Paul Suellentrop, The Wichita Eagle, Kan. –
Wichita State ended the regular season with a convincing display of its championship style
The 19th-ranked Shockers routed Drake 81-58 on Saturday at Koch Arena, setting the stage for a post-game celebration. WSU clinched the Missouri Valley Conference title outright on Wednesday on the road. Saturday, once the Bulldogs were out of the way, provided a chance for the Shockers to celebrate with their fans.
WSU (26-4, 16-2 MVC) won its most conference games since the 1982-83 team went 17-1.
The Shockers led 41-33 in the second half when Toure Murry sparked a run that put the game away. He stole the ball from Ben Simons and dunked for a 43-33 lead. His crossover and layup made it 45-33. He picked up a loose ball – kept alive by Carl Hall on a rebound – and laid it in to make it 49-35.
The Shockers scored on four straight possessions a few minutes later, started by Ben Smith’s basket and a Smith three. Tekele Cotton’s jumper and a basket by David Kyles made it 67-45.
Soon after, announcer Don Hall told the crowd not to rush the court.
WSU played most of the second half without guard Joe Ragland. He watched from the bench. Ragland did not practice on Friday due to a headache.
Smith scored 18 points to lead WSU. Stutz added 15. Ben Simons scored 21 points for Drake, making seven threes.
WSU coach Gregg Marshall cleared his bench in the final minute, giving the crowd a chance to cheer the seniors. He inserted Ragland with 18 second remaining to give him his ovation.
WSU is the top seed in the MVC Tournament. Drake (16-14, 9-9) must wait on results from today’s games before learning its seed.
