A strong second half propelled the Wichita State men’s basketball team to a 84-78 win over Southern Methodist University in Dallas today.

The Shockers stretched a two-point halftime lead into a 17-point lead late in the game behind Junior forward Markis McDuffie, who scored 17 of his career-high-tying 26 points in the second half.

In the opening seconds of the second half, McDuffie got things started with a steal and three-point play.

In the opening three-and-a-half minutes of the second half, McDuffie scored nine of Wichita State’s 11 points.

Senior center Shaquille Morris added 21 points, marking his sixth straight double-digit performance.

Head Coach Gregg Marshall said Morris’ performance over the last six games has been “the best stretch” he has ever seen from Morris.

SMU played the game with only seven scholarship players as much of their original roster, including star guard Shake Milton, have succumbed to injuries. The loss marks the sixth for SMU in its last seven. The Mustangs, who were picked fourth in the American preseason coaches’ poll, currently stand at ninth.

The win avenged a home loss from last month when SMU handed WSU its first American conference. Coming into the matchup, the Mustangs were the only American conference opponent the Shockers had yet to defeat. With two games left in the regular season, WSU has defeated each of its eleven conference opponents at least once.

The Shockers move to 23-5 (13-3) on the season, one half-game behind Cincinnati for first in The American.

Up next for WSU is a road matchup with UCF in Orlando, Fla. Thursday. The Shockers will finish the regular season March 1 with a home matchup against conference-leading Cincinnati.