Wichita State basketball takeaways: Hot shooting hides sluggish start
Wichita State wanted a night that felt routine again, something to wash away the sting of its winless trip to the Bahamas.
What it got Tuesday at Koch Arena was a 95-69 win over Mount Marty, an NAIA Division II program from South Dakota, that improved the team’s record to 5-4 this season.
But the 40-minute performance offered as many reminders of what still needs cleaning up as it did relief ahead of Saturday’s looming road test at Northern Iowa. Mike Gray Jr. led five WSU scorers in double-digits with 18 points, while the Shockers made 61.4% of their shots and outrebounded Mount Marty 40-19.
Here are three takeaways from Wichita State’s latest victory:
1. Hot shooting was welcome after cold Bahamas trip
It didn’t take long for WSU to find the jolt it was looking for after a sluggish, unfocused first half, as the Shockers simply shot their way out of trouble.
The spark arrived from the right hand of senior Mike Gray Jr., who caught fire in spectacular fashion. He drilled four consecutive 3-pointers in the first four minutes, each one launched from farther behind the line than the last.
By the time he rose for his fifth attempt of the half — nearly four feet beyond the arc — Gray absorbed contact, buried the shot and completed a four-point play. His personal 16-point eruption in the opening seven minutes set the tone for a long-overdue offensive breakout.
From there, WSU let it fly. The Shockers, who had limped through the Bahamas shooting just 25.8% (16-of-62) from deep, turned the second half into a needed confidence restoration. They drained eight 3-pointers after the break and finished 12-of-24 from beyond the arc, a reminder of how quickly an offense can transform once a few shots finally fall.
2. Wichita State turns into a lacking performance in first half
WSU returned from its winless Bahamas trip hoping for a palate-cleansing performance Tuesday night. Instead, the first 20 minutes felt like more of the same.
The Shockers slogged through a disjointed opening half to take a 43-34 lead over an NAIA Division II opponent from South Dakota that arrived with a 3-6 record. WSU posted a 20% turnover rate, a staggering percentage of unforced mistakes given the modest defensive pressure it faced.
The lapses didn’t end there. The Shockers repeatedly lost shooters, surrendering seven made 3-pointers, the last a 60-foot heave from Jake Jensen that splashed at the buzzer. Jensen punctuated it by miming a grenade toss toward the Koch Arena crowd, then sprinting off with his hands over his ears — a moment that might have drawn laughter had it not highlighted WSU’s lethargy.
With the talent gap, Wichita State should have dictated the terms far earlier. Instead, sloppy play and haphazard focus left the Shockers clinging to a single-digit edge at halftime.
3. A tough road test awaits the Shockers on Saturday
Wichita State will need far more than Tuesday’s uneven tune-up to escape Cedar Falls with a win. Northern Iowa, off to a 7-1 start with its only loss a narrow setback to Tulsa, brings one of the nation’s top-40 defenses into Saturday’s matchup.
The Panthers have built that résumé by strangling opponent rhythm — forcing tough shots, winning the glass and rarely losing track of assignments. For WSU, those very issues remain its greatest liability. The Shockers were able to survive their sloppiness against an overmatched NAIA opponent, but the cracks revealed during their 0-3 trip to the Bahamas remain impossible to ignore. Missed rotations, late box-outs, reckless gambles and blown assignments all resurfaced Tuesday, reminders that execution still lags far behind intent.
This trip — the final road test before conference play — doubles as WSU’s last opportunity to claim a top-100 road win before American play begins. Tuesday night didn’t erase doubts or announce any grand turnaround. But Saturday presents something more meaningful: a chance to show progress, restore belief and prove the Shockers can clean up the details against competition that is capable of punishing mistakes.
This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 8:15 PM.
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