Shocker report: WSU 80, Indiana State 72
Wednesday’s box score
WICHITA ST. 80, INDIANA ST. 72
Wichita St. | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | A | F | Pt |
Brown | 32 | 1-9 | 4-6 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
McDuffie | 32 | 9-11 | 2-2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
Willis | 32 | 9-19 | 7-9 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 25 |
Shamet | 34 | 5-9 | 2-2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
Smith | 22 | 2-3 | 1-3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
Frankamp | 19 | 1-5 | 2-2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Kelly | 13 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Reaves | 9 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Nurger | 7 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Keyser | -- | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 200 | 29-61 | 18-27 | 43 | 16 | 19 | 80 |
Percentages: FG .475, FT .667. 3-Point Goals: 4-18, .222 (McDuffie 2-2, Shamet 2-5, Keyser 0-1, Smith 0-1, Willis 0-1, Frankamp 0-3, Brown 0-5). Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: 11 (0 PTS). Blocked Shots: 6 (Nurger 3, Willis 3). Turnovers: 11 (McDuffie 3, Frankamp 2, Smith 2, Willis 2, Brown, Kelly). Steals: 5 (Shamet 2, Brown, Frankamp, Smith). Technical Fouls: None.
Indiana St. | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | A | F | Pt |
Van Scyoc | 30 | 3-8 | 2-3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 |
Rickman | 12 | 3-4 | 1-2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
Clemons | 35 | 2-5 | 1-2 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 5 |
Paige | 26 | 2-5 | 2-2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
Scott | 31 | 3-14 | 7-10 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 14 |
Barnes | 15 | 3-5 | 1-1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
Murphy | 13 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Franklin | 13 | 2-3 | 2-2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
Kessinger | 13 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Bunschoten | 12 | 2-7 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
Totals | 200 | 22-56 | 18-24 | 28 | 17 | 23 | 72 |
Percentages: FG .393, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 10-24, .417 (Barnes 3-4, Van Scyoc 3-7, Franklin 1-1, Paige 1-2, Bunschoten 1-4, Scott 1-5, Clemons 0-1). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: 11 (0 PTS). Blocked Shots: 3 (Kessinger, Paige, Rickman). Turnovers: 11 (Clemons 3, Paige 2, Van Scyoc 2, Barnes, Murphy, Rickman, Scott). Steals: 6 (Scott 2, Clemons, Murphy, Rickman, Van Scyoc). Technical Fouls: None.
Wichita St. | 38 | 42 | — | 80 |
Indiana St. | 38 | 34 | — | 72 |
MVC memory lane
Aubrey Sherrod’s most prominent memory of Hulman Center is no longer a feature of the arena, which opened in 1973.
The Sycamores used to play on a Tartan surface, a rubber-based court that exacted a toll on ankles and legs.
“It was hard, so hard,” he said. “We were always glad to get out of there without an injury.”
Sherrod, who played guard for WSU from 1981-85, served as guest color analyst on Wednesday’s broadcast on Cox 22. WSU will announce an ex-Shocker to fill that role before games at Drake (Feb. 1) and Southern Illinois (Feb. 15).
During Wednesday morning’s shootaround, Sherrod reminisced about other Missouri Valley Conference foes.
He reserved a special spot for Tulsa, WSU’s biggest rival. He scored a career-high 31 points at Tulsa in 1985 and enjoyed several other big nights. Playing against former Hurricane great Steve Harris, Sherrod said, provided great motivation.
The best atmosphere? Tulsa had its moments, but Sherrod fondly remembers another MVC stop.
Illinois State’s old Horton Field House placed fans on top of the action, Sherrod remembers, and coach Bob Donewold’s aggressive, switching man-to-man defense gave him fits.
Alley oop
WSU took a 45-44 lead on an impressive hustle play early in the second half.
A rebound bounced off Zach Brown’s body and he chased it into a table and threw the ball high into the air. Darral Willis dove over the line and tossed it backward to Markis McDuffie for a layup.
“It would have been off me,” Brown said. “I knew I had people behind me.”
Willis said he heard McDuffie calling for the ball near the basket. He threw it over his shoulder and hit McDuffie perfectly.
“He was yelling my name,” Willis said. “Markis did exactly what Coach (Gregg Marshall) said. I just threw it right back to him.”
That play summed up much of Indiana State’s hustle deficit in the mind of coach Greg Lansing.
“We had four guys standing there, looking at it,” he said. “That’s inexcusable.”
Stay on the court
Willis played a season-high 32 minutes and Marshall admitted missing a chance to get him some rest in the second half.
“He got a little tired,” Marshall said. “Thirty-two minutes – that’s a lot of minutes for our guys.”
Marshall went to Rauno Nurger in the second half and that move paid off big. He crammed two baskets, three rebounds and three blocked shots into four minutes of play, all during a spurt that gave WSU an 11-point lead.
“When Rauno did give (Willis) a blow there in the second half he gave us a spark,” Marshall said. “He had a dunk off a set. He had a very nice rebound.”
First look at the MVC
Willis’ 25 points are the most by a Shocker in his first MVC game according to records dating to 1975.
Freshman guard Chad Elstun held the previous mark with 21 points at Indiana State during the 1992-93 season.
Worth noting
Brown made 14 foul shots in a row before missing two in the first half. He made his next four. … WSU improved its series lead to 59-29 and has won 18 of the past 20, 22-18 in Terre Haute. The Shockers won their ninth straight at Hulman Center, the program’s best streak. … Indiana State’s bench outscored WSU 28-8, the second time this season a team outscored Shocker reserves. WSU’s previous low scoring output was 22 against Oklahoma State.
Paul Suellentrop
This story was originally published December 28, 2016 at 8:25 PM with the headline "Shocker report: WSU 80, Indiana State 72."