Wichita State wins 13th straight game over Bradley, 88-54 (+videos)

Wichita State’s Ty Taylor can see now that he wasn’t ready to play in November, wasn’t ready for the speed or complexity of the game.

“Based on the way I was playing early, I didn’t deserve to play,” he said. “I didn’t deserve it all, so I had to prove myself in practice. I knew I would get another opportunity.”

Practices are where he needs to get better, as does fellow freshman Eric Hamilton. Injuries forced both to play significant minutes in November, a dark time for the Shockers. When WSU’s roster stabilized, their playing time slipped and they spent most of the past eight weeks working in practice.

On Saturday, they faced Bradley, a team full of freshman forced into difficult roles. The Shockers won 88-54 at Koch Arena, their 13th straight win over the Braves.

WSU (14-5, 8-0 Missouri Valley Conference) won its ninth straight game and could return to the national rankings on Monday. It won its 41st straight home game, the fourth-longest streak in MVC history. Bradley (3-18, 1-7) continued its longest losing streak against a Valley opponent.

Taylor, a guard from Grandview, Mo., played 13 minutes and scored four points on 2-of-7 shooting. Hamilton, a forward from Atlanta, scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in eight minutes. The mismatch allowed WSU coach Gregg Marshall to play both more than normal.

“They’ve been playing well and that’s why they got a chance to get in there today,” Marshall said. “They get an opportunity today to, not only play with the third group, but with some regular guys, as well.”

Taylor used his time out of the rotation to watch senior Fred VanVleet and continue to learn point guard. After playing two minutes at Saint Louis, he didn’t play in four straight games. The decrease in time hurt at first, but talking with VanVleet helped and he leaned on his parents for encouragement.

“It was really tough earlier,” he said. “I changed my attitude about it and tried to flip it to a positive — I’m not out there looking crazy. I’m learning before I get on the court now.”

Taylor used the time out of the lineup to regain his confidence and understand that while VanVleet is a worthy role model, they are different players. Taylor came to WSU as an excellent shooter who is learning the nuances of playing point guard, chief among them creating shots for teammates.

“Sitting out, it gave me a different perspective,” Taylor said. “I got to watch Fred several games in a row, seeing the decisions he makes. I applied that in practice and I feel like I’ve had some of my best practices within the past four weeks.”

Hamilton is also happy with his work in recent practices. He is an intriguing bundle of fast-twitch talent, with a determination to rebound and a good shooting touch. In preseason practices, Marshall described him as a menace to teammates with his helter-skelter approach.

“When I came in, I was a little bit behind the learning curve as far as playing team basketball,” he said. “I feel as though over the last four games, when I get in, I’m more under control. I’m playing within the offense. I take shots that come to me, instead of forcing them.”

Bradley coach Brian Wardle, with 10 freshmen on his roster of 11 healthy players, doesn’t enjoy the luxury of watching rookies learn at a comfortable pace. On Saturday, the Shockers showed them how a heavy favorite takes its opponent seriously.

WSU’s Shaq Morris started the rout with a steal near half-court. He dribbled the rest of the way and dunked to a roar from the crowd, producing a 4-0 lead. Wardle called timeout with 2:12 expired.

“The environment got to us right away,” he said. “Their team got to us. They not only have talent, talented players, but they play extremely hard. They’re tough. They don’t stop. I was teaching my team about them in the second half.”

It took Bradley 4:10 to score, a free throw by guard Ronnie Suggs. Suggs made a jump shot with 15:11 to play, allowing the standing fans to stop clapping briefly and sit.

By that time, WSU led 10-3 and established its pace and defense.

Van Bree made two three-pointers to cut WSU’s lead to 17-9. WSU’s 6-2 run pushed the lead to 23-11, soon to be 31-17 and worse. It led 44-21 at halftime and started the second half with a 13-3 run.

Wichita State handled Bradley in the manner that is now routine in this ancient rivalry. Eleven of those 13 consecutive wins are by 14 or more points and nine by 20 or more.

Fred VanVleet led WSU with 13 points, four steals and four assists. Ron Baker added 12 points and three steals.

Suggs led Bradley with 14 points and Luuk van Bree added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Bradley made 18 of 41 shots and committed 20 turnovers, leading to 31 WSU points. The Shockers shot 49 percent from the field and out-rebounded Bradley 39-24.

This story was originally published January 23, 2016 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Wichita State wins 13th straight game over Bradley, 88-54 (+videos)."