The RoundHouse | 1/17/2019 12:44:00 AM

The Shockers started 0-3 in the American Athletic Conference largely because of iffy play at point guard and a lack of help for seniors Markis McDuffie and Samajae Haynes-Jones.
 
On Wednesday, Wichita State solved those issues to defeat Central Florida 75-67 at Koch Arena to stop a four-game losing streak. The Shockers (8-8, 1-3 AAC) carved up a proud and experienced defensive team with good passing, sharp movement and good shots. They made 27 of 52 shots (51.9 percent) against an opponent that held teams to 38.1 percent over its first 15 games.
 
"We couldn't get a stop," UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said.
 
The Shockers committed three first-half turnovers on their way to a 33-25 lead. They wobbled a bit in the second half, but regained control in the final minutes and never allowed the Knights (13-3, 3-1) to lead.
 
There was much for the Shockers to enjoy and they did, singing their celebration song in the locker room and cranking up the music with Teddy Allen in charge. Coach Gregg Marshall enjoyed it as much as anyone.
 
"Our team had tremendous resolve," he said. "We needed that."
 
The manner in which the Shockers won made it a big night. 
 
They rewarded a boisterous crowd, one that turned out and filled most of the seats for a 9 p.m. tip. They defeated a strong opponent, one picked to win the conference and one that should play in the NCAA Tournament. They did with contributions deep into the roster. They held a lead late in the game. 
 
Marshall hasn't been able to count on much more than two or three in recent games. On Wednesday, almost everybody in the locker room helped in an important way.
 
"It took everything we had," Marshall said. "Everybody in that locker room really, really fought. We finally figured that out."
 
Marshall loved Jamarius Burton's steady game at point guard. Asbjorn Midtgaard scored a career-high six points. Dexter Dennis scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds. Those contributions were especially important in the first half, when McDuffie and Haynes-Jones combined for seven points.
 
"In order for us to win, we need other guys stepping up," Burton said. "I knew in the second half our leaders were going to step up big and they did."
 
Marshall looked at the stat sheet and registered surprise at Burton's three turnovers. That means they weren't all that memorable. They weren't "atomic bombs," the turnovers that immediately hand the opponent layups and dunks. 
 
Burton played 28 minutes with confidence, calmly getting the Shockers into their offense and handling UCF's physical defense. He scored 12 points with four rebounds and one assist. His point guard leaned more toward solid than flashy, just what the Shockers need.
 
"We got our best game from point-guard play in a long while," Marshall said. "His floor game was really good. He had a good rhythm, a good pace."
 
Burton said his good night started with the defensive assignment on UCF senior B.J. Taylor, the preseason conference Player of the Year.
 
"I was matched up with their best player, so for me it was focusing on defense and then when I get it, take care of the basketball and run the show," Burton said. "I was pushing it when the opportunity presented itself. Then slowing it down and taking care of the basketball, make smart passes."
 
The Shockers committed 11 turnovers, fewest since 10 against Oral Roberts. In American play, they committed 16, 21 and 15. 
 
Wichita State needed better point guard play to stop its slide. On Wednesday, Burton gave them just that and the offense showed what it can do with the right direction.  
 
"We were getting in the lane, we were getting nice pull-ups," Marshall said. "Some nice passes for layups." 
 
According to Ken Pomeroy's statistics, the Shockers scored 1.18 points per possession, the highest allowed by UCF this season. Wichita State made 62.2 percent of its two-point shots, also the highest mark allowed by the Knights.
 
McDuffie and Haynes-Jones, after their quiet first halves, served as closers in the second. McDuffie finished with 23 points, 18 in the second half. Haynes-Jones scored 14 points, 12 in the second half.
 
When the Knights made a run, the seniors stopped it with a big basket. McDuffie also made the game's biggest defensive stop, drawing a charging foul to protect a four-point lead with 1:27 to play.
 
 "It's been a hard month," McDuffie said. "So much negative energy inside us. We were just tired of losing."
 
Haynes-Jones made two foul shots for a 67-63 lead with 1:48 to play. His floater made it 71-65 and set off a celebration inside Koch Arena.
 
"I have been working on that all my life," he said. "Just having the confidence to knock that down, it was big for us."
 
With one win, things feel much different for the Shockers with Cincinnati coming to town on Saturday. They proved they can finish off a close win. They reestablished home-court advantage. They showed their incremental improvements can result in a win over one of the top teams in the conference.
 
"That just shows what we're capable of," McDuffie said. "We won tonight and everyone played well."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.