WICHITA, Kan. – Â
Jaime Echenique and
Dexter Dennis scored 17 points each for Wichita State, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with high-octane Memphis in an 88-85 setback at Charles Koch Arena.
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In a game of runs, Wichita State (13-13, 6-8 American) let a 16-point first-half lead slip away, then rallied from down 13 in the final eight minutes of the second half.
Markis McDuffie's three-pointer tied the game at 75 with 4:05 to go, but the Shockers couldn't generate enough defensive stops down the stretch.
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Memphis (17-11, 9-6) shook off a 4-of-24 shooting start by hitting 24 of its last 37 attempts over the final 28 minutes. The Tigers shot 61.5 percent (6-of-12 from three) in a 52-point second half. Their 88-point effort was the best by a visiting team at Charles Koch Arena in the Marshall Era.
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Echenique notched his third double-double of the year for WSU and finished with a career-high 12 rebounds. Dennis hit 5-of-7 three-point attempts.
Markis McDuffie (15 points) was 3-of-5.
Jamarius Burton added 10 points and dished out nine assists in just 19 minutes of action before fouling out with 2:22 to go.
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Jeremiah Martin scored 37 points for Memphis on 9-of-19 shooting. He was 5-of-8 from three and sank all 14 of his free throw attempts. Raynere Thornton added 16 points and nine rebounds to go with 14 points, six boards for Kareem Brewton.
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Memphis outscored WSU at the foul line, 24-11, helped by Martin's 14 freebies. WSU shot 45.7 percent and connected on 10-of-26 three-point attempts (.385). The teams were even in both rebounds (37-37) and turnovers (nine-each).
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WSU built a 24-8 lead at the 10:30-mark of the first half. Seven different Shockers contributed field goals.
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The Tigers missed 14-straight shots early in the first half but made 8-of-11 to pull within 40-36 at halftime. They surged in front shortly after, sinking nine-in-a-row over one stretch.
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Martin scored just eight first-half points on 1-of-8 shooting but exploded for 14 points during an 18-3 push. His three-pointer at the 8:11-mark made it a 68-55 Memphis lead.
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The Shockers sank their next eight shots to make a game of it. McDuffie hit three triples over the next four minutes and change – the last tied the game at 75 with 4:05 to go.
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Raynere Thornton dunked twice for Memphis to quiet the sellout crowd, and a pair of Martin free throws capped a well-timed 6-0 run for the visitors.
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The Shockers scored on their next three possessions. Echenique nailed two free throws and Stevenson added a reverse layup and a three-pointer. The latter pulled WSU to within a pair, 84-82, with 42 seconds showing on the clock.
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WSU fouled Martin, who sank two free throws for a two-possession lead. Martin was 8-for-8 over the last 5:00.
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NOTABLE:
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Jaime Echenique blocked a shot for the 11
th-consecutive game – tied for the fourth longest Shocker streak since 1980.
***McDuffie passed Paul Miller and Ron Harris for 18
th on WSU's career scoring list. His 1,325 points are just two shy of J.T. Durley for 17
th.
***McDuffie (138 career three-pointers) now has sole possession of 12
th-place on WSU's career triples list. He needs two more to catch Ryan Herrs for 11
th and three more to crack the top-10.
***Three days after banking the first 10 assist game by a Shocker freshman in 46 years, Burton added another nine assist game. He finishes out the week with a 19:4 assist-to-turnover ratio.
***Dennis is 15-of-24 from three over his last three games.
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Gregg Marshall is still in search of his 300
th Shocker win. He's 299-111 in 12 seasons at WSU.
***The loss was just the seventh by a Shocker team in the last six years at Charles Koch Arena (80-7).
***Memphis now leads the all-time series 12-11. The Tigers are 4-7 in Wichita. This was their first visit since 1976.
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UP NEXT:
WSU hosts UConn for an early 6 p.m. CT tip. The game will air nationally on ESPN2. Tickets are still available, including $15 general admission seats, through the Shocker Ticket Office (316-978-FANS) or online at goshockers.com/Tickets.
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