Wichita State men’s basketball’s senior center Quincy Ballard set a unique milestone, etching himself in Shocker history on Wednesday night against Alcorn State University (ASU). Ballard recorded his 100th and 101st blocks in a Wichita State uniform, moving to a tie for seventh on the all-time WSU leaderboard.
Ballard ended the game with 14 points and 14 rebounds while shooting a perfect 6-6 from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line as the Shockers trounced the Braves, 78-54, in Charles Koch Arena.
Ballard said being in the record books with WSU basketball legends like Garrett Stutz and Xavier McDaniel is an honor.
“To hear those names, it’s legendary,” Ballard said. “Those are pretty historic names.”
Head coach Paul Mills said Ballard’s rim protection is vital for the team, especially as it moves deeper into its regular season schedule.
“If you look at our rim protection and shots around the rim when he’s in versus when he’s out, it’s pretty drastic,” Mills said. “I think there’s a 22% (shot) difference when he’s on the court versus off the court. You can’t give up layups in this game and give yourself an opportunity.”
Wichita State improved to 7-1 overall for the second straight season while ASU remained winless at 0-10.
Ballard was the hot hand early for WSU, scoring the team’s first seven points as the Shockers took a 7-3 lead in the first half. WSU never trailed in the first half but offensive rebounds from the Braves and scoring droughts from the Shockers never allowed the home team to carve a big lead for the first 14 minutes of the period.
Leading 23-18, WSU went on its first 7-0 run, capped off by a fifth-year guard Justin Hill 3-pointer from the elbow to take its biggest lead of the half, 30-18. The Shockers extended their lead to 14 points after Ballard converted a second-chance layup, 37-23. The teams ended the half on scoring droughts of over two minutes as WSU went into halftime leading, 39-26.
WSU shot 42% from the field in the first half, compared to Alcorn State’s 24%. Ballard paved the way for the offense, scoring nine points and nabbing eight rebounds. Despite the Braves scrapping for 13 offensive rebounds, they were only able to capitalize on eight second-chance points.
WSU came out of the break with the defense alive, holding ASU to no points for a 4:43 stretch. The home team’s lead ballooned to 24 points, 57-33, following a 12-0 run that fifth-year guard AJ McGinnis punctuated with a 3-pointer. The Shockers’ lead eventually grew to 27 points, 71-44, as Ballard jammed home an alley-oop pass from Beverly.
With most starters out and bench players in, Wichita State cruised to its third 20-point margin of victory of the season.
In the second half, McGinnis came off the bench and led the team in scoring during the period with eight points on 3-4 shooting, adding a couple of 3-pointers to his stat line.
McGinnis credited his faith and process for the increased playing time and shot attempts.
“I trust the plan that God has for me,” McGinnis said. “I just stick my head down and just keep putting my trust in him and letting things fall (into place).”
The Shockers ended the game shooting 44% from the field, 30% from beyond the arc and 83% from the free throw line. The Braves came into the game the worst shooting team in the country at 33% from the field, a mark that worsened against the Shockers as Alcorn State shot 26% in the game.
Despite losing the battle on the offensive glass 21-9, WSU pounded the paint, scoring 34 points down low to ASU’s 18.
With the absence of senior forward Ronnie DeGray III, McGinnis gave credit to the rest of the bench players’ preparedness.
“It says a lot,” McGinnis said. “We have a lot of guys. Like coach (Mills) said, we have eight, nine starters. So we have a lot of guys who are capable of doing what I was able to do tonight … the ball was just in our hands tonight.”
Men’s basketball will stay home for its next game against East Tennessee State University on Saturday, Dec. 7. Tipoff against the Buccaneers is scheduled for 6 p.m.
