WICHITA, Kan. – Shaquille Morris scored a team-high 24 points and Wichita State's size and strength won out in a 73-67 exhibition victory, but not before visiting Augusta University made things interesting.
 
The Division II Jaguars hit 9-of-11 three-pointers over a torrid 12-minute stretch to a cut a 22-point WSU lead down to a single point with 4:01 to go.
 
But a Shocker team that averaged nearly three-inches bigger at every position ultimately put their size to work.
 
Morris scored seven of his 24 over the last three-and-a-half minutes, and the Shocker defense held Augusta to just two more points the rest of the way to preserve the win.
 
For the game, WSU outscored Augusta 36-12 in the paint by making 18-of-23 shots from inside. The Shockers shot 50.9 percent overall from the floor and outrebounded the Jaguars 38-27.
 
Morris made 9-of-11 shots and snagged seven rebounds in 21 minutes. Though the total won't stand, it was Morris' first 20-point game as a Shocker. His career regular season high is 17, set last year at Southern Illinois.
 
Landry Shamet added 12 points for WSU and dished out seven assists with just one turnover.
 
A total of 13 Shockers saw action, and 12 of them scored. WSU shot 50.9 percent as a team and out-rebounded the visitors 38-27.
 
Keshun Sherril starred for Augusta, hitting six three-pointers. He scored 28 of his game-high 33 after halftime.
 
WSU ran its preseason exhibition winning streak to 22-games but won by its thinnest margin since a 2001 overtime victory over the EA Sports All-Stars.
 
Nothing about the first 24 minutes of play suggested that this would be the case. The Shockers were in control, improving on a 16-point halftime lead by holding the Jaguars without a field goal for nearly five minutes out of the locker room.
 
Then the shots started falling. Sherrill nailed back-to-back treys and a flurry followed.
 
From the 6:29 to 4:01 mark, Sherrill hit five-straight jumpers. The last – a well-guarded three from the corner – whittled the Shocker lead to a single point, 66-65.
 
Morris stopped the momentum with a three-point play at 3:30. Seconds later, Sherrill finally missed on a long three, drawing roar from the crowd.
 
Augusta would miss its final four attempts from the field and managed just a pair of free throws over the last four minutes.
 
Morris scored the final seven Shocker points, highlighted by a one-handed putback slam with 40 seconds to play that pushed the lead back up to six points.

Notes:
*Morris' 24 points was the highest exhibition output by a Shocker in 10 seasons under Marshall, besting the 23 points scored by Carl Hall against Pittsburg State in 2012. Morris joins Hall, PJ Couisnard (22) and Ron Baker (22) on the list of Marshall Era Shockers who have reached the 20-point mark in preseason play.

*Shamet's 32 minutes also set a new exhibition standard, topping Matt Braeuer's 29 minutes against Pittsburg State in 2007, and his seven assists matched Braeuer's total from the same game.

*Marshall used the exhibition as an opportunity to reward the five players that the staff felt had contributed the most to preseason practices. The result was a one of the larger Shocker lineups in recent memory at an average of 6-foot-7. Landry Shamet (6-4) ran the point with Zach Brown (6-6) at the no. 2 guard. Forwards Markis McDuffie (6-8) and Rashard Kelly (6-7) were joined by center Rauno Nurger (6-10).
 
Up Next:
The Shockers open the regular season next Friday against MEAC preseason runner-up pick South Carolina State (8:30 p.m. CT on Cox HD 2022), kicking off a stretch of three-games in six days. Long Beach State – the favorite in the Big West – appears two nights later (Nov. 13, 7 p.m. CT on Cox HD 2022) followed by Tulsa (Nov. 16, 7 p.m. on ESPN3).