Wichita State (17-3) defeated Central Florida at home Saturday by a score of 87-79 to improve to 5-2 in conference play.

The Shockers’ offense looked much improved, especially in the first half, when they shot 41% (14-34). WSU finished the half on a 26-18 run to take a nine-point lead into locker room, but Tony Johnson Jr. hit an 80-foot shot as the clock expired to give the Knights some momentum headed into the break. 

The Shockers shot 38% in the second half but UCF outscored them by one point in the final 20 minutes. 

For the game, the Shockers shot 40% (24-60) from the field and 38% (10-26) from downtown.

On the other side, Central Florida was good in spurts, shooting 38% from the field and 38% from downtown. Darin Green Jr. led the way offensively for the Knights, scoring 18 points.

Last season, the Shockers were able to pick up their first conference win against these same UCF Knights in upset fashion. This year, the roles were reversed as UCF, without Tacko Fall and Aubrey Dawkins, was unable to return the favor with an upset win of their own. The win for WSU also helped to match last year’s regular-season win total of 17, which they reached in early March a year ago. 

WSU maintained a balanced attack en route to the key conference victory. The Shockers had five different players tally 10 points or more. Dexter Dennis led the charge with 19.

For the first time since the first two games of the season, Dennis has put together back-to-back double-figure games. He also earned his first double-double of the season.

One of the main keys to victory was the Shockers’ ability to dominate the paint. Despite not having a huge advantage scoring in the paint, WSU was able to neutralize the Knights’ leading scorer, Colin Smith, who fouled out around the eight-minute mark in the second half and only finished with only two points.  

The Shockers dominated the glass, though, outrebounding UCF, 45-28. WSU’s nine offensive rebounds resulted in 19 second-chance points. The Knights, on the other hand, were unable to tally a single second-chance point.

Jaime Echenique was a force inside for WSU, tallying 14 points and seven rebounds on 5-10 shooting. Echenique was able to nail a three-pointer for the first time since the contest against Oklahoma State in mid-December. The three snapped a string of seven consecutive missed three-pointers.

Up next, the Shockers will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a matchup with the current conference-leading Golden Hurricane. The Shockers will have a week off to prepare for Tulsa before they face off next Saturday inside the Donald W. Reynolds Center. Tip is scheduled for 5 p.m.