The RoundHouse | 11/9/2021 10:22:00 PM

 
The tape measure says Tuesday's game-winning shot came from 31 feet, 9 inches. Also accurately, it came from years of practice in gyms in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, Wichita and others around the country.
 
It came from moments such as Tuesday afternoon, when Wichita State guard Tyson Etienne returned to the court after shoot-around to get in a few more shots with former Shocker student manager Conner Shank. It came from Etienne's inspiration to put in the work to emulate Portland's Damien Lillard, his favorite NBA player.
 
The shot came from 31 feet, 9 inches, right in the middle of a shock of wheat hair in the Shocker logo. It also came from a lifetime of devotion to the sport and the behind-the-scenes grind it takes to build the confidence and earn the credit to take that shot.
 
Etienne's three-pointer with two seconds to play gave Wichita State a 60-57 win over Jacksonville State at Koch Arena. He saved the Shockers from a poor shooting night against an experienced, feisty Gamecocks team that led for 27 minutes, 7 seconds.
 
"I put myself in that position every day," Etienne said. "I was confident that I made it, because I've made it so many times. I could have gone to the rim, but I felt like me shooting that shot would be the same as getting to the rim."
 
 

TYSON ETIENNE CALLED GAME FROM THE LOGO 🎯

(via @GoShockersMBB)
pic.twitter.com/BAnj9bJ4WM

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) November 10, 2021

The shot will attract a lot of attention for its boldness, but his teammates consider that distance very much in Etienne's normal routine.
 
"I've probably seen that shot 100 times," said teammate Dexter Dennis.
 
"That's what he works on," center Kenny Pohto said. "I know he can make it."
 
Coach Isaac Brown admitted he might have preferred a drive to the basket. Etienne has earned the right to shoot that shot.
 
"He's one of those guys," Brown said. "Everything he does in a game, he does in practice. I've seen it a lot."
 
The Shockers will celebrate Etienne's heroics until practice. Then it is time to work on the things that put them in a precarious position. They shot 4 of 22 from three-point range. Their offensive execution suffered through much of the first half as they played in too much of a hurry. While they only had 11 turnovers, they seemed to come at crucial times.
 
"In the second half, we started to execute," Brown said. "Once we started to execute, we were able to score."
 
The Shockers expected a significant challenge from Jacksonville State, which returns all its starters from a team that went 18-9 last season. Etienne scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half. He scored seven of Wichita State's final nine points in the final 1:47 to pull the Shockers out of a 53-51 hole. Dennis scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half.
 
To avoid the upset, the Shockers made 12 of 14 foul shots, an important stat for a team that gets to the line often and shot 68 percent last season. Wichita State forced 17 turnovers and scored 15 points off those errors. It handed in an encouraging performance on the glass – another problem area – by scoring 15 second-chance points and holding the Gamecocks to four on 10 offensive rebounds.
 
"It definitely was deep competition," Etienne said. "I'm just glad we were able to stay together. Everybody stayed focused at halftime."

That focus extended to the bench, which played an important role. Brown was able to shuffle through Shockers and find contributors when others struggled.
 
An upset stomach kept Pohto, a freshman, from shootaround. He returned to the arena about 15 minutes before the game after a negative COVID-19 test and gave the Shockers eight points, two dunks, and solid defense. Craig Porter Jr., came off the bench to steady the offense, grab seven rebounds and block a shot.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.