Shocker Radio Postgame: Marshall | Willis

WICHITA, Kan. – Behind Darral Willis Jr.'s double-double and another dominant defensive performance, Wichita State secured its eighth consecutive 25-win season, crushing Northern Iowa, 73-44, Saturday at Charles Koch Arena.
 
WSU (25-4, 15-1 MVC) won a battle of red-hot teams to secure its 10^th straight victory, holding a UNI club that had won nine of its last 10 games to just 18 second-half points.
 
The Shockers led 38-32 at the 16:42-mark but outscored the Panthers 35-12 the rest of the way.
 
WSU shot 43.4 percent to UNI's 27.5 percent and outrebounded the visitors, 48-23.
 
Willis scored nine of his 14 points and grabbed seven of his 11 rebounds in the second half to help fuel the run. His third double-double of the year came in just 19 minutes of action.
 
Landry Shamet shared the scoring lead for WSU with 14 points of his own. He was 4-of-6 from three and dished out four assists with just one turnover.
 
Markis McDuffie added 12 points and seven rebounds, and Rashard Kelly chipped in nine points and seven boards. Conner Frankamp shook off a 2-of-7 shooting performance (1-of-4 from three) to record a team-high five assists.
 
Shamet extended his streak of consecutive games with a three-pointer to 18 (third-longest in WSU history), and Frankamp upped his own streak to 15. The pair now own two of the eight-longest streaks in school history.
 
Spencer Haldeman led UNI with 13 points. The Shockers kept UNI's top four scorers – Jeremy Morgan, Bennett Koch, Jordan Ashton and Klint Carlson -- to a combined 23 points on 7-of-36 shooting (.194).
 
The Shockers swept UNI for only the third time in 19 seasons. The 29-point win was the largest winning margin for either side in 58 meetings and evened the all-time series at 28-apiece.
 
WSU run of eight consecutive 25-win seasons is a Missouri Valley Conference record and one Division I's five-longest active streaks. Undefeated Gonzaga upped its own streak to 10 earlier this month, while VCU (7), Duke (9) and Kansas (11) are all on pace to reach 25 by the end of the month.



A 9-0 run right out of the gates put the Shockers in front 14-4 just over three minutes into the game. Three-pointers from Shamet and McDuffie sandwiched around four points from Morris helped WSU get out to the early lead.

Shamet's corner three then put the Shockers ahead 22-9 with 11:08 remaining in the half. After UNI briefly cut the lead to single digits, Shaquille Morris and Austin Reaves answered back to make it 27-14 with 7:43 to go.

Frankamp cashed in a three from the left corner and McDuffie followed up on the next possession with a turnaround jumper to give WSU its largest lead of the half, 34-18, at the 5:00 mark.

UNI finished the half two of its last 13 from the field and shot just 25 percent overall, as Wichita State took a 38-26 lead into the break. The Shockers missed six of their last seven field goals as well, but still made 46 percent of their attempts.

The Panthers scored the first six points of the second half to trim Wichita State's lead to 38-32, as WSU went nearly four minutes without its first basket. Finally, a Shamet triple and Willis three-point play put WSU back up by double-digits, 44-32.

Northern Iowa once again went cold for a stretch that saw them miss 8-of-9 to let WSU build its lead, 50-34, after a three-point play from McDuffie. On the Shockers' next possession Rashard Kelly hammered home a dunk.

Another Shamet three-pointer all but sealed the win for the Shockers, as WSU led by 20 with seven minutes to play. An 8-0 run spearheaded by Willis put the Shockers ahead 67-39 with 2:30 left.

Zach Bush and Brett Barney put the cherry on top with baskets in the final minute as Wichita State won going away.

Up Next
The Shockers conclude their 2016-17 home schedule Tuesday night when Evansville comes to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on COX Channel Kansas (HD 2022). The game will also mark the final home game for two Shocker seniors, John Robert Simon and Zach Bush – who will be recognized following the game.

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