NCAA 2015: Wichita State Kirim Pulang Kansas

Wichita State Shockers (30-4, 17-1 MVC) sukses membenamkan unggulan kedua dan tim kuat conference Big 12, Kansas Jayhawks (27-9, 13-5 Big 12) pada Turnamen NCAA 2015 wilayah Midwest, Senin (23/3) di CenturyLink Center Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska.

Pertandingan yang disiarkan langsung TV ASN di First Media itu, Shockers memimpin dengan 29-26 di babak pertama. Babak kedua, Shockers makin tak tertahan dan menang dengan 10 angka, 49-39.

Dua pemain kunci Shockers adalah Fred VanVleet dan penembak Evan Wessed. Wichita State adalah tim ketiga yang bisa mengalahkan Kansas dengan lima pemainnya mencetak 10 poin atau lebih. Dua tim sebelumnya adalah Michigan (2013) dengan hasil akhir runner-up dan Texas Western (1966) dengan hasil juara NCAA.

Lima starter Wichita menyumbangkan skor dobel digit. Tekele Cotton 19 angka diikuti Fred VanVleet 17, Ron Baker 12, Evan Wessel 12, dan Darius Varter 10.

Dari Kansas, Perry Ellis mencetak 17 angka diikuti Devonte Graham 17 dan Frank Mason III 16 angka.

Catatan Pertandingan:
* Kansas led 24-16 with just over 4 minutes remaining in the first half. Wichita State then went on a 25-6 run over an 8:28 stretch.
* Wichita State improves to 4-1 in the NCAA Tournament the past 3 years as the lower-seeded team... That's tied for the most such wins in that span (with Kentucky, UConn and Dayton).
* Kansas scored 20 paint points on 10-of-28 shooting (35.7%), tied for its fewest paint points in an NCAA Tournament game in the last six seasons (19 games).
* Wichita State is just the fifth team to beat an in-state rival seeded at least 5 spots higher in NCAA Tournament history.
* Wichita State made 11-of-25 shots (44.0%) from outside the paint Sunday, including 10-of-20 (50.0%) from the 3-point line. The Shockers made 3-of-22 shots (13.6%) from outside the paint against Indiana in the 2nd Round on Friday.
* With Kansas facing in-state foe in Wichita State today, the last time the Jayhawks played a team from the Sunflower State in the tournament was in the Elite 8 against Kansas State in 1988. Larry Brown's KU squad went on to win that game and take home the national title that year.