The RoundHouse | 3/8/2020 7:09:00 PM

 
 
Wichita State needed a second look at Tulsa and its changing defenses. Another look, a little practice and video study and the variety of zones with a little man-to-man thrown in for confusion's sake seems more vulnerable.
 
"You're not blinded by their defense," Wichita State guard Jamarius Burton said. "We did a great job in the film room, analyzing and seeing where we are at our best at. That's when we get the ball in the paint, dive and cut. We did that and we made shots."
 
At Tulsa, the Shockers never found a rhythm against those defenses and endured a miserable shooting night in a three-point loss.  
 
On Sunday, the Shockers solved that shape-shifting approach by making shots. They created those good shots by breaking down Tulsa's zone with penetration, good passing and a decisive attack that relied on movement. There were few possessions that seemed stagnant and ended up with the Shockers fighting the shot clock.
 
Wichita State defeated Tulsa 79-57 at Koch Arena to wrap up fourth place in the American Athletic Conference. The Shockers (23-8, 11-7 American) play either fifth-seeded UConn or 12^th-seeded Tulane at 2 p.m. Friday (ESPN2) at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
 
Fourth place equals a bye, which means the Shockers need three wins – not four – to win the American's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Shockers denied Tulsa (21-10, 13-5) sole ownership of the American title. The Hurricane tied Cincinnati and Houston for first place and fell to the third seed due to tiebreakers. 
 
Wichita State, after shooting 6-of-31 from three-point range in the 54-51 loss to Tulsa in February, made 11 of 28 threes on Sunday and shot 47.4 percent from the field. Guard Erik Stevenson scored 18 points, 15 in the second half. Burton added 14 and center Jaime Echenique 13 and seven rebounds on his senior day.
 
"We knew we had to get inside that zone," forward Trey Wade said. "We stayed aggressive and we got buckets."
 
Wichita State defeated Tulsa for the eighth consecutive time in Wichita. 
 
Echenique is the vocal leader, organizer and goal-tender of Wichita State's defense. All season, his teammates credited him for cleaning up their mistakes and serving as the last line of defense.
 
 

Thank you, Jaime.@jaimeechenique x #WatchUs pic.twitter.com/4kYaGPG9ea

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) March 8, 2020

 
 
On Sunday, he blocked Tulsa's first shot and stole a pass on Tulsa's third possession. He blocked another shot and the Shockers led 9-3 and never lost the lead. Tulsa, outside of 12-0 run in the second half, spent the game taking contested shots and dribbling into traffic. 
 
The Hurricane made 17 shots (50 attempts) and committed 15 turnovers. After outscoring Wichita State at the line by 10 points in Tulsa, the Hurricane outscored the Shockers by two in the rematch.
 
"We didn't execute offensively, at all," Tulsa coach Frank Haith said. "We took a lot of tough shots, which played into their hands."
 
Before the game, Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall told the Shockers beating Tulsa was worth two wins, because it earned them a bye in the conference tournament. The Shockers took those stakes – and their NCAA Tournament resume - seriously and started the game up 9-0 and 19-7. 
 
"We knew how important this game was for positioning in the tournament," Echenique said. "And hopes are still alive for the big dance, so we're just going to keep working."
 
Echenique kissed the floor at center court when he exited to an ovation. After the game, he took the customary senior bows, took home a framed jersey and watched a highlight video on the big screen.
 
"It's not easy to leave a place you love so much," Echenique said. "It's a great environment and I will really try to hold onto it."
 
He accomplished a lot in two seasons, progressing from a junior-college transfer to a team leader. The Shockers – with 10 underclassmen – remain in transition after the 2018 season and the departure of a large senior class, plus guard Landry Shamet to the NBA.
 
Echenique took over Markis McDuffie's role as the experienced Shocker who helped teammates – all while he was still learning himself.
 
"We relied on him a lot," forward Dexter Dennis said. "He makes up for a lot of our mistakes. We're thankful we have him and we want to use him as much as we can."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.