Men's Basketball | 1/12/2019 9:58:00 PM
The game turned during a 14-0 run early in the second half in which Houston guards Corey Davis Jr. and Armoni Brooks combined to make three three-pointers.
That sparked the 17th-ranked Cougars on their way to a 79-70 win at Fertitta Center, their 29th straight at home. The Shockers (7-8, 0-3 American Athletic Conference) will again have to take satisfaction from small improvement that didn't add up to a victory. They lost their fourth straight game and face a homestand against UCF and Cincinnati.
The Cougars (16-1, 3-1) are a more experienced and more physical team. Houston survived poor shooting in the first half by rebounding to make 7 of 14 threes in the second half.
Wichita State failed to hold a halftime lead as the mistakes and missed shots piled up in the second half. The Shockers are still a few good minutes away from winning on the road against a strong opponent.
Foul shots helped keep the Shockers close – they made 19 points at the line and show more willingness to drive to the basket. They grabbed 12 offensive rebounds against a team that prides itself on toughness. Houston out-rebounded WSU 34-33.
The lack of scoring from center Jaime Echenique hurt in the second half. He played a mere 15 minutes before fouling out and isn't moving as well as he did earlier in the season, before a foot injury slowed him. He scored five points on three shots and the Shockers must get more from him.
The Shockers played with the necessary energy and focus on defense in the first half. Add in balanced scoring, good execution with their motion offense and a reasonable number of turnovers and the 38-33 lead represented some of their strongest recent work.
Houston missed 9 of 11 threes in the first half and committed eight turnovers, leading to eight Wichita State points. The Shockers gave up too many transition points off turnovers early in the game. When they settled down, Houston's offense slowed due to lack of easy opportunities.
Rod Brown scored five points and Erik Stevenson made his first three since the Southern Mississippi game on Dec. 15.
Wichita State needs to play low-mistake, patient basketball with consistent effort on defense. The first 20 minutes on Saturday showed what those elements can produce on the scoreboard.
CBS Sports Network analyst Pete Gillen started the broadcast by asking for more consistency from Shocker senior Markis McDuffie.
It is hard to ask for much more from McDuffie, who has set a great example with his effort and hustle on defense. He is losing more than he is used to and playing with inexperienced teammates. Those issues haven't affected him on defense.
He is doing all that while carrying the Shockers on offense. If McDuffie is inconsistent, it's a product of his situation, not his efforts.
McDuffie finished with 22 points, moving into 32nd place on Wichita State's career scoring list with 1,043 points.
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
