Game Notes: Wichita State (PDF) | Northern Iowa (PDF)

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NORTHERN IOWA (15-11, 7-6 MVC) at #25/24 WICHITA STATE (18-6, 12-1 MVC)
Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016  |  11 a.m. CT
Wichita, Kan. / Charles Koch Arena

Telecast --
On Air: ESPN2
Streaming: WatchESPN/ESPN3 (Link)
Announcers: Rich Hollenberg & Mark Adams

Radio --
On Air: KEYN 103.7 FM
Online: goshockers.com/watch
Announcers: Mike Kennedy & Dave Dahl

 Live Stats --
www.shockerstats.com (Link)

Social Media ---
Twitter: @GoShockers, @GoShockersLive
Facebook: facebook.com/WichitaStateUniversityAthletics
Instagram: instagram.com/goshockers
Exposure: goshockers.exposure.co
 

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Scene Setter // No. 25/24 Wichita State (16-6, 12-1 MVC) takes on a resurgent Northern Iowa, Saturday morning on ESPN2. The Panthers (15-11, 7-6 MVC) have won five-straight after a slow start to conference play.
 
On the Rebound // After two lackluster efforts on the boards last week against SIU (-17 margin) and Illinois State (-11), the latter of which led to WSU's first MVC loss of the year, Gregg Marshall spent three days harping on rebounding. It paid off with 13 Shockers pitching in to snag 39 caroms in a +9 effort. WSU's 26-point win was its most lopsided in its 71 trips to Des Moines.
 
Closing In // WSU has reached the 12-win mark in conference play for the seventh-straight year and is two wins away (with five to play) from clinching at least a share of a third-consecutive MVC title. WSU enters the day three games up on Illinois State, which won a head-to-head battle with Evansivlle Thursday night for sole possession of second-place.
 
Series Snapshot // The Shockers have won back-to-back games to even the all-time series with UNI at 26-each. In the Panthers' last visit to Wichita on the final day of the 2015 regular season, then then-No. 11 WSU upended No. 10 UNI in a winner-take-all battle for the MVC crown. The Shockers followed it up last month with a 19-point win in Cedar Falls.
 
Home Run //  A Saturday triumph would continue the nation's longest home winning streak (currently at 43) and tie a school record for most consecutive regular season Valley home victories. The 1982-85 Shockers won 25-straight.
 
Milestones //  Ron Baker seeks his 100th win as a Shocker. WSU is 99-14 when he appears in the boxscore. Baker would be the fifth WSU player to reach the century mark, joining current teammates Wessel (101-11) and VanVleet (112-18).
 
Stop-A-Shot // WSU has held each of its last two oppponents to less than 30 percent from the field. Drake shot 25% on Tuesday, three days after ILS made just 27.3%. The Shockers have kept five-straight foes (and nine of the last 10) under 40% from the floor.  Only UE (.478, Jan. 6) and BU (.439, Jan. 23) have topped 40% in league play... In MVC games, WSU leads the league in FG% Defense for the fifth-straight year and is on track to post its fourth sub-.400 mark in that span. This year's .352 clip is the best in nine seasons under Marshall.
 
10 --- Times that WSU foes have finished with as many or more turnovers than field goals in the 18 games since Fred VanVleet's return from injury.
8 --- Times it has happened in MVC play (13 GP)
2.63 --- WSU's average margin of field goals allowed vs. turnovers forced - second only to West Virginia on the national list. That average is even better in MVC play (1.38).
 
Beginner's Skill // The Shockers have scored first in 15-straight games... They've come away with a basket on their opening possession in 14 of the last 16 dating back to mid-December... On the flip side, they've generated a defensive stop on their opponent's first trip down the court in 13 of the last 15... Shaquille Morris is 14-3 on opening tips since joining the starting lineup on Dec. 5.
 
Mister Nice Guys // Saturday's game feature's the MVC's top-2 assist artists. Washpun (31st) and VanVleet (33rd) both rank among the national leaders, as well. Washpun dished out nine assists in UNI's Wednesday night win over Missouri State to reclaim the conference lead from VanVleet by a fraction of a point. VanVleet's 3.42 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 14th nationally.
 
Make No Mistake // Sophomore reserve Conner Frankamp - a Kansas transfer who has seen time at the point guard and shooting guard spots since becoming eligible at semester - has comitted just three turnovers in his 298 minutes this year. While he hasn't banked enough assists to appear on any national lists, Frankamp sports a staggering 6.33-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He's been even better in MVC play (14.00-to-1), where he's turned it over just one time in 13 contests.
 
Quiet Contributor // Redshirt senior Evan Wessel's numbers don't jump off the page, but he's been a valuable contributor in other, more subtle ways. Wessel is frequently on stage (he'll play his 2000^th career minute on Saturday, entering the day with 1,992) but rarely in the spotlight (343 points scored in parts of five seasons). His knowledge of the system, constant hustle, and knack for making key plays at key moments have made him a fan favorite, while also endearing him to his head coach.
 
Wessel's style in many ways parallels Gregg Marshall's own playing career. The 6-foot-3 Marshall played 102 games at Randolph Macon, and was known for both his toughness and intensity. While he scored just 433 career points (an average of just over 4.0 ppg) Marshall molded himself into a shutdown defender and helped lead his team to three 20-wins seasons in four years.
 
SERIES NOTES
• WSU has won 8 of the last 10 to even the all-time series at 26-26.
• UNI is 5-7 at Charles Koch Arena since its 2003 renovation. Only SIU (5-8) has as many wins. Creighton (3-7) is the only other with more than two.
• Overall, though, the WSU-UNI series has been as evenly matched as its overall record suggests. There have only been five total streaks of three-or-more games, and neither side has ever won more than four-in-a-row.
• WSU has won three of the last five games at UNI but is just 8-16 all-time.
• The Shockers are looking for just their third regular sweep of UNI in the last 18 years.
• For fans of irrelevant but interesting stat lines: Baker and VanVleet are a combined 40-of-42 at the foul line in their careers vs. UNI. Baker is 20-for-20. VanVleet (20-for-22 missed one attempt as a junior and one in his sophomore season).
 
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
• Picked third in the MVC preseason poll, UNI picked up two of the league's biggest non-conference wins, defeating No. 1 North Carolina in Cedar Falls, 71-67. In December, the Panthers handed No. 5 Iowa State its first loss with a 81-79 neutral court victory.
• UNI sputtered a bit in January with a 2-6 start to conference play but seems to have regained some its early season form, having now won five-straight.
• During their five-game winning streak, the Panthers have diversified, with five players averaging in double-figures. Matt Bohannon (13.6 points) has been the team's leading scorer over that stretch, knocking down 15-of-29 from three (.526).
• UNI has shot 45.1 percent from beyond the arc over this five-game run and are averaging just over nine makes per game.
• Saturday's game is a clash between the MVC's top three-point shooting offense (UNI, .379) and its top three-point defense (WSU, .311).
• UNI rarely goes to its bench, with four starters averaging in double-figures.
 
THE STAKES
A Shocker Win Would...
... improve them to 19-7 (13-1 in conference play)
...give Ron Baker his 100th career victory.
... give the Shockers' their fifth MVC sweep of the year.
... give them just their third sweep of UNI in the last 18 years.
... extend the nation's longest home winning streak to 44 games
...tie a school record for longest MVC regular season home winning streak (25), which would also equal the fifth-longest home stretch in Valley history.
... cut their magic number to clinch a share of the MVC's regular season title to 1, with a chance to claim a share of the title on Sunday, should Illinois State lose its game against Bradley.
 
A Shocker Loss Would...
... drop them to 18-7 (12-2 in conference play).
... be their second in the last three games.
...be just their fourth loss in the last three MVC seasons.
... be less good than a win.
 
UP NEXT
The Shockers continue a three-game homestand on Monday with a makeup date against New Mexico State. The teams were originally schedule to play on Dec. 28, but the game was postponed when NMSU was unable to make the trip due to winter weather. The game tips at 7 p.m. CT on Cox Channel Kansas.
 
Missouri State comes to town next Thursday night for an early 6 p.m. start on CBS Sports Network.