The RoundHouse | 2/23/2019 11:04:00 PM

 
Wichita State did almost everything right during the first 13 minutes of Saturday's game against Memphis at Koch Arena.
 
The Shockers forced Memphis to call a timeout less than four minutes into the game, led by as many as 16 points and by 13 with 6:47 remaining in the half.
 
Then that edge fell away little by little in Memphis' 88-85 win. The Shockers fouled too much, took a few bad shots and even their rare turnovers hurt. They made the mistakes – big and small, obvious and noticed only on video – that they can't make against a team that starts five seniors.
 
"The bugaboo of not playing very smart got us," Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. "We've got to a better job, get them better, playing smarter, playing better. And that's on me."
 
The most painful mistakes came late in the game when the Shockers (13-13, 6-8 American Athletic Conference) tried to complete a rally from down 13. They cut the lead to 77-75 and then committed two turnovers – one by freshman Dexter Dennis and one by junior Ricky Torres – before missing two difficult shots. That sequence allowed the Tigers to expand their lead to 81-75. 
 
Freshman guard Erik Stevenson fouled Memphis guard Jeremiah Martin near half-court with 31 seconds to play and the Shockers down 84-82. Martin made two free throws to extend the lead to 86-82. 
 
Marshall's immediate calculation was 20-30 mistakes throughout the game.
 
"We showed we can play pretty well in stretches," Marshall said. "We've got to be smarter. Some of our fouls are just really dumb. I've got to get them better."
 
Memphis (17-11, 9-6) outscored the Shockers 24-11 at the foul line. Martin scored 37 points and made all 14 of his foul shots. After he passed out of two driving opportunities early in the game – resulting in missed shots – Memphis coach Penny Hardaway told him to get more aggressive. Martin did and his ability to get to the basket and draw fouls gave the Tigers a decisive edge.
 
"He got real confident," Wichita State senior Markis McDuffie said. "He just kept attacking us."
 
It's worth remembering those first 13 minutes. The Shockers ran their offense crisply, made shots and looked like the more mature, confident team. The Tigers responded with bad shots. The Shockers led 24-8 and 30-17 before Memphis steadied itself. The Tigers didn't fold and Martin and fellow senior Kareem Brewton started bringing them back.
 
The roar in Koch Arena reminded Hardaway of his NBA days. 
 
"It was a playoff atmosphere," he said. "We wanted to see how tough we really were."
 
Dennis continued to his February surge with another standout game. He scored 17 points and made 5 of 7 three-pointers. In his past three games, he is averaging 16.3 points and is 15 of 24 from three-point range. He continues to take some of Wichita State's toughest defensive challenges.
 
"It's just a confidence thing," Dennis said. "I believe when I shoot it, it's going in every time."
 
Hardaway looked at Saturday's game as pivotal one for the AAC standings. 
 
Memphis remains in the running for a top-four finish. It has three games remaining and faces two teams above it in the standings, Temple and Cincinnati.
 
"When you win these type of games, it gets your psyche right," Hardaway said.
 
Wichita State's schedule is easier, all four games against teams below it in the standings. The Shockers still have a chance to finish in the upper half after taking advantage of a lighter schedule in February. They won five of six entering Saturday. They are 1-7 against the teams ahead of them in the standings.
 
"We're better," Marshall said. "I don't know what that means. I knew the schedule had lightened up and we had won a few games. We're way better than we were the first time played Memphis."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.