Three games into the season, Loyola-Chicago offered Wichita State men’s basketball its toughest early test. For the opening minutes Thursday night, it looked like the old Missouri Valley Conference foes might rekindle their classic battles.
But once the Shockers settled in, they seized control and never let go, cruising to a 95-74 victory.
Wichita State (3-0) built a 15-point lead midway through the first half and maintained its edge throughout. Despite fielding 12 newcomers, the Shockers are playing with the cohesion of a veteran squad, outscoring opponents 275-194 through three games.
“We’re a connected team,” redshirt junior center Will Berg said. “I think that’s been a big emphasis for all of us all summer; building a bond and chemistry between everyone, and I think you can see that pretty clearly.”
That connection was most evident on the perimeter. Senior guard Kenyon Giles led all scorers with 24 points on 7-of-8 3-pointers. Remarkably, all his shots were from beyond the arc. Seniors Mike Gray Jr. and Karon Boyd, junior Dre Kindell and Berg combined for 52 points, underscoring another balanced attack.
The display of balance resulted in 17 assists to two turnovers. 17 assists on 33 made buckets at that.
“I’m happy that they understand the value of the next pass,” Wichita State head coach Paul Mills said. “Seventeen to two is a pretty good assist-to-turnover ratio.”
The Shockers set a program-record 16 threes made and went 50% from deep. It became contagious, as even Berg — the 7-foot-2 center — joined in on the barrage, shooting two shots from distance despite not making one. After the game, Giles and Gray laughed when they were told they accounted for more than half of the team’s 3-point attempts.
“Watching him get going,” Gray said of Giles, “and feeding off it, you know, the defense pulls at him (and) I get better looks. Getting going felt good.”
While the guards lit up the scoreboard, Wichita State’s frontcourt was equally imposing. Berg and senior Emmanuel Okorafor combined for 21 points and 16 rebounds and six blocks, holding their own against Loyola’s 6-foot-10 center Rubin Miles.
“That’s what you take a lot of pride in,” Mills said. “You have two guys who can show up and really impact the game. And the fact that they get those kinds of numbers against Miles Rubin — a premier center not only in the (Atlantic-10) but the whole country — and to have that caliber of play against a player like that (is huge).”
The game wasn’t flawless. Loyola (1-3) struck early with sharp ball movement and timely threes, forcing Wichita State to adjust defensively. But after an 8-0 run midway through the first half, the Shockers established a double-digit cushion and never looked back.
“When they jumped out with eight points at the snap of a finger, I thought that we kind of dialed back in and understood what we needed to do,” Mills said. “We needed to defend without fouling — that wasn’t happening. That got better there in the second half.”
In the second half, Wichita State’s defense tightened, and the offense caught fire again. A 12-0 run stretched the lead to 22 points, effectively sealing the outcome. The Shockers’ final basket with just over two minutes left pushed the margin to 28 before Loyola trimmed it slightly in the closing moments.
Next up, the Shockers play their first game away from Koch Arena this season as they travel to Boise, Idaho, for a game against Boise State. Tipoff is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m.
Box score breakdown
WSU – 50; 45 – 95
Loyola – 36; 38 – 74
Shooting totals (fg-3p-ft)
WSU (48.5% – 50% – 68.4%)
Loyola (42.1% – 44% – 83.3%)
Leaders
Points — WSU: Kenyon Giles (24), Mike Gray Jr. (17), Will Berg (13). Loyola: Deywilk Tavarez (16), Chuck Love III (13), Rubin Miles (12).
Rebounds — WSU: Will Berg (10), Karon Boyd (6), Emmanuel Okorafor (6). Loyola: Rubin Miles (6), Joshua Ola-Joseph (4), Deywilk Tavarez (3).
Assists — WSU: Dre Kindell (7), TJ Williams (5), Karon Boyd (3), Mike Gray Jr. (1). Loyola: Justin Moore (7), Rubin Miles (2), Deywilk Tavarez (2).
