Shocker report Shocker report (Feb. 13)

Wednesday’s box score

Wichita St. 71, Drake 56

Percentages: FG .347, FT .778. 3-Point Goals: 8-23, .348 (Simons 3-7, King 2-5, Hines 2-6, Clarke 1-1, Carter 0-1, Babineaux 0-1, Ricks Jr. 0-1, Jeffers 0-1). Team Rebounds: 5. Blocked Shots: 1 (VanDeest). Turnovers: 16 (Clarke 4, Carter 3, Babineaux 2, Simons 2, King, Mason, VanDeest, Hines, Jeffers). Steals: 7 (Carter 2, Clarke 2, King, Simons, Babineaux). Technical Fouls: None.

Percentages: FG .411, FT .667. 3-Point Goals: 9-23, .391 (Armstead 4-6, Cotton 2-3, Van Vleet 2-4, Early 1-6, Wiggins 0-4). Team Rebounds: 4. Blocked Shots: 9 (Early 4, Orukpe 2, Hall, Wiggins, Van Vleet). Turnovers: 15 (Early 4, Williams 3, Wiggins 2, Armstead 2, Hall 2, Van Vleet, Cotton). Steals: 9 (Early 3, Van Vleet 2, Lufile, Armstead, Orukpe, Cotton). Technical Fouls: None.

Att.–10,211. Officials–Bob Staffen, Zelton Steed, Eric Curry.

State of the Swagger

On Saturday, the Shockers received a pep talk from Xavier McDaniel and Antoine Carr. On Wednesday, coach Gregg Marshall went in an unexpected direction — sophomore Braden Pelischek gathered the team in a huddle and tried to fire them up after the afternoon shootaround.

“I said ‘We found our swagger against Missouri State and we started having fun,’ ” Pelischek said. “That was the best basketball I have seen them play this year. So I said ‘Take that mentality and run with it, because you have the best coach in the Valley. If you play Shocker basketball, the Shocker nation will go crazy and you will make a run.’ ”

Pelischek, from Hutchinson, often watches shootaround. He is one of the small group of students who waits outside Koch Arena’s east entrance before games to get first crack at a front-row seat. Marshall often invites them in to watch the game-day practice. On Wednesday, after Marshall taped his radio interview with Mike Kennedy, Pelischek asked if he could address the team. Marshall gave him 30 seconds before the players watched film.

“I told him I’d really like to talk to the team,” Pelischek said. “I felt like the team needed a message from the heart of the fan base.”

Former coach dies

Harry Miller, who coached the Shockers to the 1976 NCAA Tournament, died on Wednesday in Nacogdoches, Texas. He had been in an assisted living home for several years.

Miller, 86, coached the Shockers from 1971-78 and compiled a 97-90 record. His 1976 team won the Missouri Valley Conference title and lost to Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Miller finished his coaching career at Stephen F. Austin, after he was fired at WSU. He coached the Lumberjacks from 1978-88 and went 170-112 with an NIT appearance in 1987. Miller also coached at North Texas, Eastern New Mexico, Fresno State and Western (Colo.) State. He won the 1969 NAIA title at Eastern New Mexico.

Miller’s top Shocker players included Cheese Johnson, Bob Elmore, Terry Benton, Rich Morsden and Bob Wilson.

No go for Williams

WSU guard Demetric Williams sat out the second half with a bruised hip.

“I hope Demetric is just a minor injury,” Marshall said. “He fell on his hip. The trainer said he was fine. The doctor said he was fine. He just couldn’t get it loose again.”

Williams played seven minutes in the first half and did not score.

Worth noting

WSU’s Carl Hall recorded his sixth double-double this season, 14 points and 10 rebounds.… Drake freshman Joey King, who scored 15 points in a 75-63 loss to WSU on Jan. 2, scored six on 2-of-8 shooting. Micah Mason did not attempt a shot after scoring 14 in the first meeting.… Drake’s Jordan Clarke scored 10 points, reaching double figures for the fifth consecutive game.… WSU guard Malcolm Armstead is 8 of 12 from three-point range the past three games. He made 4 of 6 Wednesday, just as he did in the January win at Drake.

— Paul Suellentrop