The RoundHouse | 2/18/2018 2:26:00 PM
By
Paul Suellentrop
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Shockers laid down white towels on the slick floor, showered with water and red Gatorade, to give coach
Gregg Marshall a safe runway for the celebration in the locker room.
Then they waited.
"Don't let him run,"
Rashard Kelly said.
"I'm getting him first, by the door,"
Zach Brown said, moving toward the entry way.
A few minutes later – somebody compared it to waiting to spring the surprise at a birthday party – Marshall ran and yelled, jumping into a mosh pit of happy Shockers and a celebration that drench his yellow shirt.
"I love y'all," he said. "I've never been more proud of a group of guys. The nation's longest winning streak just went down."
Yes, it did. Down it went and so much went up for No. 19 Wichita State after Sunday's 76-72 win at No. 5 Cincinnati at BB&T Arena. Cincinnati's nation-best 39-game home win streak ended.
It is Wichita State's first win over a top-five team on the road since 1964 vs. Loyola in Chicago. The Shockers chopped Cincinnati's lead in the American Athletic Conference to one game. They will rise in the national polls on Monday and, more importantly, picked up a top-shelf RPI win (Cincinnati was No. 8) that will help their NCAA Tournament seed.
The Shockers performed their traditional celebration cheer and the "Are we moving up?" line applied as it rarely has before.
The Shockers sliced up one of the nation's best defensive teams for 76 points, 20 more than the Bearcats allow on average. They made 52 percent of their shots, highest percentage allowed by Cincinnati this season.
Wichita State took advantage of Cincinnati's pressure, switch-heavy defense by giving guard
Landry Shamet instructions to take advantage of those switches and mismatches. He scored 19 points, 16 in the first half, and provided one of the strong offensive performances the Shockers absolutely had to have.
Cincinnati's Jarron Cumberland picked up his third foul early in the second half, called for charging into Shamet. He went to the bench and Cincinnati's offense slumped. The Bearcats started the half with four turnovers and the Shockers jumped to a 49-40 lead with a 7-0 run.
From there, the Shockers showed outstanding composure by answering rallies. The Bearcats cut the lead to 51-46 and the Shockers responded with a putback by Morris and quickly extended the lead to 56-46.
When the Shockers handled Cincinnati's press, they often pushed forward for good shots. Their half-court offense ran smoothly, largely because of
Landry Shamet's shooting. He scored 16 first-half points and made 5 of 8 shots. The Shockers made 5 of 9 threes in the half and outscored the Bearcats 9-8 at the line.
Wichita State's nine turnovers, however, limited their lead. The Bearcats scored 11 points off those turnovers, each one an invitation for the capacity crowd to roar.
Postcard from Cincinnati
One of the oddities of Wichita State's first run through the American Athletic Conference is that it will play two of its biggest games – Houston and Cincinnati – at temporary homes.
Both schools are renovating/rebuilding and play off-campus this season. So the Shocker will visit both cities without seeing much or any of the campus.
In Cincinnati, the schools tore out the interior of Fifth Third Arena to build a new seating bowl, in addition to many other renovations, as part of an $87-million project. The Bearcats play in 9,400-seat BB&T Arena, on the campus of Northern Kentucky University.
Cincinnati's move to the American from the Big East has been smoother than several former Big East schools, most notably UConn. The Bearcats have won 20 or more games in eight straight seasons and will make their seventh straight NCAA appearance in March, all under coach Mick Cronin. Cronin coached the Bearcats for seven Big East seasons before the school joined the American in 2013-14.
Like several American schools, Cincinnati fights for attention in a pro town. The Reds and Bengals compete for fans and corporate dollars. Crosstown rival Xavier (now a member of the Big East) adds to the scene.
Cronin's success makes Cincinnati a constant national presence and conference power. His goal is long run in the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2012 and not since. They are 2-5 in the NCAAs the past five seasons. Like Wichita State, Cincinnati has not been satisfied with its seeding or geographic placement in recent seasons.
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
