Shocker report: Miami 65, WSU 57

Saturday’s box score

Change it up to change the game

Wichita State rarely uses zone defenses. On Saturday, preparing the 3-2 for the Hurricanes almost saved the season.

Miami rolled to a 27-6 lead with its guards beating the Shockers to the rim and its defense creating havoc. WSU went to a zone and started to rally.

“We knew we were going to switch up the defenses on them, but we didn’t know it was going to be that much,” forward Rashard Kelly said. “When we saw it work time and time again, it started causing turnovers, we decided to stick with it.”

WSU’s Ron Baker rattled in a three to stop the Hurricanes; burst and a switch to zone defense changed the tone. Miami further aided the Shockers with a series of bad passes, errant lobs and quick shots. An 11-0 run, capped by Shaq Morris’ basket, rallied WSU to within 27-17.

“They’re better drivers than shooting threes,” WSU forward Markis McDuffie said. “We had to get in our zone just to slow them down, get them to pass the ball around and try to shoot threes. We kind of got back in the game off that, got some turnovers.”

Hurricanes take over early

Miami ended four days of feel-good basketball and hype for the low seeds from low-profile conferences from the tip

It overwhelmed the Shockers with a fiery man-to-man defense, forcing the Shockers into tough shots and deep into the shot clock. WSU started with an Evan Wessel airball as the shot clock ticked away. Its next possession ended with Baker missing near the end of the 30-second clock.

“Their defensive strength is punching teams in the mouth and getting off to great starts defensively,” Miami’s Davon Reed said. “We wanted to come out and hit them in the mouth first and be scrappy with them.”

The Hurricanes led 11-4 and then WSU’s turnover problems started with a charging call on Fred VanVleet. The Shockers botched an inbound play. Baker lost the ball trying to create late in the shot clock. On it went and Miami bolted to an 18-4 lead, eventually leading 27-6.

“They got out and disrupted our timing and our rhythm a little bit, forced some uncharacteristic turnovers, and it just fueled them,” VanVleet said.

Miami led 32-19 at halftime after forcing 10 turnovers and scoring 15 points off those Shockers mistakes. The Hurricanes made 12 of 20 shots with Angel Rodriguez dominating the ball for 16 points, on 7-of-7 shooting, with one assists, six turnovers and three steals.

WSU shot 24.1 percent, making 7 of 29 shots after starting 1 of 11 in the first half.

Shockers can’t sneak up on Miami

Wichita State dominated sixth-seeded Arizona on Thursday. Miami had a tough time with 14th-seeded Buffalo before winning 79-72.

That set the stage for Friday’s questions, many of which focused on WSU’s defense and toughness. Vegas odds made the Shockers a 2 1/2-point favorite.

“It was crazy that we were the No. 3 seed and they were the No. 11 seed and we were the underdog,” Miami’s Ja’Quan Newton said. “We came out with an edge, fighting, and we came out with a chip on our shoulder because everybody was writing us off.”

Add it all up and the Hurricanes had every reason to feel neglected.

“I think we played better in the first game than they did against Buffalo, so we were getting a lot of the attention,” VanVleet said. “I said it yesterday, anytime you’ve got great players matching up, it’s about who plays the best.”

Rodriguez led that opening burst by scoring his team’s first seven points and assisting on the next basket. He scored 13 of Miami’s points as the Hurricanes built an 18-4 lead.

“He went and took it,” VanVleet said. “I’ve been there on the other end where, I mean, it seems like everything’s coming easy and it just propels you. I definitely know what was in his mind.”

Miami coach Jim Larranaga suggested they rename Dunkin’ Donuts Center as Angel Rodriguez Park.

“Playing against VanVleet and Ron Baker, a backcourt that may be by some experts considered the best backcourt in America, he and Sheldon (McClellan) were very locked in to compete at the highest level,” Larranaga said.

Not in my coaching manual

Larranaga claims he started the game with one technical foul in five seasons at Miami.

He will remember No. 2. It happened in the second half with 11:38 to play and the Shockers making a run. Larranaga complained after a Shaq Morris dunk cut his team’s lead to 42-39 and Rodriguez followed that with a bad shot.

“I don’t think coaches should get technical fouls,” Larranaga said. “I believe you should have poise and show your team that you’re cool, calm and collected.”

At that moment, however, the Hurricanes needed something else.

“I wanted to let the players know ‘Listen, we need to fight right now and I’m going to fight for you,’” he said. “I think it snapped our guys out of the doldrums and got them aggressive again.”

Worth noting

Shockers coach Gregg Marshall ended the season collecting a $20,000 bonus for a winning Missouri Valley Conference record, $35,000 for a 20-win season, $18,000 for the MVC title and $36,000 for each of the three NCAA Tournament games. Saturday’s defeat denied him a $60,000 Sweet 16 bonus.… Baker went 5 for 18 from three-point range in three NCAA games, dropping him to 23 of 63 (36.5 percent) in 13 games. VanVleet went 3 for 16 and is 9 for 42 (21.4 percent) in 13 games. The Shockers went 16 for 61 (26.2 percent) from three in the tournament. They made 44 of 58 foul shots (75.8 percent). … Miami leads the series 2-0, also winning in 1988. … The Shockers fall to 17-14 in 13 NCAA Tournaments and won two or more games for the sixth time. The NCAA seeded teams for 10 of those appearances and WSU won games as a double-digit seed for the first time in three opportunities. The No. 11 seed is WSU’s lowest since the 1988 team lost as a No. 12 seed to DePaul. … Miami is 8-7 in eight NCAA trips. It advances to the Sweet 16 for the third time, also in 2000 and 2013.

Paul Suellentrop

This story was originally published March 19, 2016 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Shocker report: Miami 65, WSU 57."