Shockers crush South Florida to stay unbeaten in AAC

Sunday
Jan 7, 2018 at 7:46 PM Jan 7, 2018 at 7:47 PM

By Taylor EldridgeThe Wichita Eagle

WICHITA (TNS) — Blowouts are back in style at Koch Arena.

No. 9 Wichita State sent its second straight American Athletic Conference home with a double-digit defeat on Sunday afternoon, dispatching South Florida, 95-57, three days after beating Houston by 18. The Shockers (13-2, 3-0 AAC) won their 27th straight game at Koch Arena, while USF (7-10, 0-4) lost its fourth straight game.

The Shockers encountered little resistance from South Florida, as they finished the game shooting 62.7 percent. WSU was shooting over 70 percent for the first 35 minutes and flirted with the school record mark of 66.7 percent set in Dec. 17, 1987 against Austin Peay. A 1-for-9 stretch to end the game kept WSU out of the history books.

Shaquille Morris led three WSU players in double-digits with 15 points, while Zach Brown made all five of his shots for 13 points, and Markis McDuffie came off the bench to hit four 3-pointers and score 12 points. Landry Shamet and Austin Reaves each had seven assists for WSU.

Just like the Houston game on Thursday, the game against South Florida was decided by halftime. WSU led 51-20, its fifth-largest halftime lead, thanks to 75 percent shooting, a record in the Gregg Marshall era.

WSU ripped off a 13-2 run midway through the first half with all points scored by McDuffie, Darral Willis, and Rauno Nurger, as the Shockers lead ballooned to 27-8 with 8:23 remaining in the first half. Not long after, WSU went on a 13-4 run before halftime to establish the 31-point lead.

Willis, McDuffie, Brown, Samajae Haynes-Jones, and Rashard Kelly combined to make all 15 of their attempts in the first half.

Making the performance more impressive was the fact that the team's leading scorer, Shamet, did not score and was 0 for 1 in the first half. Shamet finished with three points and seven assists in 22 minutes.

Morris scored seven straight points to begin the second half on a post move, a dunk and a 3-pointer.

But the second half was largely uneventful, save for the moments when freshman 7-footer Asbjorn Midtgaard was the floor. Fans cheered raucously every time he touched the ball and roared their approval after he set a pick that sent a USF player to the ground.

The 95 points was the most allowed by South Florida this season.

Senior Rashard Kelly won his 100th game at WSU, becoming just the sixth player in program history to reach the milestone.

Conner Frankamp missed his second game of the season, sitting out Sunday due to a stomach bug with Reaves taking his place.

Wichita State will return to action on Thursday when it travels to East Carolina.

Sunday
Jan 7, 2018 at 7:46 PM Jan 7, 2018 at 7:47 PM

By Taylor EldridgeThe Wichita Eagle

WICHITA (TNS) — Blowouts are back in style at Koch Arena.

No. 9 Wichita State sent its second straight American Athletic Conference home with a double-digit defeat on Sunday afternoon, dispatching South Florida, 95-57, three days after beating Houston by 18. The Shockers (13-2, 3-0 AAC) won their 27th straight game at Koch Arena, while USF (7-10, 0-4) lost its fourth straight game.

The Shockers encountered little resistance from South Florida, as they finished the game shooting 62.7 percent. WSU was shooting over 70 percent for the first 35 minutes and flirted with the school record mark of 66.7 percent set in Dec. 17, 1987 against Austin Peay. A 1-for-9 stretch to end the game kept WSU out of the history books.

Shaquille Morris led three WSU players in double-digits with 15 points, while Zach Brown made all five of his shots for 13 points, and Markis McDuffie came off the bench to hit four 3-pointers and score 12 points. Landry Shamet and Austin Reaves each had seven assists for WSU.

Just like the Houston game on Thursday, the game against South Florida was decided by halftime. WSU led 51-20, its fifth-largest halftime lead, thanks to 75 percent shooting, a record in the Gregg Marshall era.

WSU ripped off a 13-2 run midway through the first half with all points scored by McDuffie, Darral Willis, and Rauno Nurger, as the Shockers lead ballooned to 27-8 with 8:23 remaining in the first half. Not long after, WSU went on a 13-4 run before halftime to establish the 31-point lead.

Willis, McDuffie, Brown, Samajae Haynes-Jones, and Rashard Kelly combined to make all 15 of their attempts in the first half.

Making the performance more impressive was the fact that the team's leading scorer, Shamet, did not score and was 0 for 1 in the first half. Shamet finished with three points and seven assists in 22 minutes.

Morris scored seven straight points to begin the second half on a post move, a dunk and a 3-pointer.

But the second half was largely uneventful, save for the moments when freshman 7-footer Asbjorn Midtgaard was the floor. Fans cheered raucously every time he touched the ball and roared their approval after he set a pick that sent a USF player to the ground.

The 95 points was the most allowed by South Florida this season.

Senior Rashard Kelly won his 100th game at WSU, becoming just the sixth player in program history to reach the milestone.

Conner Frankamp missed his second game of the season, sitting out Sunday due to a stomach bug with Reaves taking his place.

Wichita State will return to action on Thursday when it travels to East Carolina.