The pressure got to the Shockers—at least early on.

Aggressive defense by visiting North Carolina Central in the first half of Saturday’s season opener wasn’t something Wichita State was expecting.

“That’s not the ideal team to play in your first game because you don’t have much to scout on,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “We weren’t prepared for the trap on the first pass that got us twice.”

WSU led 14-11 midway through the first half, but only had six field goals to go along with eight turnovers at that point. 

“There were some times where it kind of looked like we were in quick sand,” redshirt freshman Ron Baker said.

The Shockers weathered the storm, however, and went on to win 71-57. 

WSU (1-0) finished the first half on a 20-4 run, led by Baker’s hot shooting. He was 4-for-5 with 11 points in the half, and finished with 18 points in the game. 

Baker was 4-for-7 from 3-point range. 

“I would take 4-for-7 from him every night,” Marshall said. “He’s a good shooter.”

Marshall went deep into his bench with 12 players seeing the court. He wanted to get as many players on the court as possible, a decision that kept NCCU around in the second half. 

“We have to live and learn and figure out what we can do to get better,” Marshall said. “You never want to lose a game because of it. I don’t think the game was ever in peril in the second half, but I would have liked to have won by a little more.”

WSU’s largest lead was 22, but NCCU fought back, getting as close as 12 with a minute to play. 

The Eagles outscored WSU 39-35 in the second half. 

“We played pretty good in the first half,” senior Carl Hall said. “The second half we let up on defense and gave them too many points. We are just trying to get in the flow of things.”

The unexpected obstacle that was NCCU could prove to be a major help for the Shockers. 

WSU’s next game is Tuesday at Virginia Commonwealth, a team that is known for its aggressive nature and willingness to press you defensively. 

“I know you got to get in shape,” Hall said. “It’s up and down. They aren’t going to stop.”

The last time the two teams met was in the Round of 64 at the NCAA Tournament in March. 

VCU defeated WSU 62-59 in Portland, Ore., ending the Shockers’ season. 

While NCCU doesn’t have the athletes VCU will, WSU should be better prepared to handle VCU’s defense after Saturday’s game. 

“It’s really good practice for what we are going to see Tuesday, except VCU does it at a pretty high level,” Marshall said. “I would rather have this game later in the year, but it’s scheduled now.”

Tuesday’s game between VCU and WSU will tipoff at 6 p.m. and can be seen nationally on ESPNU.