Wichita State cruises past No. 25 Utah (+videos)

Wichita State’s two-game season to pump up its NCAA Tournament resume is a success. Coach Gregg Marshall called it a week of redemption and revival and cracked on the national media who wrote off his team’s at-large chances after three straight losses.

“We’re the most excited 5-4 team in the country,” WSU guard Fred VanVleet said. “We’re getting back to the way we play and we’re doing it the right way.”

That means defense and efficient offense and the Shockers put on another impressive display in Saturday’s 67-50 dismantling of No. 25 Utah at soldout Intrust Bank Arena. WSU won its 36th straight home game (three at the downtown arena) and its 35th straight non-conference home game (five downtown).

The Utes (7-2) committed 12 first-half turnovers, while making six baskets, and finished with 19 turnovers, 14 baskets and five assists. WSU scored 25 points off those turnovers. The Shockers held the Utes, who averaged 82.1 points, to their lowest total of the season.

“Bad decisions,” Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said. “Weak passes.”

WSU’s center combination of Shaq Morris, Bush Wamukota and Rauno Nurger kept the ball away from Utah’s Jakob Poeltl with physical, denying defense. Poeltl, who tired quickly during his 31 minutes, scored 11 points, 10 off his average.

WSU’s perimeter defenders hustled to deflect passes and obstruct three-point shooters. The Shockers took advantage of shaky ball-handling by Utes guard Brandon Taylor, who finished with six turnovers and learned the cost of casual dribbling or passing while VanVleet and Ron Baker are near.

The Shockers (5-4) committed three turnovers – two of them charging calls on VanVleet – and made 10 of 25 three-pointers for a season-best 40 percent accuracy.

Since that three-game losing streak in late November, WSU has won three straight, holding Saint Louis, UNLV and Utah under 54 points, forcing an average of 18.3 turnovers while committing an average of seven.

With VanVleet back from a strained left hamstring, WSU improved its defense and, as it so often works, the offense followed. VanVleet’s return tells a lot of the story, but not all.

“Really having that dog mentality, and that’s what we’ve needed,” sophomore Zach Brown said. “Get what’s yours. You see a junkyard dog and you know that dog’s mean. You want to stay away from him. That’s the kind of mindset we’ve got to have.”

Two weeks ago, the Shockers looked lost unless VanVleet or Baker scored big. On Saturday, Baker scored seven points, VanVleet 10 and both contributed in many other ways. Outside of a second-half cooldown, the offense rarely faltered because Brown made 5 of 7 shots for 14 points and freshman Markis McDuffie added 14, making 4 of 5 threes.

Utah cut out turnovers early in the second half to cut WSU’s lead to 39-35, opening the half on a 15-6 run. The Shockers blunted that momentum with a basket by Shaq Morris, off a set play, and Markis McDuffie’s four-point play for a 45-35 lead.

McDuffie’s four-point play with 13:09 to play signaled the end of Utah’s second-half rally. The Utes cut WSU’s 13-point lead to four and trailed 41-35 when McDuffie rose up for a jumper from the wing. Utah’s Brekkott Chapman knocked him down to draw the foul and McDuffie jumped up to celebrate, flashing three fingers to the crowd. His foul shot made it 45-35 and the Shockers embarked on a game-clinching 11-3 run.

McDuffie, who made two threes earlier in the second half, admitted to granting himself heat-check priorities on the shot.

“To be honest, I thought it was a bad shot,” he said. “But considering I just made the last two, I just said ‘Why don’t I go for it?’ When I got up and saw the crowd going crazy, I just got hyped.”

Wichita State played its best half of the season to build a 33-20 halftime lead. It committed one turnover, a charging foul on VanVleet. It forced 12 Utah turnovers, while holding the Utes to 6-of-16 shooting.

WSU improved to 6-0 at Intrust Bank Arena, adding Utah to the list of victims that includes Tulsa, UAB, Southern Mississippi, Tennessee and Saint Louis. More important, it is 3-0 in December and with each win repairs more of the damage done in November.

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Wichita State cruises past No. 25 Utah (+videos)."