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Shocks Take Down Sycamores, 61-45

Men's Basketball Wichita State

Shocks Take Down Sycamores, 61-45

Box Score WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita State men's basketball team moved to 7-7 in conference action as the Shockers used a hot hand in the second half to pull away to a 61-45 win over Indiana State (12-12, 5-9) Thursday evening inside Charles Koch Arena.

The Shockers (16-9 overall) were led by Kyle Wilson's game-high 15 points, while PJ Couisnard joined him in double-figures by chipping in 10. Three Sycamores scored in double-figures as Trent Wurtz, Gabe Moore and Harry Marshall each added 10 points for ISU.

WSU shot 53.3 percent from the field in the game, including a 14-for-22 clip in the second half, thanks in part to a 7-for-12 effort from three-point range. Indiana State shot 35 percent from the floor, including a 4-for-19 effort from three-point range, halted by an 11 percent clip in the second half.

Playing without injured point-guard Matt Braeuer, the Shockers started slow, missing their first five shots from the floor as the Sycamores opened the game on a 7-2 run following a Wurtz three-pointer with just under 18 minutes left in the half.

WSU cut the Sycamore lead down to two on three separate occasions over the next 10 minutes and finally took its first lead of the game on a Sean Ogirri three-pointer with seven minutes left in the half, giving the Shockers a 15-14 lead. Scoring was at a premium in the first, as Ogirri's basket ended a seven-plus minute drought for the Shockers from the floor.

A Wurtz layin ended a near three-minute drought for the Sycamores, giving ISU the lead again, 16-15, sparking a back-and-forth exchange over the final six minutes of a half which saw five lead changes between the squads.

Marshall's layin with 4:31 left pushed the Sycamores back out to a 21-17 lead, but a 7-0 run capped by a Phillip Thomasson layin gave the Shockers a 24-21 advantage with just more than a minute left in the first. A Moore three-pointer forced the first tie of the game, but Couisnard's jumper with :12 seconds left in the half secured a 26-24 lead for the Shockers at the break.

The Shockers shot 43.5 percent from the field in the first half, while out-rebounding the Sycamores 22-11.

WSU started the second half by getting hot outside, connecting on three-pointers for each of its first four buckets of the second frame, but the Sycamores got plenty of inside looks to keep the deficit to no more than five points over the first four-plus minutes.

Wilson's 12th point of the night gave the Shockers a 40-36 lead, one that vanished quickly as Indiana State used back-to-back layins from Jay Tunnell to even the game at 40-40, the second tie of the night with just over 14 minutes left in the game.

The Shockers put it away using six points in the paint and three-pointers by Couisnard and Gal Mekel to fuel a 12-0 run that put the Shockers up 52-40 with 9:20 left.

A Moore three with 6:32 left ended a near eight-minute drought for the Sycamores, and the run was all the Shockers needed, extending the lead to as many as 16 down the stretch en route to the 61-45 win.

WSU limited Tunnell to just eight points on the night, his lowest total ever against the Shockers. WSU went 0-for-3 in the second at the line, and shot 43 percent at the stripe for the game, but Indiana State failed to take advantage, managing to score just five points at the line on the night.

The Shockers, winners of four of their last five, are next in action at 2:05 Sunday afternoon against Illinois State inside Charles Koch Arena. Indiana State continues a road swing by traveling to Evansville to take on the Purple Aces at 3:30 p.m., Sunday.




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Players Mentioned

Matt Braeuer

#22 Matt Braeuer

G
5' 11"
Junior
Gal Mekel

#1 Gal Mekel

G
6' 3"
Freshman
Sean Ogirri

#33 Sean Ogirri

G
6' 2"
Junior
Phillip Thomasson

#11 Phillip Thomasson

F
6' 7"
Junior
Kyle Wilson

#32 Kyle Wilson

F
6' 8"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Matt Braeuer

#22 Matt Braeuer

5' 11"
Junior
G
Gal Mekel

#1 Gal Mekel

6' 3"
Freshman
G
Sean Ogirri

#33 Sean Ogirri

6' 2"
Junior
G
Phillip Thomasson

#11 Phillip Thomasson

6' 7"
Junior
F
Kyle Wilson

#32 Kyle Wilson

6' 8"
Senior
F
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