Shockers rebound with 30-point win over Southern Nazarene

Kylie Cameron, Reporter|November 30, 2016

Wichita+State+Rashard+Kelly+%280%29+goes+for+a+layup+in+the+first+half+against+Southern+Nazaerene+at+Koch+Arena+on+Tuesday+evening.

BRIAN HAYES

Wichita State Rashard Kelly (0) goes for a layup in the first half against Southern Nazaerene at Koch Arena on Tuesday evening.

After going 1-2 in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, the Shockers came back with a 30 point win over Southern Nazarene University on Tuesday night. The game was head coach Gregg Marshall’s 600th coached game.

“We needed this game after the weekend,” Marshall said. “I don’t know how much better we got tonight, but it’s a 30 point win so we’ll take it.”

Junior Rauno Nurger got the Shockers on the board first and turned back around with an assist to junior Rashard Kelly to start off the first half. After another bucket by Kelly, redshirt freshman Landry Shamet had back-to-back threes putting the Shockers up for a 14-2 run.

Kelly and junior Zach Brown ended the first half with back-to-back threes making the score 50-24. Shamet was the leading scorer in the first half with 11 points.

“This was a game to get our groove back and bounce back to where we need to be,” Brown said. “And I feel like we did that pretty well in the first half.”

The Shockers had difficulty scoring in the first three minutes of the second half, but were finally able to get back on the board with a shot from sophomore Markis McDuffie and then a three by Brown, 55-31.

Freshmen CJ Keyser and Brett Barney both contributed points in the end to lock in the Shockers win 87-57.

“This game was used to make sure we do all the things we need to do to get better,” Morris said. “Knowing that we’re going to watch film over this to make sure that all the big, little things that we can do to be in the right spots and execute on that.”

After scoring only one point in their last game against Michigan State, Morris came back to score 15 in Tuesday’s game. Brown also scored 13 points and Shamet, McDuffie, and Willis all pitched in 11 points.

“We wanted both of those wins really bad in the Bahamas,” Shamet said. “Me personally, I know I didn’t shoot or play very well so [I’m] just trying to stay confident and positive and do what coach (Marshall) has been telling me to do.”

On Saturday, the Shockers will play their first true road game against Colorado State as part of the Missouri Valley Conference- Mountain West Challenge Series at 4 p.m.