Preview: Wichita State at Florida Atlantic Women’s Basketball

BOCA RATON, Fla. (Interstat) — The Florida Atlantic Owls will look to build on a rare conference victory when they host the struggling Wichita State Shockers in an American Athletic Conference women’s basketball matchup Tuesday night.

The game at FAU Gymnasium pits two teams seeking consistency in league play. Florida Atlantic (7-9, 1-2 AAC) is coming off a 70-63 road win at UAB on Saturday, snapping a three-game skid. Wichita State (3-14, 0-3) has lost five straight, most recently an 83-56 home defeat to East Carolina.

The Owls will rely on forward Vivian Onugha, who provided a major spark off the bench against UAB with 15 points in just 15 minutes. Her efficiency has been a bright spot; she scored 18 points in 22 minutes in a loss to Florida International last month.

For the Shockers, guard Treasure Thompson has been a workhorse, averaging 37 minutes in a narrow loss to Tulane on Jan. 3, where she posted 10 rebounds and seven points. She led the team with 12 points in the loss to East Carolina. Finding consistent scoring support around her remains a challenge for a team averaging just 56.6 points per game during its current losing streak.

Florida Atlantic’s conference win, coupled with home-court advantage, makes them a favorite. The Owls have shown an ability to win close games, evidenced by an overtime victory against Wright State and a three-point road win at Florida International this season.

Wichita State’s last victory came on Dec. 16 against Oral Roberts. To break its streak, it must improve an offense that has failed to reach 60 points in four of its last five games.

This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the programs this season. They are slated to meet again in Wichita on Feb. 10.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST Tuesday.