Wichita State picked up a statement win on Thursday, defeating nationally ranked Memphis by a score of 76-67 to improve to 14-1 on the season.

The Tigers came into the matchup with the nation’s top recruiting class and the top spot in the American Athletic Conference. Earlier this week, Memphis was ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll and No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

The Shockers looked dominant in the first half, mounting a 13-point lead at one point before turnovers and foul trouble cut it to seven at the break.

The second half was a different story, though, as the Shockers started to wear the Tigers down on the glass.

The Shockers went on to outscore Memphis by three points in the final 20 minutes. WSU’s biggest lead was 19 midway through the second half.

Three-point shooting was a major factor in the victory. The Shockers shot 36% from downtown while Memphis was unable to muster success from deep, shooting only 19%.

As a team, the Tigers outrebounded WSU, 48-44. The Shockers out-rebounded them on the offensive glass though, 18-14, resulting in 15 second-chance points.

Overall, the Shockers shot 33% from the field (22-67). WSU’s bench contributed 23 points.

The sophomore duo of Erik Stevenson and Jamarius Burton put on another show. Burton, the starting point guard, finished the evening with a team-high 16 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Meanwhile, Stevenson added 12 points along with three triples and three rebounds.

For Memphis, Precious Achuiwa led the way with 22 points.

In Dexter Dennis’s second game back from a “leave of absence,” the sophomore guard contributed eight points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench. Dennis was held scoreless in his first game back against Ole Miss.

Up next, the Shockers travel to Hartford, Connecticut, for a matchup with the UConn Huskies Saturday. Tip is scheduled for 11 a.m.