WICHITA, Kan. (GoShockers.com) – Wichita State went toe-to-toe with North Texas, who entered the night tied atop the league standings, but ultimately came up a few plays short in a 58-54 loss Wednesday night in Charles Koch Arena.
Wichita State (11-10, 1-7) saw its losing streak stretch to four in a row, while dropping to 1-7 in American play for the second straight season.
North Texas came into the game as one of the stingiest defenses in the country, ranking fourth nationally in scoring defense. The Shockers finished the night shooting 36 percent from the field and 3-of-15 from three-point range. Wichita State was also outrebounded by 10, including 13 North Texas offensive rebounds.
For the first time since the Florida game in November, Wichita State was outscored in the paint, 32-30.
Xavier Bell led all scorers with 19 points, but was held to just 4-of-17 from the floor. He was a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line. Corey Washington and Justin Hill added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Quincy Ballard grabbed 13 rebounds to go with eight points and a season-high six blocks.
Wichita State had to burn its first timeout midway through the first half after North Texas opened up an 18-6 lead. The Shockers missed 10 of their first 12 field goal attempts.
After the slow start, Wichita State finally started to settle in, cutting the deficit to six just before halftime. Despite North Texas taking a 30-24 lead into the half, Wichita State built some momentum to close the first 20 minutes.
To open the second half Wichita State scored points on its first nine possessions to turn a six-point halftime deficit into a three-point lead. Wichita State capped a 14-5 run on a Washington fast break layup to give the Shockers a 38-35 lead.
Over the next five minutes Wichita State would continue to hold a slight lead until North Texas tied it up at 45 with 11:56 remaining. A 6-0 run for the Mean Green pushed them back in front, but only for 54 seconds as Bell put the Shockers on top, 48-47.
Leading 50-47, Wichita State went cold at the wrong time. They would score just four points over the final 7:42, and didn’t make a field goal until a Ballard dunk made it 56-54 with 1:33 to go.
Following a North Texas timeout, the Mean Green got in the paint one last time, connecting on a Brenen Lorient layup to push the margin back to four. The ensuing Wichita State possession ended in a missed three-pointer with 45 seconds left. A defensive stand prevented any further separation, but the Shockers wouldn’t get the ball back until just 12 seconds left. A rushed final possession ended in a Bell three-point heave off the back iron just before the buzzer.
Up Next
Wichita State heads back out on the road for two in a row, beginning at Charlotte on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
