Razing Arizona: Wichita State crumbles Wildcats with its defense 65-55

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall warned everybody the NCAA selection committee underseeded.

The 11th-seeded Shockers stated that case with an emphatic defensive effort in a 65-55 win over No. 6 Arizona on Thursday at the Dunkin Donuts Center. Wichita State’s defense rattled Arizona from start to finish and the Wildcats looked largely unprepared to deal with a team willing to dive on the floor, swarm big men and take charges.

Wichita State (26-8) advances to play third-seeded Miami (26-7) at 11:10 a.m. Saturday in the second round. The winner advances to the Sweet 16 and will play on Thursday in Louisville, Ky.

“It’s all about the team that you’re playing, not the number in front of it,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “That’s what I love about the NCAA Tournament. That’s what our players love. We get an opportunity to play an Arizona.”

And an opportunity to jump back into the national spotlight by taking down another elite program. WSU handed Arizona its worst loss since 2013 and barely needed to make a three-pointer.

“Their defense is unbelievable,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they go on and do some special things.”

The Shockers held the Wildcats to their lowest total of the season by forcing turnovers, disrupting Arizona’s offense and holding up to repeated attempts to overwhelm with height. The Wildcats ended the first half with 10 turnovers and six baskets. They ended the game with 20 baskets and 19 turnovers, a margin usually reserved for Bradley or Drake.

“They made it tough on every play to try and get a bucket,” Arizona guard Gabe York said.

Fittingly, WSU’s Ron Baker ended Arizona’s last gasp at a rally by blowing up a handoff, deflecting the ball off York’s thigh and out of bound to preserve a 60-51 lead. Two Fred VanVleet foul shots made it 62-51 with 48.4 seconds to go.

VanVleet led WSU with 16 points and Ron Baker added 13. The Shockers won despite missing 17 of 20 three-pointers. They committed six turnovers and outscored the Wildcats by five points at the line.

Conner Frankamp and Markis McDuffie both scored 10 points off the bench.

Kadeem Allen led Arizona with 11 points. The Shockers held their own against Arizona big men Kaleb Tarczewski and Ryan Anderson, holding Tarczewski to three baskets and Anderson without an offensive rebound or a foul shot.

“Big-time effort, big-time game plan,” VanVleet said. “You’re talking about coaches that are skipping sleep and locking in this time of year.”

The Shockers are in the second round of the tournament for the fourth straight season and are 9-3 in the NCAAs in that span.

Arizona (25-9) lost in the first round for the first time since a 2008 defeat to West Virginia, upset by a lower seed for the first time since 2007, when the eighth-seeded Wildcats lost to ninth-seeded Purdue.

The Shockers led 31-19 at halftime, holding the Wildcats under 20 in a half for the first time since 2009. Things didn’t get much in the second half.

WSU’s defense continued to rattle the Wildcats after halftime. Four of the first five possessions ended with a turnover. VanVleet stripped the ball from a careless big man. Rashard Kelly took a charge. Anderson, trapped, threw the ball out of bound and complained to the referee after.

That provided one of many signals that Wichita State’s defense controlled the game, frustrating and bewildering an opponent that didn’t look prepared to face such hustle and anger.

The Shockers built their lead to 53-29 before slumping. WSU’s fatigue and foul trouble helped Arizona rally, cutting the lead to 53-40 on a dunk by Ryan Anderson. The Shockers missed five straight shots, and the front end of a one-and-one to give the Wildcats life with 7:48 to play.

WSU pressed and caused a jump ball on Arizona’s first possession, signaling that the Shockers didn’t respect its ballhandling. They forced six turnovers on their way to 23-15 lead.

The Shockers trailed 7-6 when VanVleet sped down the court for a layup to start a 13-2 run, helped by two hustling defensive plays by McDuffie. He stripped the ball from Dusan Ristic in the post, leading to his layup and a 12-7 lead. He dove on the floor to steal a lazy pass by Mark Tollefsen, and although it didn’t lead to a score it showed what the Shockers were willing to do.

A three-pointer by Frankamp put WSU up 15-8. Shaq Morris’ follow shot made it 17-9. VanVleet’s basket gave the Shockers a 10-point lead before Arizona stopped the run with a three by York.

A three by Allonzo Trier cut WSU’s lead to 19-15. The Shockers missed seven of eight shots before VanVleet’s Euro-step layup started a 12-4 run to end the half.

This story was originally published March 17, 2016 at 11:05 PM with the headline "Razing Arizona: Wichita State crumbles Wildcats with its defense 65-55."