Men's Basketball | 11/12/2026 11:52:00 AM

By Paul Suellentrop

They kept score and recorded statistics Wednesday night at Koch Arena. The numbers are impressive but won't matter much outside updating the record book.

Wichita State routed Friends University 113-60 in a game that served as a warmup, feel-good outing and homecoming. The Shockers (2-1) set school records for three-point shooting (68 percent), made threes (17 on 25 attempts) and shooting percentage (69.5 – 41 of 59).

Coach Paul Mills played all 14 available Shockers (William Berg sat out as precautionary measure to rest his knee). Joy Ighovodja scored a career-high 19 points. TJ Williams made his season debut after a lingering knee injury sidelined him. Newcomer Desmeon Jones and redshirt freshman Tyrus Rathan-Mayes both scored their first Shocker points in their debuts.

"We needed a game where we could shake some cobwebs off," coach Paul Mills said. "Guys took their minutes seriously. Nobody was selfish. I didn't think anybody was careless."

The Shockers needed that effort to recover from the overnight travel back from Sunday night's loss to No. 21 Southern Cal and from the disappointment of the 93-86 loss.

"Felt like we left a lot on the table there," Mills said. "We had a bad taste in our mouth."

Wednesday's game against Friends offered the Shockers a soft reboot after Sunday's loss. The game against an NAIA opponent won't ding Wichita State's computer rankings. The starters and top reserves got a workout. The deep reserves got a chance to shine and Ighovodja took full advantage. He made all seven of his shots, five of those from behind the arc, to top his previous high of eight points against Friends in 2023.

"Get better every game," Ighovodja said. "Every day we come out here and push each other, because we've got so many good players. You want to be the best."

 

The one where DB dunked on his Friends... Your #5 play on #SCTop10 this morning! https://t.co/dToGFB5On9

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) November 12, 2026

Ighovodja sat out last season with a broken ankle. His role is to make threes and play defense. Mills liked the shooting and appreciated his three assists (no turnovers) in 19 minutes.

"He puts in a lot of work," Mills said. "He's a good shooter and he did the right things."

Depth might be Wichita State's top asset. Over the course of a long season, there is always a spot for shooting and defense. Ighovodja may put himself in position to help this season. Moving up in the rotation comes down to practice performance, Mills said.

"You can't be occasional about it," he said. "You have to bring it every day."

Friends used the game as an exhibition contest. Coach Nick Jones wanted his team to get the experience playing in front of a big crowd and test themselves against a strong opponent.

For Jones and assistant coach Kellen Marshall, the game also served as a homecoming. Jones worked eight seasons at WSU under coaches Gregg Marshall and Isaac Brown. He is in his first season at Friends after working as an assistant at NCAA Division II Washburn the past three seasons. Marshall is the son of Gregg and a former Shocker graduate assistant.

"This brings back a lot of memories," Jones said. "We're going to learn from it. I'm grateful we were able to experience it."

Friends turns its attention to KCAC opponent Sterling on Saturday. The Shockers return to NCAA Division I competition against Austin Peay on Saturday. If Wednesday started the process of shaking off cobwebs, it continues on Saturday.

Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
 
Season tickets are on sale now, and season ticket renewals are available as well. To purchase, visit GoShockers.com/Tickets, dial 316-978-FANS (3267) or stop by the Shocker Ticket Office, located inside Charles Koch Arena, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.