For the first time in the head coach Paul Mills era, Wichita State men’s basketball has won three consecutive American Athletic Conference (AAC) games.
After two successful road wins, the Shockers returned home and secured a 69-64 victory over the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).
According to Mills, the Shockers’ recent victories have been driven by a sense of “revenge,” with the team treating rematches against previous opponents as a “redemption tour.” Each of WSU’s three wins during the streak have come against teams it played earlier in the season. The Shockers were defeated by UTSA by 13 points a month ago.
Mills attributed the team’s success to a shift in perspective and increased accountability among the players.
“There was a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting that needed to happen,” Mills said. “You can either decide to get better and approach this or go ahead and cash it in.”
The Shockers continued to build momentum in front of their home crowd, improving to 9-4 in Charles Koch Arena, despite the continued absence of fifth-year guard Justin Hill. Wichita State improved to 4-7 in AAC play, passing up UTSA, which dropped to 4-8.
Offensive rebounding, a thorn in the side of Wichita State earlier this season, was a major reason for the Shockers’ win. WSU pulled down 16 offensive boards to UTSA’s seven and secured a season-high 50 rebounds in the game.
The Shockers also tied a season-high in 3-point percentage by knocking down seven of their 15 attempts. While Wichita State turned the ball over 20 times, its second-most of the year, UTSA only capitalized for 23 points off turnovers.
Although the Shockers trailed 11-9 early in the game, they regained their footing with five minutes remaining in the first half, leading 19-15.
UTSA’s forward Raekwon Horton tied the game at 19 with a layup, and senior guard A.J. McGinnis assisted senior forward Ronnie DeGray III on a jumper to keep Wichita State close. A jumper by Washington gave the Shockers a narrow 23-22 lead.
As the first half wound down, senior guard Harlond Beverly made a basket. With just 25 seconds left, McGinnis hit a 3-pointer, pushing the Shockers ahead 28-26. The Shockers went into halftime with a 28-27 lead.
The Shockers came out strong in the second half, extending their lead with a layup by Washington. Senior guard Bijan Cortes, filling in for Hill, hit a 3-pointer at the 17-minute mark, assisted by Xavier Bell.
However, the Roadrunners kept pace, later taking the lead with an 11-0 run, 38-37.
The teams traded the lead throughout the rest of the half. With 3:35 remaining, Beverly gave Wichita State a 61-56 lead with two free throws and a jumper.
Mills emphasized the importance of stepping up during the final moments.
“The last five minutes of the game are when players need to make plays,” Mills said. “The fact that they’re doing it gives them more confidence in these situations.”
With 23 seconds remaining, the Roadrunners called a timeout as senior center Quincy Ballard went to the free-throw line, making the first attempt of a one-and-one. The bucket gave WSU a three-point lead, 67-64.
On the UTSA possession, Ballard, who was on a minutes restriction due to being sick with the flu, swatted a layup attempt, and the Shockers sealed the win with two free throws in the final nine seconds.
McGinnis noted that the team’s energy from the winning streak has translated into better practices, helping their ranking improve.
“We’ve started to gel a lot more,” McGinnis said. “We were losing a lot, and once you find a way to win, it gives you a spark.”
Next up, Wichita State will face the top-ranked AAC team, the University of Memphis. Former Shocker Colby Rogers will return to play on his old home court on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 11 a.m.
