Wichita State fell to Houston on Saturday, losing for the second time this week for the first losing streak of the season. The Cougars won the game 65-54 at Charles Koch Arena.

The Shockers came into this week ranked No. 16 in the polls, their highest ranking since the final week of the 2017-18 season. With two losses this week, WSU will most likely fall out of the polls.

The Shockers’ offense struggled to get going throughout the game, especially on shot attempts inside the arc. For the game, the Shockers shot 10-31 on two-pointers. 

With just under six minutes left in the first half, WSU cut the deficit to one point, but from that point on, Houston dominated the game. 

The Cougars dominated a 10-minute stretch in the second half where they took a 22-point lead with 12:56 left in the game. 

WSU was able to cut into the deficit down the stretch, but Houston’s lead proves to be insurmountable. 

As a team, the Cougars dominated WSU on the glass, outrebounding them 39-35. Houston controlled the paint, tallying eight blocks and 22 points. In comparison, WSU had zero blocks and 12 points in the paint. 

Overall, the Shockers shot 30% (17-56) from the field and 28% (7-25) from downtown.

On the other side of things, Houston had its way offensively, shooting 43% from the field and 33% from downtown. Fabian White led the way offensively for the Cougars, scoring 14 points. 

One of the biggest disparities in the game was free-throw shooting. Houston was impressive from the stripe, going 19-23, while the Shockers were just 12-24.

Tyson Etienne paced the Shockers offensively, tallying 10 points on 2-5 shooting. Etienne was the only Shocker to reach double figures in the contest. 

Up next, the Shockers travel to Tampa, Florida, for a matchup with the South Florida Bulls on Tuesday. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.