FORT WORTH (GoShockers.com) – Corey Washington and Bijan Cortes both recorded 20-point performances to keep Wichita State’s season alive in a 73-68 win over 9th-seeded South Florida in the second round of the American Athletic Conference Championship.
Wichita State (19-13) advances to Friday’s quarterfinals where they will face top-seeded Memphis at Noon on ESPN2.
Washington scored a game-high 21 to go with nine rebounds on 8-of-16 shooting and a season-best 4-of-6 from three-point range. Cortes recorded a career-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. He dished out seven assists and finished with zero turnovers.
Quincy Ballard was a force on the glass and the defensive end. He pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked five shots, all in the first half.
Not known for its three-point shooting, Wichita State knocked down nine three-pointers, tied for second most in a game this season.
Wichita State started the game locked in on both ends, quickly building a 12-4 lead. The Shockers forced South Florida into missing six of its first eight attempts. After a South Florida bucket cut it to 12-6, Wichita State stretched its lead to double digits for the first time following a Ballard tip-in and Beverly wing three-pointer.
South Florida came back with seven straight only to see the Shockers answer back with an 8-2 run, all from Washington and Cortes. The duo traded three-pointers and then connected on an alley-oop to make it 24-14 with 8:09 left in the half.
Following a South Florida timeout, the Bulls pulled within two on an 8-0 spurt with 4:39 left until halftime. In the span of 2:09, Wichita State had already pushed it back to a 10-point game thanks to back-to-back Washington three-pointers.
With 40 seconds left Cortes gave the Shockers their largest lead of the half, 38-26. Two South Florida free throws just before the buzzer made it 38-28 at halftime.
The duo of Washington (13) and Cortes (11) combined for 24 of Wichita State’s 38 points in the first half.
Wichita State kept its foot on the gas to begin the second half, extending its lead to 16, its largest of the game, just 3:13 in. Three-pointers from Washington and Ronnie DeGray III had the Shockers’ offense in high gear.
The Shockers continued to hold a double-digit lead at the halfway mark until South Florida slowly started to chip away. For the first time all half the lead was down to single digits with 8:50 to go.
Then with 4:55 remaining, South Florida found itself within four, 62-58, erasing a 16-point second half deficit.
After a Cortes layup made it 64-58, the Bulls made it a one-possession game at the final media timeout.
A defensive stop, followed by a three-point play from Cortes put Wichita State up 67-61. Over the final 2:37 it would remain at least a two-possession game. Two South Florida free throws made it 71-66 with just 26 seconds to go.
