Wichita State men’s basketball put on an offensive clinic against East Tennessee State University (ETSU) on Saturday night, defending its home court with precise shooting and aggressive defensive play.
The Shockers dominated the Buccaneers, 54-37, in the first half and kept their momentum in the second half, finishing strong to secure the win, 96-87.
Wichita State improved to 8-1 on the season while ETSU dropped to 6-4.
Both teams shot well from beyond the arc, with ETSU shooting 14-36 (39%) compared to Wichita State’s 9-21 (43%).
All nine Wichita State players who received playing time ended up scoring in the win, as every player contributed to the team’s success.
It was no surprise that Wichita State would have to be a bit more tenacious when it came to playing ETSU compared to their last opponent, Alcorn State University. ETSU possessed a 7-foot center, Davion Bradford, but chose to leave him on the bench to begin the game.
“They went small to open the game,” WSU head coach Paul Mills said. “So we’re sitting there thinking ‘Wow, you know, we thought maybe they would play their 7-footers,’ and (they) ended up bringing them off the bench.”
The Shockers held Bradford without a point in the game.
Mills sent a message about how the team would start the game.
“There’s a brand of basketball that we expect here to play, and it is that we’re willing to fight for basketballs,” Mills said.
ETSU began the game with a 3-pointer, but Wichita State scored the next 12 points, including seven points from junior forward Corey Washington.
At one point and eight minutes into the game, the teams traded back-and-forth five 3-pointers in six possessions, with fifth-year guard AJ McGinnis ending the run with a three, 29-17.
The Shockers secured a 10-point lead at the halfway point of the game, capped off by a buzzer-beating three-pointer by senior guard Xavier Bell.
The second half saw some fight from the Buccaneers, who stifled Wichita State a little bit. A 21-point lead for the Shockers dwindled to 7 with four minutes left as WSU went on a cold stretch, only hitting 3-9 shots from the floor.
Senior guard Harlond Beverly explained that during that stretch, the team tried to stay focused and locked in.
“They can go on the same type of runs,” Beverly said. “And they’re a really good team. So we just need to stay focused, stay locked in. (We need to) keep focusing on our defensive assignments, and make sure our switches are good.”
The Shockers weathered the ETSU rally and used four consecutive free throws from fifth-year guard Justin Hill to maintain the lead.
Hill led the Shockers with 20 points, with Washington right behind at 17, including three 3-pointers.
All of Wichita State’s guards forced at least two turnovers in the win. Despite this, Mills said the team needs to shy away from complacency and continue to be physical every chance they get.
“We had physical guards, and there’s no reason for us to shy away from hitting,” Mills said “You have to be continuous. We were turning around and hitting and thinking that’s going to prevent other people from being continuous.”
ETSU senior forward Jaden Seymour played for Wichita State during the 2021 season, playing in six games. Seymour led the Buccaneers with 25 points in his return to the Roundhouse.
Wichita State will head to Chicago to take on DePaul University on Saturday, Dec. 14. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for noon.
