Wichita State routs Nevada with record night at free-throw line (+videos)

Back to the free-throw line, the Wichita State Shockers went again and again. They shot 62 free throws and made 44, a history-making effort that nobody seemed to enjoy all that much.

“You get to the line that much, you’re setting yourself up for good things,” WSU guard Fred VanVleet said. “I’m going to be completely honest. I feel like we do the same thing every game, and sometimes they call it and sometimes they don’t.”

Tuesday, Paul Janssen, Terry Davis and Jeff Campbell called it over and over again in WSU’s 98-69 win over Nevada at Koch Arena. The teams combined for 61 fouls, the Shockers outscored the Wolf Pack by 23 points at the line and three Nevada players fouled out.

The Shockers (6-5) won their 37th straight home game and 36th straight home non-conference game with a season-high 51.1 percent shooting performance.

Guard Ron Baker led Wichita State with 17 points, making all seven of his free throws, and VanVleet added 13 and six assists. He made 10 of 12 free throws. Zach Brown scored 13 points, making 11 of 12 free throws.

Nevada (8-4) entered the game with excellent defensive statistics, compiled against a weak schedule that included two NCAA Division II victories. They departed with those stats in decline, doomed by 38 personal fouls and three technicals.

Sophomore guard Eric Cooper scored 13 points for Nevada. Senior guard Marqueze Coleman added 10.

Nevada coach Eric Musselman started his post-game remarks by declining comment on fouls and referees, then redirected many of his answers back to fouls and referees.

What choice did he have?

“We came up short in one area,” he said. “I guess they really cut hard. We’ve been in some foul trouble this year, but not like that. We almost ran out of players.”

In 1954, WSU shot 62 free throws in a 91-61 win over Detroit. In 1986, it lost a double-overtime game to Fordham 91-88 despite making 40 free throws. In 1967, it defeated Arizona State 122-105 by making 40 free throws.

In 2015-16, records at the foul line seem possible on a regular basis with referees tasked with taking physical play away from the defense and players trying to adjust to different crews and different levels of sensitivity to contact.

For the Shockers, it provided a helpful change from Saturday’s 80-76 overtime loss at Seton Hall, in which it was outscored by 16 points at the line.

“This is the way college basketball is now,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “You just never know what you’re going to get. At least we got to the line a few times, which we did not on Saturday.”

WSU led 44-29 at halftime and started the second half on a 15-6 run that frazzled the Wolf Pack.

A technical on the Nevada bench gave Baker two foul shots with 14:31 to play for a 59-35 lead.

Coleman earned a technical foul late in the game after complaining about a non-call. Nevada center Chris Oliver bantered with WSU’s student section, telling fans to quiet down after dunks and free throws, while his team trailed by 20 points. Soon after Coleman’s technical, teammate Kaileb Rodriguez drew one.

Marshall felt comfortable enough to play walk-on John Robert Simon in the first half, and he responded with a three-pointer. Walk-on Zach Bush and freshman Eric Hamilton played for the first time in four games.

Musselman had many sources of frustrations. VanVleet penetrated easily, which started the Wolf Pack on a path toward disastrous foul trouble. With VanVleet in fine form, the Shockers enjoyed plenty of easy shots and set the pace for the entire game.

Wichita State shredded Nevada’s previously lockdown defense in the first half. The Shockers, with VanVleet penetrating to pass and draw fouls, made 14 of 24 shots and 13 of 19 free throws.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 9:25 PM with the headline "Wichita State routs Nevada with record night at free-throw line (+videos)."