ISU Sycamores drop first game of season to Shockers, 66-62

WICHITA, KS (12-28-2005) – A season of great finishes was just one more steal and conversion away from continuing, as the Sycamores hit back-to-back 3-pointers within the game’s final 10 seconds to cut a seemingly insurmountable Wichita State lead of eight down to two, but it was not enough as the Shockers converted on their final possession to escape the floor with a 66-62 victory. ISU drops to 8-1, 1-1 MVC while Wichita improved to 10-2, 1-0 MVC.

The Shockers found the dagger they needed when Sean Ogirri hit a huge 3-pointer to put them up by nine, 56-47, after David Moss knocked in a couple of key charity tosses. Indiana State got back-to-back steals in Wichita State’s next two possessions, but the Sycamores committed their own turnovers and were not able to capitalize. After a Shocker basket, Wurtz and Moss scored on consecutive trips to make it 58-53 as the clock went under one minute to play.

ISU got yet another stop, but Moss turned the ball over in transition and Wichita’s Kyle Wilson went on to hit a pair of free throws to make it 60-53. Wurtz converted a traditional 3-point play on the Sycamores ensuing trip to make it 60-56 with 26 seconds on the clock.

Ogirri got his turn at the charity line, and drained them both for a 62-56 Shocker advantage. Schnitker missed a triple of his own on the next trip and Ogirri secured the rebound to seemingly end ISU’s hopes of a late rally. Ogirri once again stepped to the line and hit a pair of charity tosses with 10 seconds left.

Schnitker hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds left, then ISU stole the in-bounds pass and Moore connected on a triple of his own with 4.2 seconds on the clock to get the score back within one possession, 64-62. The Sycamore defense could not hold at the end as Wichita was able to run out the clock on a long pass that went for a lay-up and earned WSU the 66-62 victory.

“I think we competed fairly well,” head coach Royce Waltman said. “With the game seemingly over, we competed hard and were just one steal away from being able to tie the ball game.”

Wichita State seemed as if they would run away with the contest in the game’s first 15 minutes as they scored the first six points and led by a 19-9 tally midway through the first period.

As Shocker leaders Paul Miller and Kyle Wilson were forced to the bench with foul trouble and five minutes remaining before the half, the Sycamores positioned themselves to get back in the game after trailing 25-14. They did just that by starting out on an 8-0 run, sparked by a pair of 3-pointers by Trent Wurtz.

The Sycamores would finish the first half on a 13-2 run and tie the contest during the final minute. ISU trailed 27-22 when Moss connected on his first 3-pointer of the game to pull the Sycamores close at 27-25. Wurtz was able to knot the score at 27 with 20 seconds remaining before the break on a pair of free throws. The Shockers came up empty on their final possession of the half to send both teams to the lockerrooms tied at 27.

Wichita State opened the second half with a 3-pointer, but freshman Jay Tunnell answered with a triple of his own to knot the score again at 30, less than two minutes into the second half. As the clock continued to click under 17 minutes, Tunnell gave the Sycamores their first lead of the game, 33-30, pouring in his second consecutive trey.

Miller hit 1-of-2 free throws with 6:10 left in the game, to stretch the Wichita State lead out to 51-42 as Indiana State went cold and their shooting percentage hovered around the 30% mark.

Wurtz sparked the Sycamores in the second half, much as he did at the end of the first, as he knocked down his third 3-pointer of the night to inch the Sycamores back within six, 51-45, with five minutes left in the game. After a miracle roll-in basket for Wichita State at the other end, Moss connected on a pair of free throws to make it 53-47 as the clock neared four minutes.

Wichita’s lead ballooned to nine points in the last four minutes, but the never-say-die attitude of the Sycamores inched the game within two on the strength of consecutive 3-pointers near games’ end.

“We played fairly hard, but we didn’t play real well,” Waltman said. “Their guards defended us pretty hard, but we fought through it. Moss hit a couple of tough shots in the game.”

ISU was led in the contest by Wurtz, who finished with 23 points. Also in double figures for ISU was Moss with 16 and Tunnell, who posted 14. Moss added 12 rebounds in the game to post his first double-double of the season.

The Sycamores return to action on Friday, December 30 when they travel to Missouri State for a 7:05 p.m. (CST) contest. USA-365.com provides live Internet audio streaming with Brian Fritz providing the play-by-play and Jim Waugh the color commentary. The pre-game show both starts at 6:45 p.m. (CST), with the tip-off set for 7:05 p.m., CST / 8:05 p.m., EST on www.USA-365.com.

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