Game Notes: Wichita State (PDF) | Loyola (PDF)

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rv/rv WICHITA STATE (21-7, 14-2 MVC) at LOYOLA CHICAGO (14-14, 7-9 MVC)
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016  |  8 p.m. CT
Chicago, Ill. / Gentile Arena

Telecast --
On Air: Cox Channel Kansas (Cox HD 2022)
Time Warner SportsChannel (Kansas City)
Streaming*: ESPN3 (Link)
Announcers: Bruce Haertl & Shane Dennis
* - ESPN3 will carry the Loyola feed outside of the Cox Channel Kansas and Time Warner SportsChannel viewing areas

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

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

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OPENING TIPS

Scene Setter // Its third-consecutive MVC title now in hand, Wichita State (21-7, 14-2) looks to solidify its NCAA at-large chances with a challenging two-game stretch to close out the regular season. Wednesday evening, the Shockers face a streaking Loyola (14-14, 7-9) team that has won four of its last five games, before returning home for a Saturday date with Illinois State (17-12, 11-5).
 
The Series // WSU defeated Loyola on Jan. 27, 80-54, led by big men Shaquille Morris (12 points, six rebounds, three blocks in 16 minutes) and Rashard Kelly (11 points in 17 minutes). The Shockers have won all five meetings with the Ramblers since Loyola joined the MVC in 2013.
 
What a Week // WSU followed up its worst three-game MVC stretch since 2013 (losses to Illinois State and UNI) with maybe the most dominant three-game run in program history. The Shockers outscored New Mexico State, Missouri State and Indiana State by an average of 31.4 points, finishing the week with a +35 turnover margin. Ten different Shockers combined to produce 30 steals.
 
30's Company // WSU has posted three-straight 30+ point wins only two other times in school history: In December of 2011, the Shockers hammered Chicago State (+50), Newman (+49) and Bradley (+39). In December of 1975, WSU defeated Wisconsin-Milwaukee (+42), Morningside (+43) and Eastern Michigan (+34) in succession.
 
Margin in Charge // The Shockers' lead the nation in road scoring margin (+14.1). Michigan State (+10.9), Valpo (+10.1) and Saint Joseph's (+10.0) are the only other teams with double-digit totals. The last D-I team to post a road margin higher than 14.0 was Memphis (+16.4, 2008). The Tigers later vacated those wins. St. Joseph's (PA) and Gonzaga finished at 15.2 and 16.1 in 2003-04.
 
Baker's Mix // Ron Baker is the only player in NCAA Division I with 1,500 career points, 70 career blocks and a career 1.50 assist:turnover ratio.  He's at 1,532, 74 blocks and 1.92 A:TO.  Only six others have reached those plateaus in the past 20 seasons.
 
Homecoming King // Fred VanVleet grew up less than 100 miles from Loyola's Gentile Arena, and the Rockford, Ill. native's annual stop in Chicago has become something of a homecoming, with a large contingent of friends and family on hand. In two previous trips, VanVleet has put on a show for them. He's yet to miss to a field goal attempt in the building (11-for-11) and - were it not for a missed free throw attempt in the final seconds of last year's game - would also be perfect at the stripe (13-of-14). In two Shocker wins at Loyola, VanVleet has averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals with a 5.33 assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
Good at Greedy // WSU now leads the nation in turnover margin (+5.9). The Shockers have finished with double-digit margins in six different games this year, including Sunday's win over Indiana State in which they committed just four turnovers and forced 14.
 
Stop-A-Shot // WSU has held its opponent under 40% from the field in all eight of its MVC road games this year. The hosts have been especially icy in the Shockers' three February road dates at a combined .280.
 
Successful Business Trips // WSU has taken it up a notch in 2015-16 with seven double-digit road wins. Four of those set new program records for the Shockers largest margin of victory at a particular road site. Last Tuesday's 74-48 win at Drake was WSU's most lopsided in 71 visits to Des Moines, dating back to 1937. Likewise, the Shockers' 74-55 (+19) triumph at Northern Iowa was their biggest in Cedar Falls, and their 83-58 victory at Southern Illinois was their best effort in Carbondale.
 
Best Since January 1 // WSU's defense has played at an elite level for most of the year but that's especially true of the past two months. Since Jan. 1, the Shockers lead the nation in scoring defense (56.6) and field goal percentage defense (.359). They also boast the top road scoring margin during that span (+19.3).
 
30-more-30 // This is the 14th time that WSU has taken back-to-back games by 30+ but the first time that they've done it against two MVC teams... WSU has won 22 MVC games (plus one MVC Tournament contest) by 30 or more. Eight of those have come in the last five seasons. That includes three in 2015-16, an achievement matched by only the 1961-62 Shockers.
 
Milestone Watch // Shocker seniors Baker and VanVleet continue to progress on the all-time lists:
 
601 --- Career assists total for VanVleet, WSU's all-time leader in that category. He became the eighth player in MVC history reach that milestone in the Feb. 21 win at Indiana State and also jumped from ninth into a tie for seventh on the Valley list. He's chasing a pair of Sycamores now for sixth (Jake Odum, 603) and fifth (Steve Reed, 616).
 
14 –- Points needed by Baker to pass Greg Carney for sole possession of 10^th place on WSU's all-time scoring list. He heads into Wednesday with 1,532 – 75^th on the MVC all-time list. He's on pace to finish in the top-60.
 
156 –- Career steals for Baker – tied with former teammate Tekele Cotton for fourth on WSU's all-time list.
 
211 – Steals for VanVleet – 11 shy of Jason Perez's school record. Reaching that mark would also put him in the MVC's career top-10.
 
2 --- MVC wins needed by VanVleet to become the conference's new career leader. He enters the week with 61 over four years.
 
A Shocker Win Would //... improve their overall record to 22-7.... give them 15 MVC wins for the fourth time in five seasons... improve them to 6-0 against Loyola since the Ramblers joined the MVC (WSU is the only team that Loyola has not beaten in its three seasons in the conference)... give them at least a share of the MVC regular season title (or the outright title, pending Illinois State's Saturday result)... improve WSU to 14-2 in MVC play... be their eighth-straight over Loyola and their fourth-straight against the Ramblers in Chicago, dating back to 1976...up their February record to 5-2.
 
A Shocker Loss Would //...drop them to 21-8 and give them their third MVC loss.... snap Loyola's seven-game losing streak against WSU... be Loyola's first MVC-era win over the Shockers, giving them at least one victory against each of the other nine schools... be less good than a win.
 
Up Next // The Shockers close out the 2015-16 regular season at home against Illinois State this Saturday (1 p.m. CT on ESPN2). Ron Baker, Anton Grady, Fred VanVleet, Bush Wamukota and Evan Wessel will all be honored during Senior Day festivities.