PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas - Wichita State's trip to the Bahamas came to an end Friday night, falling to Western Kentucky, 75-70, in the final game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Wichita State (4-4) went 0-3 on the island, dropping all three of its games by two possessions.

Kenyon Giles paced Wichita State with 18 points, six rebounds and two assists, scoring 16 of his points after halftime. Karon Boyd added 15 points and four rebounds, while Emmanuel Okorafor provided a major lift inside with eight points and seven boards, including a 6-for-7 showing at the stripe. Brian Amuneke chipped in a season-high 11 points off the bench, nine of which came in the first half.

Wichita State shot 36.8 percent from the field and hit 7-of-23 three-pointers, while WKU hit 42.4 percent of its attempts, including a 50 percent clip after halftime. The Shockers outrebounded the Hilltoppers 42-36 and dominated second-chance points 11-2 in the second half, but WKU's 14 points off turnovers after halftime proved decisive. Wichita State had just nine turnovers, but WKU essentially turned every single one into points.

Wichita State jumped out quickly behind Boyd, who scored the game's first five points and hit a pair of early triples as the Shockers built a 5-0 lead in the opening minutes. WKU countered with a 7-0 burst sparked by Cam Haffner's transition three, flipping the lead at 10–7.

Amuneke delivered an instant lift off the bench with five straight points, including a pull-up three in transition and another jumper to put WSU in front, 19-16. But the Hilltoppers turned the first half with an 8–0 push fueled by consecutive buckets from Armelo Boone and Grant Newell, eventually taking their largest first-half margin at 31-27 following Teagan Moore's put-back.

Boyd knocked down two free throws with :06 remaining to pull the Shockers within 33-29 at the break. Wichita State lived at the line early (8-for-9 in the half) but was hampered by 9-for-28 shooting, while WKU used 12 second-chance points to maintain its edge.

Giles opened the second half with five quick points, and Boyd added a transition layup off a WKU turnover as the Shockers seized control with a 12-0 run, turning a 33-29 deficit into a 41-33 lead with 16:02 to play. Wichita State's defensive pressure forced four Hilltopper miscues during the stretch.

After Okorafor sank two free throws and finished a hook shot from a Giles assist, Boyd converted another paint touch to give WSU its largest lead of the night at 46-37 with 13:24 remaining.

Western Kentucky responded quickly. Newell's wing three, followed by back-to-back buckets from Boone, trimmed the lead to 46-44. After Giles momentarily steadied the Shockers with a pull-up three, WKU surged again—this time through Moore, who scored seven straight, including a fast-break layup off a steal and a three-point play that pushed WKU ahead 47-46 with 11:31 left.

The teams traded blows over the next several minutes. Giles buried another deep three to put WSU ahead 51-47, but Newell answered with threes on consecutive possessions. Boone's floater with 8:22 remaining gave WKU a 56–52 edge as the Hilltoppers began to take control.

Giles caught fire again late, hitting a long three from the right slot to tie it at 60-60 with 5:31 remaining. But WKU countered immediately as Newell drained his fifth three of the night, part of his 18-point performance. Myers later added a transition three to stretch the Hilltoppers' lead to 66-60. 

A determined Wichita State group kept fighting. Michael Gray Jr. drilled a right-wing three and Giles hit three straight free throws to make it a two-possession game at 71-67 with 1:42 remaining. After a defensive stop, TJ Williams capped a fast break with a one-hand poster slam to pull the Shockers within 71-69 with 1:07 to go. 

But the final minute belonged to the Hilltoppers. After a WSU turnover, Moore—who finished with 18 points, six rebounds and two assists—hit four clutch free throws in the closing 38 seconds to seal the win. Wichita State had two final looks from deep, but both came up empty.

Up Next
Wichita State returns home on Tuesday, Dec. 2 to host Mount Marty at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.