SAN ANTONIO  – Wichita State's struggles continued Saturday afternoon in a 88-75 loss at UTSA, dropping its third straight game.

Wichita State (10-6, 0-3) is 0-3 to begin American Athletic Conference play for the fourth straight season, while UTSA picked up its first league win of the season. It also marked Wichita State's first-ever loss to UTSA in the fourth all-time meeting.

Quincy Ballard set a new career high with 22 points, going 11-for-12 from the floor, also setting new career highs in field goals made and attempts. Xavier Bell recorded his fourth 20-point game behind a game-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting and 3-of-4 three-pointers.

Corey Washington added 12 points and seven rebounds. Justin Hill was held to a season-low three points on 1-of-10 shooting.

The nation's third leading scorer, Primo Spears, was held under 10 points for just the second time this season. He came in averaging more than 22 points per game, but was held to eight.

UTSA became the third straight team to shoot better than 50 percent from the field, knocking down 52.5 percent of its attempts, including a scorching 15-of-30 from three-point range.

Wichita State's 17 turnovers were a season high, and they led to 20 UTSA points. The Shockers attempted just eight free throws in the game, a season low.

Wichita State's slow starts traveled down to San Antonio as the Shockers fell in an early 10-2 hole, forcing a timeout just 4:13 into the game.

With just under 10 minutes left in the opening half Wichita State cut the deficit to three, 22-19, on back-to-back scores from Ballard. After a UTSA timeout, the Roadrunners proceeded to answer with a 10-0 run, grabbing its largest lead of the half, 32-19.

Aside from Ballard, Wichita State could not find a rhythm in the first 20 minutes, as the Shockers went into the locker room trailing, 47-32, after a buzzer-beating three splashed through the net as time expired. Ballard scored 14 of the Shockers' 32 points. Only four Shockers were in the scoring column at the half.

Wichita State's 15-point halftime deficit marked the second straight game trailing by 15 or more.

UTSA's lead was never in doubt in the second half, as Wichita State trailed by as many as 22. The closest Wichita State came was in the final minute when they closed on a 6-0 run.

Up Next
Wichita State opens a two-game homestand on Tuesday, Jan. 14 vs. Charlotte at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.