ST. LOUIS – Missouri State seemed to save some its best performances of the season for Arch Madness with the No. 6-seeded Bears (17-16) battling No. 21 Wichita State tooth and nail for most of Saturday’s second semifinal, ultimately succumbing to the Shockers, 78-63.
Wichita State (29-4) got 21 points from Shaquille Morris, who got to the foul line eight times in the second half, while Conner Frankamp poured in 18 points behind six treys.
Missouri State was led by Jarred Dixon, who narrowly missed a career high with 20 points, including a 6-for-6 effort at the line. Alize Johnson added 16 points, 7 rebounds and a career-best 7 assists.
The Bears sprinted out to a 12-2 lead in the game’s first three-and-a-half minutes with Dixon scoring the game’s first four points and Jarrid Rhodes dropping in a 3-pointer and a put-back out of the blocks. After a quick WSU timeout, Markis McDuffie scored on a tip in for the Shockers’ first points, but Johnson retaliated with a 3-pointer to give MSU a 10-point lead at the 16:34 mark.
After a triple by WSU’s Landry Shamet – his only points of the night – cut into the MSU lead, Johnson scored again from the outside to make it a 15-5 game at the 14-minute mark.
A 15-2 run by the Shockers ensued with the No. 2 seed getting a pair of treys from Frankamp and another from Darral Willis to give WSU a 20-17 advantage.
The Bears got two free throws from Dixon to get within one, and later a dunk by Obediah Church made it a 22-21 game, but the Shockers soon got rolling offensively and built a 37-27 lead with just over three minutes left in the half.
But MSU rallied late in the half with Chris Kendrix making a pair of free throws, Dixon scoring a three, and Dequon Miller converting a layup to give the Bears a 7-0 run to end the half and make it a 37-34 game at the intermission.
“I thought it was a close game and a well-played game on both ends,” said Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall. “They (Bears) are a young team. They keep getting better, and I think they have a very bright future,”
After a Morris hook shot to start the second half, MSU’s Miller dropped in a 3-pointer to make it a 39-37 contest. But WSU’s McDuffie soon got rolling and hit two 3-pointers and a jumper in the span of just over a minute to push the Shockers up by double figures at the 13-minute mark.
Missouri State’s defense held the Shockers to just three field goals in the last 10 minutes of the game – all treys by Frankamp. Meanwhile, a three by Kendrix made it a 68-57 game with five minutes to go, and MSU was within 13 with 2:28 to play.
However, the Bears shot just 34 percent from the field in the second half and could not close the gap down the stretch, despite the solid defensive performance.
“Realistically you have to make shots if you’re going to stay with them,” said MSU head coach Paul Lusk. “We missed a lot of good looks, and they wear you down. I’m pleased with our effort and the way our guys battled.”
MSU finished 22-for-58 (.379) from the field, 8-of-28 (.286) from long range, and 11-of-16 (.688) at the stripe with just 10 turnovers. MSU also had 14 assists on the night to WSU’s 9.
Wichita State converted 24-of-54 (.444) shots overall and 10-of-20 (.500) from bonus distance. The Shockers also excelled at the stripe, making 20-of-21 (.952) from the foul line with a 39-30 rebounding edge and 12 turnovers.
MSU seniors Miller, Jordan Martin and Tyler McCullough combined for 54 minutes on the night with McCullough and Miller snagging three rebounds apiece.
