Wichita State lets 18-point lead slip — and pays for it — in double OT loss
What should have been a statement road win instead unraveled into a long, painful night for Wichita State.
After building an 18-point second-half lead and having every opportunity to close the door in regulation, WSU failed to make the final plays it needed. The Shockers eventually fell in gut-wrenching fashion, losing in the closing seconds of double overtime in a 104-100 setback to the Charlotte 49ers on Saturday night at Halton Arena.
It was just the second time in the last two decades that WSU has allowed an opponent to crack the century mark on the scoreboard.
That spoiled what should have been a 2-0 start in American Conference play, as the Shockers (9-6, 1-1 American) have a long plane ride home on Saturday to try to figure out how that one slipped away. Charlotte (7-8, 1-1 American) picked up its first win of the season over a top-190 KenPom opponent.
Here are three takeaways:
Shockers fail to close out 18-point lead in regulation
An 18-5 burst coming out of halftime made WSU look poised to cruise to a 2-0 start in conference play, building an 18-point cushion with 15 minutes remaining.
But Charlotte caught fire from the perimeter, ripping off a sustained 22-9 run that trimmed the deficit to 69-67 with more than five minutes left and turned a comfortable game into a grind.
WSU appeared to steady itself when Kenyon Giles, who scored a career-high 27 points, drilled a 3 to push the lead to 78-71 with 3:12 remaining. That, however, wasn’t enough to close the door.
A Giles missile to the rim would have put WSU up 80-73 with 1:02 left, but Karon Boyd interfered and was whistled for goaltending to wipe off the points. Boyd then fouled on the ensuing inbounds to give Charlotte two freebies at the other end.
WSU followed with a turnover, but notched a stop and Mike Gray Jr. made two free throws to extend the lead to 80-75 with 19.3 seconds left. Charlotte answered back quickly with a basket, which set up an 11 seconds to forget for the Shockers.
It started with problems inbounding the ball. Charlotte stuck 7-foot-2 center Anton Bonke on the inbounder, T.J. Williams, which led to a deflection and the inbounds moving to a spot throw in the corner. After WSU had problems finding a pass in and called timeout, the Shockers found an open Will Berg, but the big man fumbled the catch and Charlotte was awarded possession on the loose-ball tie-up.
Up three with 7.7 seconds left, WSU made another mind-numbing mistake when it miscommunicated on a switch and left Damoni Harrison wide open in the corner for the tying 3 with 5.4 seconds left.
Giles had a decent look from 3 for the win at the buzzer, but it missed and the game went to overtime.
How Wichita State lost the game in double overtime
What followed next was a sequence of missed chances and brutal timing.
WSU appeared in control late in the first overtime, but fouls and defensive breakdowns repeatedly reopened the door for Charlotte. After Boyd put WSU up 89-86 with 1:08 left, a foul on a 3-point shooter kept Charlotte alive, then Dezayne Mingo buried a game-tying 3 with 26 seconds left.
WSU head coach Paul Mills had a timeout but chose not to use it. He let Giles try to create out of a high ball screen by Berg. It actually worked out, as Giles dribbled into a wide-open look, but his shot from the right wing missed as time expired.
In the second overtime, Mingo again made WSU pay for sticking with its drop coverage by hitting two straight 3s to put the 49ers in control, 97-93, with 2:33 left.
WSU answered back with a Dre Kindell turnaround jumper and a dunk by Berg. The Shockers actually had a possession down one, with a chance to take the lead, in the final minute, but a clearout for Boyd ended with the forward dribbling off his foot for a turnover. Boyd finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, a block and two steals while playing 46 minutes.
After Charlotte made a pair of free throws to go up three, WSU attempted a game-tying triple by Gray following a timeout. The shot missed but was followed up by Boyd while being fouled. He completed the improbable three-point play with 8.3 seconds left to tie it at 100.
Charlotte put the ball in the hands of Mingo, who used a ball screen and was doubled by WSU. He swung the ball to the top of the key and Arden Conyers drilled the game-winning 3 over the contest by Dillon Battie. It initially appeared it was a buzzer-beating win, but officials ruled that Battie had actually fouled Conyers with 1.3 seconds left.
Conyers made the free throw to seal the win and deliver WSU a crushing defeat.
Kenyon Giles slows down after electric start
Giles put on a show in the first half, drilling five triples and scoring 21 points against Charlotte. It came after nailing eight 3s and scoring a career high 26 points to help WSU erase a 16-point deficit in a comeback win at UAB on Wednesday.
But after halftime, the 5-foot-10 senior was essentially held in check.
Giles finished with a career-high 27 points, but only scored six points in the 30 minutes after halftime on 1-of-11 shooting from the floor. He ended up playing 47 of a possible 50 minutes and had 3-point looks for the win at the close of regulation and the first overtime.
Through two games of conference play, Giles has 53 points with 14 3-pointers.
Up next on Wichita State basketball schedule
The Shockers return to Koch Arena for their first homestand of the conference season looking to shake off the defeat. WSU hosts Rice (6-9, 0-2 American) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, then North Texas (9-5, 0-1 American) at 2 p.m. Sunday.
American Conference standings
2-0, Temple (10-5)
2-0, Memphis (7-7)
1-0, Tulsa (13-1)
1-0, Tulane (10-4)
1-0, Florida Atlantic (9-5)
1-1, Wichita State (9-6)
1-1, Charlotte (7-8)
0-0, South Florida (8-5)
0-1, UAB (9-5)
0-1, North Texas (9-5)
0-1, East Carolina (5-10)
0-2, Rice (6-9)
0-2, UTSA (4-10)
This story was originally published January 3, 2026 at 8:09 PM.
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