SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Ron Baker scored 21 points – 17 in the second half – and dished out six assists to help No. 11 Wichita State pull away from Memphis, 71-56, Tuesday afternoon at the Sanford Pentagon.

The Shockers' defensive pressure rattled Memphis into 24 turnovers. Fred VanVleet followed up a seven-steal performance in last Friday's season opener with four more against Memphis and also chipped in 15 points.

On a day where the high temperatures in Sioux Falls topped out in the low 20's, WSU (2-0) overcame a chilly shooting start. The Shockers missed 19 of their first 24 shots from the field but recovered to make 19 of the next 29.

That keyed a 36-19 lead that spanned halftime and helped balloon the Shocker lead to as many as 23 points midway through the second half.

Baker was scoreless with just under two minutes left in the first half before sparking the Shockers down the stretch. He made 6-of-15 shots from the field, including 2-of-6 from three and 7-of-8 at the foul line.

VanVleet tallied three assists without a turnover, going 5-of-14 from the field. Darius Carter (12 points) and Tekele Cotton (10) also finished in double figures.

As a team, WSU shot 40.3 percent to 40.8 percent for Memphis. The Shockers won the battle of the boards, 38-36, with Bakers' five leading the way.

The Shockers faced their first deficit of the year when Shaq Goodwin scored the games first points for Memphis. WSU's defense responded, forcing Tiger turnovers on three straight possessions. 

Darius Carter converted them into three buckets on the other end – putting back a Baker miss, throwing down a back-door alley oop from VanVleet, then posting up for a score and a 6-2 Shocker lead.

WSU cranked up the defensive pressure over a four minutes stretch, holding Memphis scoreless while forcing three more turnovers. 

With the Tigers in transition, Baker stole a pass near midcourt and fed ahead to Cotton for a slam. Memphis traveled two possessions later, and the Shockers again took advantage. VanVleet's drive and score stretched the lead to 10-4 at the 11:56 mark.

Memphis broke its scoring spell, but a long drought without a field goal stretched to nearly eight minutes. WSU was unable to take full advantage, thanks to an ugly 5-for-24 shooting performance over the game's first 15 minutes.

Nick King connected on the Tigers' first field goal (on a goal tending call), and Burrell scored back-to-back buckets to slice the WSU lead to 13-12 with just over five minutes remaining in the half.

WSU's shook out of its own shooting funk after going from the 12:01to the 4:44 mark without a field goal. VanVleet asserted himself with a pair of driving layups on consecutive possessions. 

Cotton then cleared a rebound on the defensive end and pushed ahead for one of the game's prettiest plays, working a give-and-go to Baker in transitions and finishing the sequence with an alley oop dunk and a 19-14 WSU edge.

After just six points over the first 11 minutes, Memphis collected 15 over the next seven minutes to draw as close as 21-19.

Carter scored two key WSU baskets to help stem the tide, wheeling in the lane to clear space for a 10-foot jumper. He buried another guarded jumper from the baseline moments later to make it 23-19.

Carter picked up his second foul of the half on the other end, forcing him to the bench, but his teammates picked up the slack.

Morris sank two free throws. After missing his first five from the field, Baker found his offense at a key moment, with field goals on back-to-back trips. His transition take with 44 seconds helped WSU take a 29-22 lead into the locker room.

Carter finished the half with 10 points. His 11 first half attempts were one more than his previous single-game career high (10 vs. New Mexico State in the opener).

WSU forced 11 first half turnovers from the Tigers.

Cotton provided some early second half energy with his third dunk of the night (and sixth of the year), elevating over a defender in the lane.

Less than a minute later, Baker connected on the Shockers' first three pointer of the year (ending a team-wide dry spell of nearly 64 minutes without a trey to start the year). That gave the Shockers their biggest lead of the night to that point, 38-29.

WSU ran off six more points without a Memphis answer, drawing strength from another hustle sequence.

Baker forced a steal and pushed ahead drawing a goal tending call when a Memphis defender attempted to pin his layup against the backboard. 

The Shockers turned the pressure up even higher, with VanVleet trapping and stealing in the corner. Wessel kept the ensuing possession alive with an offensive board and Cotton finished with a jumper in the lane to make it 44-29.

Baker's first three opened up the floodgates for WSU's long range shooters. Baker knocked down another from the wing to stretch the lead to 14, and VanVleet's triple with 11:35 to go made it a 52-35 margin.

WSU added its fifth dunk of the day. VanVleet collected another steal with full court pressure and fed Kelly for an open flush.

After opening the game 5 of 25, the Shockers would connect on 19 of their next 29.

Holland knocked down his first collegiate trey to make it 60-40. Baker's sixth assist of the day led to WSU dunk no. 6, with Morris finishing for 62-42 lead with under eight minutes to go.

Junior transfer Tevin Glass and freshman Zach Brown checked in for their first action as Shockers at the 6:14 mark with margin at 23 points. 

WSU returns to action Sunday against Newman at 2 p.m. at Charles Koch Arena, Home of Devlin Court.