The Wichita State Shockers (13-2 3-0 AAC), looking for their fifth straight win, forced 13 first half turnovers, jumping out to a big lead at halftime & beat the USF Bulls (7-10 0-4 AAC) 95-57. The Shockers shot 60% from the three point line for the game, while the Bulls lost their fourth straight overall.
The first basket of the game took over 90 seconds, scored by Guard Justin Brown, giving the Bulls an early 2-0 lead. The Shockers followed that Brown jumper with the next eight points of the game including five points from Guard Austin Reaves. Bulls' Guard Stephan Jiggetts ended that Shockers 10-0 run but Wichita State took a 10 point lead after Forward Markis McDuffie hit a three pointer.
The Shockers 14-4 lead quickly increased to a 15 point lead with just under 10 minutes left in the first half after McDuffie added another three pointer, followed by baskets from Forward Darral Willis & Center Rauno Nurger. The second Shockers' 10-0 run in the half ended after Bulls Guard David Collins made a layup but only after McDuffie buried another three pointer.
The next seven minutes of play included a few more shorter runs & strong shooting by the Shockers. Before the Bulls took a timeout with a little more than three minutes left in the first half, the Shockers added another three pointer from McDuffie, who was 3 for 3 on three pointers in the first 20 minutes & five points from Forward Zach Brown.
The 26 point lead the Shockers had at the three minute mark increased to 31 at the end of the first half with the Shockers shooting nearly 78%, while the Bulls shot 29% & committed more turnovers, 13 than made baskets 8, in the first half.
Trailing 51-20 at the start of the second half, the Bulls, who scored the first basket of the game, which led to their only lead of the game, didn't get their first points of the final 20 minutes until over one minute was gone. And before the Bulls could score six straight points before the first television timeout, the Shockers increased their lead to 39 points.
Before 10 minutes were left in the game, the Bulls outscored the Shockers 14-10 to cut Wichita State's lead down to 29. But the game's next eight points were scored by the Shockers, forcing the Bulls to take a timeout with over eight minutes left in the game.
After the Bulls' timeout, the team's traded baskets until the Shockers strung together a 10-3 run, paced by Guard C.J. Keyser's six points. And in the final six minutes of the game, the Shockers lead go to as high as 44 multiple times.
The Bulls look to end their four game losing streak when they host #19 ranked Cincinnati on Saturday at 7PM.