What to watch for: Wichita State returns to Koch Arena to host Oral Roberts
Wichita State senior Samajae Haynes-Jones celebrates after making a shot during their game on Dec. 15, 2018 at INTRUST Bank Arena.
Wichita State held off a 17-point rally by Southern Mississippi to go on their second two-game winning streak of the year.
The Shockers (6-4) return to their true home court on Wednesday to play host to Oral Roberts in their final home game of 2018.
A Shocker win would give WSU its first three-game winning streak of the season.
Oral Roberts is 4-9 with no notable wins. Its best win came at Richmond, who is ranked No. 189 in KenPom.
Oral Roberts is ranked No. 289 in KenPom, where WSU is ranked No. 116. Oral Roberts has lost to every opponent ranked inside the top-150 by double-digits.
Here’s what to look for:
Crunch time efficiency
Saturday was no different. The Shockers have not held their own in late game situations.
Wichita State guard Samajae Haynes-Jones takes a free throw after Southern Miss receives a flagrant foul during their game against Southern Miss on Dec. 15, 2018 at INTRUST Bank Arena.
Opponents have outscored the Shockers in the second half of their last three games. Baylor rallied from 33 points down to pull within two possessions in the second half. Other opponents have performed similarly.
As a team, WSU has shot 20 percent (6-30) from three within the last five minutes of games. They’ve committed 19 turnovers in that span, also.
Home court advantage
Freshman combo-guard Erik Stevenson has played significantly better at Koch Arena.
Wichita State guard Erik Stevenson takes a shot during their game against Southern Miss on Dec. 15, 2018 at INTRUST Bank Arena.
Stevenson has hit at least one three-pointer in all four games at Koch Arena. At home, Stevenson has shot 53.6 percent from the field and 48 percent from three. Outside of Koch Arena, Stevenson has struggled. At INTRUST Bank Arena he shot 1-9 from the field (1-6 from three).
PHOTOS: Wichita State goes on two-game winning streak after beating Southern Mississippi
Bench Minutes
Freshman Dexter Dennis will miss Wednesday’s game. He’s under concussion protocol for a fall he suffered during Saturday’s game against Southern Mississippi.
Wichita State freshman Dexter Dennis is fouled during their game against Southern Miss on Dec. 15, 2018 at INTRUST Bank Arena.
More Reading: Gregg Marshall addresses inexperience: “It’s what we’ve got.”
Wichita State freshman Dexter Dennis is checked on after being fouled during their game against Southern Miss on Dec. 15, 2018 at INTRUST Bank Arena.
Chance Moore, a freshman forward, announced his transfer from the program and is no longer a member of the team. Despite Moore’s 20 minutes of play, with Dexter’s absence, the Shockers depth shortens.
Rod Brown, a redshirt freshman, played six minutes against Southern Mississippi. He scored four points in that stretch. Brown will likely play more as the Shockers rotate forwards in the front court and experiment with three-guard rotations.
Former Shocker returns
Wichita State transfer Kaelen Malone is a member of Oral Roberts this season.
Wichita State Shockers guard Kaelen Malone points to the new state-of-the-art LED light system Wichita State had replaced in the summer after a making a free throw during the charity exhibition game against Newman.
Malone transferred from the Shockers last season after graduating. He’s played in 13 games for Oral Roberts, having started in seven. He’s averaging 8 points in 25 minutes of play.
The Shockers host Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Charles Koch Arena.
Wichita State junior Ricky Torres looks for a pass during their game against Southern Miss on Dec. 15, 2018 at INTRUST Bank Arena.
Marshall Sunner was the sports editor for The Sunflower. Sunner majored in communications with a journalism emphasis. He was born and raised in Hutchinson,...
Joseph Barringhaus was the sports photo editor for The Sunflower. Joseph majored in marketing with a minor in communications. He was born in Michigan but...
