Print edition: 
There was a lot of positive energy built up during the Wichita State women’s basketball team’s 10-game winning streak, which came to a halt in Friday’s loss to Illinois State.
Confidence was gained for a group desperate to prove itself. That foundation wasn’t shaken by Friday’s loss — the Shockers can still hold a one-game lead in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.
But now WSU will be under the microscope, starting today when it hosts Indiana State. The month of February is looming, with five road games against teams currently with .500 or better records in the MVC.
“Unless we grow in February, that streak doesn’t really mean a whole lot as you get to the end,” WSU coach Jody Adams said. “February is a very important month for this team. They know it. We’ve already started talking about it.”
During the winning streak, Wichita State was the conference’s best defense and had the best post duo in Chynna Turner and Jazimen Gordon. Against Illinois State, Adams’ desired defense disappeared and foul trouble removed Turner from ever becoming a factor.
With 6-foot-4 Indiana State senior Shannon Thomas coming to Koch Arena, the pressure to return to form is high.
“We have to reflect,” WSU’s Jessica Diamond said. “We have to make some mental changes and get back to Shocker basketball. We need to focus on us and get back to playing defensive basketball.”
Teams will surely take note of Illinois State’s zone defense that caused WSU fits. Not even a hot streak late in the game saved the Shockers’ field goal percentage (38.9 percent).
“Teams are going to be like that the rest of the way,” WSU senior Haleigh Lankster said. “We got it handed to us first-hand right there. I think every team is going to be like that in the next step. They’re going to try to boss us around offensively, and get up on us.”
How the team responds today and on its upcoming three-game road swing against Creighton, Drake and Missouri State will determine if the Shockers are contenders to win their first conference championship.
“If we don’t play like how Shockers play, then teams are going to come in aggressive and they’re going to want to try to knock us off while we’re up at the top,” Diamond said. “If we don’t show up and play our game, (the rest of the season) will be a different story.”
