Wichita State takes down Memphis in OT thriller for first ranked win since 2021
For one Sunday afternoon at least, it felt like old times again at 21st and Hillside: the Shockers trading blow for blow with a nationally ranked opponent in front of a nationally televised audience with the Roundhouse rocking.
And for the first time in four years, the Wichita State men’s basketball came out on top in a high-profile game.
Paul Mills scored the signature win of his early coaching tenure, as Wichita State made timely play after timely play Sunday to upset No. 14-ranked Memphis 84-79 in overtime.
The Shockers (15-10, 5-7 AAC) extended their winning streak to four games while knocking off the top team in the American Athletic Conference, as Memphis (21-5, 11-2 AAC) saw its 8-game winning streak snapped. It was also just the third win by WSU over Memphis coach Penny Hardaway in 14 games with Mills owning two of those wins in the last three chances.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
1. Shockers come out on top in overtime
It was 45 minutes that were every bit exciting as 14 lead changes and 14 ties might suggest.
Until the final minute of overtime, WSU played the role of chasing Memphis for the majority of the afternoon.
When the Tigers opened up an 8-point lead midway through the second half, the Shockers answered back with an 8-0 run to tie. When Memphis All-American candidate P.J. Haggerty (15 points on 4-of-18 shooting) drilled a deep triple and Tyrese Hunter (game-high 24 points) scored a fast-break dunk for a 71-67 lead with 40.1 seconds left, WSU countered with a quick basket by Harlond Beverly (11 points, 6 assists) and then caught a break when Baraka Okojie fumbled an in-bounds pass out of bounds for a turnover on the ensuing throw in.
Bijan Cortes had a clean look for a go-ahead 3 and missed, but Ronnie DeGray III earned a foul on the rebound and swished both foul shots with 16.1 seconds left to knot the score at 71. DeGray then blew up Memphis’ last-second play with his defense, which left former Shocker Colby Rogers (6 points on 2-of-8 shooting) clanging a contested jumper in the corner.
WSU once again was on the hunt in overtime when Memphis scored the first four points, but evened it out with 2:04 left and then took the lead, 78-77, on a Cortes swish from distance over the near 7-foot reach of Memphis center Moussa Cisse. WSU extended the lead to 80-77 when Corey Washington’s rack attack hung on the rim for two seconds before dropping with 43 seconds left.
Memphis trimmed the deficit with a pair of free throws by Hunter, but Washington answered back with two straight makes from the line with 18.9 seconds left. When Hunter’s potential game-tying 3 badly missed with 4.8 seconds left, WSU secured the win at the line with two Xavier Bell free throws.
2. Shockers continue to pound the glass against Memphis
Memphis isn’t quite the rebounding team it should be with its size and athleticism, but Wichita State still rose to the challenge in Sunday’s showdown to continue its strong showings on the glass.
After winning the rebounding battle the last three games to fuel its winning streak, including a margin of 20-plus against South Florida and UTSA, WSU outrebounded Memphis 54-45 on Sunday in a season-high performance.
The Shockers have been particularly effective on the offensive glass, where they hit USF for 19 rebounds and UTSA for 16 rebounds. That was once again the case on Sunday, as WSU racked up 19 offensive rebounds against Memphis and turned them into 18 second-chance points.
The charge was once again led by Corey Washington, who totaled 18 points and a game-high 15 rebounds with six coming on the offensive end.
3. Impressive spurt stakes Wichita State to halftime lead
Neither team could find much of a rhythm offensively in the first half, so Wichita State’s extended 18-5 run late in the first half helped the Shockers separate for a 32-28 halftime advantage.
The initial run was sparked by a 3-pointer from Matej Bosnjak, his first beyond the arc in more than two months — Dec. 14 to be exact.
But the bulk of the scoring was done in an 11-0 spurt that included six points from Washington, who notched his seventh double-double of the season in the first half alone with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Even without a sellout crowd, the Roundhouse can still manage to rock under full capacity. One of the loudest roars of the season came after Cortes, who played one of the better halves of his career, gave WSU the lead with a lay-in, followed by the WSU defense forcing Memphis into a shot-clock violation.
After the Shockers opened up a 32-25 lead, they squandered the opportunity to extend their lead before halftime. WSU had three quality chances to tack on to its lead, but both of Beverly’s 3-pointers rattled in and out and Washington missed a pair of free throws. Meanwhile, Memphis ended the half with a 3-point play by Hunter for a momentum swing.
Upcoming schedule for Shocker basketball
at Florida Atlantic, 8 p.m. (ESPN2) on Thursday, Feb. 20
vs. Tulane, 1 p.m. (ESPN+) on Sunday, Feb. 23
vs. UAB, 8 p.m. (ESPNU) on Thursday, Feb. 27
at North Texas, 8 p.m. (ESPN2) on Monday, March 3
at Rice, 7 p.m. (ESPN+) on Thursday, March 6
American Athletic Conference basketball standings
11-2, Memphis (21-5)
9-3, North Texas (18-6)
8-3, UAB (15-9)
8-4 Tulane (14-11)
7-4, Florida Atlantic (14-10)
7-6, East Carolina (15-11)
6-6, Temple (14-11)
5-7, Wichita State (15-10)
5-7, South Florida (12-13)
5-8, Tulsa (11-15)
4-9, UTSA (10-15)
3-10, Rice (12-14)
2-11, Charlotte (9-17)
This story was originally published February 16, 2025 at 1:46 PM.
.jpg)