Wichita State basketball secures first 20-win season since 2020 with UTSA win
It was a milestone night for Wichita State in San Antonio.
In an 80-65 win over UTSA on Sunday at the Convocation Center, the Shockers checked off two major accomplishments in the same game: Wichita State secured its first 20-win season in six years and senior guard Kenyon Giles set a new program record for most 3s made in a single season.
The victory pushed WSU to 20-10 overall and 12-5 in the American Conference, while UTSA fell to 5-24 and 1-16.
Here are three takeaways from Wichita State’s victory...
1. Wichita State basketball secures first 20-win season since 2020
WSU’s win Sunday did more than add another line to the standings, it marked a meaningful milestone for the program’s climb under Paul Mills. The Shockers improved to 20-10 overall, securing their first 20-win season since 2019-20, the final season of the Gregg Marshall era.
There is important context to that note: Wichita State did post a 16-6 record in 2020-21 under first-year coach Isaac Brown, winning the American Conference regular-season title in a pandemic-shortened season that translated to a 72.7% winning percentage. But in raw win total, this is the first 20-win team in six years.
It also continued a steady upward trend under Mills, who has guided Wichita State from 15-19 in Year 1 to 19-15 in Year 2 and now 20-10 in Year 3.
Just as importantly, the Shockers moved into sole possession of second place in the American and control their path to the No. 2 seed, with a triple bye still on the line next Saturday against Florida Atlantic at Koch Arena.
2. Kenyon Giles etches his name in the Wichita State basketball record book
Kenyon Giles added another chapter to his historic season Sunday, breaking Wichita State’s single-season record for made 3s with six triples to raise his total to 102. The previous record of 99 was set by Colby Rogers in the 2023-24 season.
Giles tied the record with 13:18 left in the second half, using a drag screen from Emmanuel Okorafor in semi-transition to bury a straight-on 3 that pushed WSU’s lead to 58-43. He took sole possession of the record less than two minutes later after the Shockers broke UTSA’s press and found him open in the corner for a swish, extending the lead to 61-43 with 11:24 remaining.
The milestone came during another big-scoring performance from Giles, who finished with 28 points on 11-of-27 shooting and 6-of-15 from 3. He also recorded his sixth straight 20-point game and his 16th 20-point game this season, the fourth-most in program history.
3. Wichita State basketball continues record-breaking rebounding
Wichita State’s edge on the glass was the story again, as the Shockers extended the nation’s longest active streak of games with 10-plus offensive rebounds to 24 straight — and they had that benchmark by halftime. WSU grabbed 10 offensive boards in the first half alone, a timely lift while the offense shot just 35% from the field and 3-of-14 from 3.
The power forward spot fueled much of that production early, with Dillon Battie posting 12 points and five rebounds (three offensive) by halftime and T.J. Williams adding eight points and six rebounds (three offensive). Wichita State turned that work into a 14-6 halftime advantage in second-chance points and a 41-29 lead, even as UTSA stayed within reach by making 13 of 16 free throws.
WSU, which entered averaging 14.7 offensive rebounds per game (fourth nationally), finished with 21 offensive rebounds and a 55-38 overall rebounding advantage. Will Berg added a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
This story was originally published March 1, 2026 at 9:04 PM.
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