Box Score WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State won their 18th consecutive season opener and their seventh in a row under head coach Gregg Marshall defeating Emporia State, 93-50, Sat. afternoon in Charles Koch Arena.
Cleanthony Early led a trio of Shockers in double digits with 21 points. Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker added 12 and 17 points, respectively. VanVleet collected a team-high six rebounds in the victory.
Emporia State (0-1, 0-0) kept it close in the first few minutes of the game, scoring the first basket at the 19:47 mark. Wichita State (1-0, 0-0) went on a 7-2 run VanVleet made a layup at the 16:10 mark to spark a 7-2 run over the next five minutes to give the Shockers a 15-8 lead.
Derail Green got his first points as a Shocker at the 6:07 mark of the first half with a three on the top of the key, extending the Wichita State lead, 31-17. Green's three would spark an 18-6 run going into halftime and giving the Shockers a 49-26 advantage.
Wichita State forced 13 first half turnovers and held the Hornets to 47 percent (11-for-23) from the field and 22 percent (2-for-9) from behind the arc.
Tekele Cotton provided the highlight of the afternoon with a steal and dunk at the 7:42 mark to extend the Wichita State lead, 77-42.
Zach Bush cashed in his first points in a Shocker uniform with a three in the corner at the 3:06 mark, adding to an 11-0 run giving Wichita State an 88-45 advantage.
The Shockers held Emporia State to 36 percent (19-for-52) from the field and 22 percent (4-for-18) from three-point range. Wichita State forced 23 turnovers and blocked six shots in the victory.
The Shockers are next in action when they host Western Kentucky Monday night at 11:59 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.
-WICHITA STATE-
