Extra heartbreak: Wichita State basketball can’t close out Mizzou in overtime loss
The Wichita State men’s basketball team traded blows with an unbeaten SEC team, but a slew of crunch-time errors cost it a win.
The Shockers proved they can play at a higher level in an 88-84 overtime loss to Missouri at Koch Arena on Tuesday, but their failure to protect a 10-point lead in the final five minutes of regulation shows they aren’t quite ready yet to win those high-level games.
“It’s heartbreaking being up that much with that much time,” WSU star Craig Porter said. “It hurts. It hits the heart.”
With a 66-56 lead in hand and five minutes remaining, which equated to a 93.9% win probability on KenPom.com, WSU hardly put on a clinic on how to close out a victory. The Shockers committed four turnovers on their next seven possessions, all of the careless variety, then missed three of four free throws in the final 70 seconds to squander the chance to extend their lead.
In overtime, the combination of turnovers and missed free throws proved fatal. The Shockers started off overtime with a turnover, then missed three straight field goals and three of four free throws to fall in a 6-point deficit they never recovered from.
For the game, Wichita State committed 20 turnovers, six more than its previous season-high, and shot a miserable 43% (6 of 14) from the foul line in the loss that dropped its season record to 4-3 ahead of another showdown with an unbeaten team, Kansas State, in Manhattan on Saturday.
“It takes a little maturity and that extra will and effort to want to win that game and close it out,” said Porter, who had a season-high five turnovers and missed both free throws. “I was a part of it. I missed free throws myself, so I can’t throw anybody else under the bus. As a team, we know that game was easily winnable. We got unfocused and it came down to the wire and we just lost it.”
After Missouri had its way against out-matched competition in its home gym the first three weeks of the season, first-year coach Dennis Gates knew the experience of playing at Koch Arena would offer the first real test of adversity to his team.
Wichita State held up its end of the bargain, reeling off a 16-0 run at the start of the second half to reverse a nine-point deficit to a seven-point lead — and put the Tigers in their first second-half hole of the season. When Mizzou rallied to re-take the lead, the Shockers again created a wave of momentum with a 10-0 run.
Behind the superb play of reserve Sean East, who scored 15 of his 17 points in the final 16 minutes of the game, and 39 combined points from starters Noah Carter and D’Moi Hodge, Missouri (8-0) survived a challenge that featured 10 lead changes and six ties to remain undefeated.
“I was an assistant at Nevada when we won here and I knew what it would take to accomplish that,” Gates said. “Coach (Isaac) Brown does a great job and whatever they displayed in previous games, (Wichita State) was a completely different team tonight. They played with an unbelievable amount of passion and the atmosphere is second to none here in Wichita.
“That game was a high-level game. I think that was one of the best games I’ve been a part of in a long time. To be able to come out with a victory, it says a lot.”
What made the missed free throws and turnovers even more frustrating for WSU was how much they undid an otherwise strong offensive showing. After going nearly two years without making over 50% of its shots, WSU has now shot better than 50% in two straight games with a 54% performance from the field on Tuesday — the first time the Shockers have done that in back-to-back games since February of the 2017-18 season. WSU also made a season-high 12 three-pointers on 41% accuracy and the mark of 84 points was the fourth-most scored in a loss since 2010.
Six Shockers scored at least nine points, as Porter (14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three blocks, one steal) once again filled the stat sheet and Jaykwon Walton (14 points, 10 rebounds, four assists) registered his first double-double. The bench had a particularly strong showing with Jaron Pierre (13 points) knocking down several timely three-pointers, Shammah Scott (nine points, five assists) blossoming as a dependable player and Gus Okafor (11 points, eight rebounds) again bringing the energy.
On top of the turnovers and missed free throws, Brown identified two other sore spots for the Shockers — transition defense (Mizzou scored 26 fast-break points) and defensive rebounding (Mizzou grabbed 15 offensive rebounds for 15 second-chance points).
“We’re disappointed, but all we can do is go back and watch the film and learn from our mistakes and continue to grow,” Brown said. “We’ve got to clean up the rebounding, clean up the turnovers and we’ve got to live in the gym to make wide-open shots and free throws.”
WSU led 71-64 with less than three minutes left in regulation, but Mizzou ripped off an 8-0 run in less than 60 seconds with a pick-and-pop triple by Carter, a floater from East and a three-point play from Carter to put the Tigers back in front, 72-71, with 1:56 left.
Okafor helped stabilize WSU with a go-ahead three, but the Shockers botched two chances to extend their lead when James Rojas split a pair of free throws and 92% free throw shooter Xavier Bell (12 points) missed both of his foul shots with 24 seconds left. Hodge was fouled on a back-door play and he split a pair of free throws with 9.7 seconds left to force overtime.
Both teams had potential game-winning shots in the final seconds of regulation, but WSU had the best look when Porter cut through Mizzou’s full-court pressure only to air ball an 8-foot floater in the lane.
“That’s probably the easiest shot I’m going to get all year,” said Porter, who was filled with regret discussing the play. “Honestly, I was just nervous. I thought I was going to take the charge. It took me back to last year when Ricky (Council) got hit with that charge (against Tulane) and we lost the game. I was thinking about that, but at the end of the day, I need to finish plays like that. My team is relying on me. We wouldn’t be in this predicament if that didn’t happen.”
It was lost in the shuffle of the end of regulation and overtime, but Wichita State produced its finest display of basketball yet this season during a 16-0 run to start the second half that elicited the loudest crowd reaction of the year from the 7,401 in attendance on Tuesday.
The highlight of the rally was when Porter intercepted a pass ahead down the left sideline, caught the ball in the air and flipped it behind his head straight to a teammate all in the same motion. The play created a fast break the other way that ended with Walton swishing a three and with the Roundhouse already rocking, Mizzou committed another quick turnover.
“That was an amazing feeling,” Walton said. “I hit that three-pointer and the crowd went wild. That’s one of the reasons why I came here was the crowd.”
Missouri 88, Wichita State 84 basketball box score
This story was originally published November 29, 2022 at 9:17 PM.
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