Wichita State Athletics
CHICAGO – DePaul outscored Wichita State by 24 in the second half, erasing a five-point halftime deficit in a 91-72 win at Wintrust Arena Saturday afternoon.
Wichita State (8-2) had won nine straight games when leading at the half. The Shockers dropped to 20-7 under Paul Mills when holding a halftime lead.
DePaul entered the game as one of the nation's top three-point shooting teams, and they proved it Saturday. The Blue Demons connected on 17-of-33 attempts, good for 52 percent. The 17 made three-pointers were the most by an opponent since Memphis hit 19 back in January.
Ten of Wichita State's season-high 16 turnovers came after halftime.
For much of the game Wichita State was able to get the shots they wanted, shooting better than 60 percent until finishing the game at 51.0 percent. In the first half Wichita State was 17-for-27 from the field (63.0 percent) and 5-for-7 from beyond the arc.
The Shockers also had their worst free throw shooting game of the season, going 13-for-22 (59 percent).
Four Shockers finished in double figures, led by Xavier Bell and Harlond Beverly with 14 points apiece. Justin Hill and Quincy Ballard finished with 12 each. Bijan Cortes dished out seven assists, giving him 17 over his last two games.
DePaul was paced by a pair of 20-point scorers in Jacob Meyer with a game-high 23 and CJ Gunn right behind with 22. The trio of Meyer, Gunn and Isaiah Rivera combined to shoot 13-for-20 from three-point range.
A back and forth, fast-paced first half saw the Shockers grab a 47-42 lead at halftime after trailing by as many as eight.
DePaul came out of the locker room and splashed in a three-pointer on the opening possession and by the 16:14 mark had jumped back in front, 52-51 on a Rivera triple.
Wichita State stayed right in it, tying the game at 60 with 13:01 remaining. The Blue Demons then held a 69-66 lead at the 9:08 mark, and it wouldn't get any closer from there. DePaul finished the game on a 22-5 run. Wichita State went through a near 4:00 minute scoring drought.
Up Next
Wichita State returns to Charles Koch Arena for the first of three straight home games, beginning with Kansas City on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m.