. Gibbs also dished out seven assists and hauled in eight rebounds, as the Stillwater, Okla., native became the third Roadrunners to collect over 700 career boards with 703.
Senior forwards Onika Anderson and Ryba Pawlaczyk chipped in with nine points apiece, while Pawlaczyk also tallied a team-high 10 rebounds.
Sudbeck and Frazier led the Shockers (2-1) with 15 points each. Sudbeck also hauled in a game-high 15 rebounds, as WSU held a 52-36 advantage on the glass, including 22 offensive boards.
In the opening minutes of the second half both team traded baskets, but UTSA pulled away to a 33-28 lead on Anderson’s layup with 15:24 to go. The Roadrunners then increased their lead to 45-35 with 9:26 left behind a 9-2 run. Stark capped off the spurt netting six points.
However, an 11-0 run by the Shockers over the next four minutes gave WSU a one-point lead, 46-45. Anderson gave UTSA the lead back with a basket, but Wichita State scored six straight points to take a 52-47 lead and would not trail for the rest of the game.
The Roadrunners made a final push to get within one (52-51) with exactly one minute remaining, but Val Siemens’ free throws upped the WSU lead to 54-51 with 26 ticks left. UTSA then pushed the ball down the floor, but Stark’s 3-point attempt was blocked by Sudbeck to preserve the win.
UTSA jumped to an early 9-4 lead when Stark made good on a running layup with 15:12 to go in the first frame. Wichita State took its first lead of the game, 12-9, with the help of a 6-0 run. The Roadrunners regained the lead with a 7-0 run of their own to make the score 16-12. An Anderson free throw gave the Runners a 23-16 lead, but WSU cut it to 23-20 at the half.
UTSA closes out its three-game road trip this Sunday at Kansas State. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m.