Samajae Haynes-Jones scores last-second game-winner to lift Shockers over SMU
It was as if he was back at a Wichita YMCA with the game tied, clock running out and needing a bucket.
And if there’s one thing Samajae Haynes-Jones can do, it’s get a bucket.
The Wichita native danced and juked and feinted around the perimeter, then as a sold-out crowd at Koch Arena held its collective breath Haynes-Jones scored a gravity-defying up-and-under basket on the left side with one second remaining to give Wichita State a thrilling 85-83 victory over SMU at Koch Arena on Wednesday evening.
It was the first game-winner for Haynes-Jones, who led WSU with 17 points. It was just the second win in the last six weeks for the Shockers, who improved to 9-11 and 2-6 in the American Athletic Conference, while SMU dropped to 12-8 and 4-4 in conference play.
It was the most balanced scoring attack of the season for the Shockers, who had five scorers in double-digits for the first time this season. Freshman Erik Stevenson scored 17 points with six rebounds, while Markis McDuffie (15 points), Jaime Echenique (12 points) and Asbjorn Midtgaard (10 points) were also in double-figures.
An incredible sequence where the teams scored on 13 straight possessions in the final five minutes kicked off when McDuffie made an acrobatic layup, then SMU responded. When Jaime Echenique scored on a putback, SMU came back with a jumper. When Stevenson made two free throws, Topeka native Jahmal McMurray hit a go-ahead three for SMU with 2:21 remaining. When McDuffie answered with a three of his own, McMurray answered with another jumper to tie the score at 78.
Echenique scored again, then SMU hit another go-ahead three for an 81-80 lead with 1:22 remaining. Echenique made two free throws for an 82-81 lead and WSU finally registered a defensive stop, but Echenique split a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left and SMU’s Jimmy Whitt hit a contested jumper with 19 seconds to tie the game at 83 with 19 seconds to set up Haynes-Jones’ dramatics.
After SMU played as if it had summoned the ghost of Shake Milton in hitting eight three-pointers for a seven-point halftime lead, WSU ripped off an 11-4 run to erase the deficit within four minutes. The rally was highlighted by Rod Brown’s first career three-pointer, which banked in from the wing, then capped by an Erik Stevenson three in transition.
Minutes later, Stevenson gave the Shockers their first lead of the second half, 54-53 with 13:46 remaining, on a pair of free throws. SMU rallied to take a four-point lead, but WSU responded with a Stevenson three-pointer, then a Midtgaard stick-back to re-take the lead. A Haynes-Jones three and two free throws by Burton gave WSU a 64-60 lead with 8:25 remaining.
The game pitted two different philosophies on how to use screens. Where WSU trotted out massive 7-foot centers and instructed them roll straight to the basket following screens, SMU countered with a pair of big men with three-point range that popped to the perimeter after screens.
WSU, particularly Ricky Torres and Midtgaard, found great success with their approach action, as that duo connected for a pair of Midtgaard dunks and the sophomore had a career-high eight points by halftime.
It was a welcomed sight after WSU strung together back-to-back two of its worst offensive outings of the season. Shockers other than McDuffie were scoring, WSU made 50 percent of its shots, including five threes, and it limited its turnovers to just three in 32 first-half possessions.
But all of that was overshadowed by SMU’s potent attack. SMU spreading the floor with its bigs was a disaster for a WSU defense that doesn’t switch screens; instead it has its big men show help on the guard, then try to backtrack in time to defend their man.
The pick-and-pop action terrorized WSU’s defense, particularly with 6-foot-8 power forward Isiaha Mike. SMU used Mike to set the screen, knowing his defender would have to show help on the screen and be distracted by the ball handler as Mike spotted up on the three-point line.
SMU’s guards were perfectly fine serving as the decoy, dragging the two WSU defenders further and further away from Mike and making it impossible for WSU’s big man to recover in time to challenge the shot. The throw-back to Mike was always there and he made WSU pay by connecting on four three-pointers in the first half alone, one off his career-high mark.
And just when WSU started overplaying, SMU set a back screen for Mike who was freed up for an alley-oop dunk for an 11-point lead. Back-to-back three-pointers by Haynes-Jones and Stevenson trimmed SMU’s lead before halftime, but the Mustangs still took a 45-38 lead into the break.
This story was originally published January 30, 2019 at 10:17 PM.
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