WICHITA, Kan. - In a wild game that wasn't decided until the final possession, Wichita State defeated Illinois State, 65-62, in front of 10,078 fans at Charles Koch Arena on Tuesday night.  The Redbirds got within one point four different times in the last three and a half minutes, but the Shockers made free throws and the defense held.

Joe Ragland, who has scored double-figures in 10 of the last 11 games, led Wichita State (13-3, 4-1 MVC) in scoring with 15 points.  Garrett Stutz added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. 

Nic Moore paced Illinois State (11-5, 3-2 MVC) with 23 points, including 6-for-6 from the free throw line.  Jackie Carmichael added nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds for ISU.

Toure' Murry backed Ragland with 14 points, including a 6-for-7 effort from the line.  The Houston, Texas native also scored eight critical points in the final minutes to help the Shockers pull out the narrow victory.

While Murry carried the Shockers, Moore was the primary scorer for the Redbirds with six.  He made two free throws to get ISU back within one, 61-60, with 36.3 seconds left before WSU's Stutz knocked down two free throws to extend WSU's lead to 63-60. 

Two free throws by Murry pushed the Shocks lead to 65-60, but ISU's Tyler Brown was fouled on a three-point attempt on the next procession with 4.3 seconds left, and went to the line for three.  He hit the first two, and seemingly intentionally missed the last. A mad scramble for the rebound ensued, a jump ball was called and WSU was the recipient of the alternate possession.  However, the Shockers turned the ball over, and Illinois State had a chance still down two.  The Shockers' defense forced a bad pass, and Brown stepped out to give the ball back.  Wichita State ran out the clock by throwing the ball deep to preserve the three-point win. 

Earlier in the half, Demetric Williams made a three in front of the WSU bench at the 14:42 mark in the second half to take a 19-point lead and equal its largest lead of the game, 47-28.

WSU squandered that lead as the Redbirds battled back with a 10-1 run to cut the lead to 48-38.  Ben Smith answered the ISU run out of a timeout with a long trey, and WSU forced a turnover on the next procession.

ISU again made a run, this time, 9-0, to cut WSU's lead to one point after a runner by Moore forced another WSU timeout.

To open the game, the Shockers wasted no time as they took a 16-5 lead going into the first media timeout of the game.  Ragland had eight points in that stretch with a layup, three-pointer and a three-point play on a drive to the hoop.

In the first frame, the Redbirds were held to 8-for-26 (30.8) shooting from the field in and were out-rebounded, 24-14, as the Shockers led 38-22.

Ragland was the leading scorer in the first half for WSU with 13 points.

With the win on Tuesday by WSU, ISU still leads the overall series, 36-32, but the Shockers have now won the last five games, and the last four at Koch Arena.

WSU out-rebounded ISU, 36-34, and it has yet to be out-boarded in any game this season. 

Next action for the Shockers will be this Friday, when the Bradley Braves travel to Charles Koch Arena.  The game will start at 7:05 p.m., and can be seen on Kansas 22.  WSU defeated the Braves in their first meeting, 90-51 in Peoria.

-WICHITA STATE-