The RoundHouse | 1/29/2024 8:42:00 AM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Wichita State knew the missing maturity existed in that locker room all along, through the crushing losses, the turnovers and the missed free throws.
 
As it so often has during their membership in the American Athletic Conference, it helped seeing SMU appear on the schedule. The Shockers finished Sunday's 77-72 win with a 12-2 run in which they highlighted what they can do when they play together and avoid turnovers.
 
"It feels like a step in the right direction," Wichita State forward Harlond Beverly said. "Our last five games have been really, really close. We just haven't been able to capitalize at the end. Today, we did that."
 
The Shockers (8-11, 1-6 American Athletic Conference) can thank the Mustangs (13-7, 4-3), again, for giving Wichita State a needed and dramatic win. The Shockers ended an eight-game losing streak, defeated a team No. 35 in the NCAA NET and No. 40 in Ken Pomeroy's rankings and extended their dominance over the Mustangs.
 
The Shockers showed pieces of this with good stretches over the past month, but not nearly enough. The margin in the past two losses – four and two – demonstrated progress. Frustrating, but coach Paul Mills maintains the frustration didn't overwhelm the locker room. The Shockers kept working, kept focusing on dominating the simple, as he often says, and kept improving.
 
We just knew there was a brand of immature basketball we were playing," Mills said. "When you're playing these one- and two-possession games you can't have that. Tonight, nothing registers with me from an immaturity standpoint. The guys did a phenomenal job of just understanding the possessions and the value of them."
 
Three offensive possessions in the final minutes demonstrated what Mills is talking about and set the Shockers up for a win.
 
Wichita State ran the same action for all three and all three produced points. Xavier Bell dribbles left, after Kenny Pohto sets a screen at the foul line, toward Colby Rogers to attract the defense. Pohto remains at the top of the key. When Bell passes to Pohto, Ronnie DeGray III cuts from the wing to the lane. Beverly, another Shocker defenders are reluctant to leave, is in the right corner.
 
With 2:02 to play, the play opened space for Pohto to drive. He missed, but the movement allowed DeGray to run free and tip in the basketball to cut SMU's lead to 70-69. The play worked twice more, with DeGray's defender leaving him to guard Pohto, to get DeGray open for layups. The second unobstructed basket gave the Shockers the lead for good at 73-72 with 34 seconds to play.
 
After the play, SMU's Samuell Williamson, who left DeGray on the wing to run at Pohto, slapped the floor in frustration. Teammate Chuck Harris stuck with Beverly in the corner and didn't help on DeGray.

 

FOR THE LEAD!! pic.twitter.com/Lupq5Xj2rC

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) January 28, 2024

 

On the ESPN2 broadcast, commentator Mark Adams said he watched the Shockers run that play dozens of times in practices.
 
"I think (Mills) knew they were getting confused on switch on the backside," DeGray said. "I just split between them and ended up wide open."
 
After DeGray's basket, the Shockers still needed stops. Their defense improved in the second half by going over screens to deny the Mustangs open jump shots. SMU got the ball to leading scorer Zhuric Phelps with Rogers guarding. Phelps drove and Rogers stuck with him and obstructed a shot that didn't come close to the rim. Rogers grabbed the airball, drew a foul and made two free throws with 19.9 seconds to play for a 75-72 lead.
 
 

Game on the line. Colby put the clamps on.@_colbyrogers 🔒 pic.twitter.com/gxRm0jFwyX

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) January 29, 2024

"I knew I had to lock in and dig deep and make sure I got a stop," Rogers said. "Trying to beat him to his spot and make it tough on him."
 
The Mustangs helped by missing free throws. They made one basket in the final 3 minutes and came up empty on four possessions in the final minute.
 
The Shockers made their – Bell hit two with six seconds remaining to end any drama and reverse the problems that fueled the losing streak. After committing 11 first-half turnovers, WSU committed one in the second half. The Shockers made 15 of 21 foul shots (71.4 percent), 10 of 12 in the second half.
 
"No one likes losing, but we knew all these games we were right there," DeGray said. "We can compete in this league. We know we're right there where we can make a breakthrough in the right direction."
 
While the teams may meet again in the post-season, SMU and WSU end their AAC regular-season rivalry with another Shocker win. As has been the case, the Shockers find a way to win the close games.
 
SMU will depart for ACC this summer after losing eight of nine conference regular-season games to the Shockers. Last season, the Shockers swept the series with two two-point wins, one in double overtime after trailing by six with 1:20 to play in regulation.
 
In 2020, Wichita State rallied from 24 points down in the second half to win 66-62 in Dallas. In 2019, Samajae Haynes-Jones made a layup with one second to play for an 85-83 win that turned that season around.
 
The Shockers have much more work to do to turn this season around. Sunday's win showed them how maturity and simple plays can help.
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.