Creighton University
Wichita State (White Out)
Shockers End Men's Basketball Hex, Win in Omaha For First Time Since 1992
1/12/2011 9:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. -- Wichita State snapped a 17-game losing streak in Omaha with a 68-54 win over Creighton at Qwest Center Omaha on Wednesday night. The win, Wichita State's first in Omaha since 1992, featured the visiting Shockers overcoming a 28-25 halftime deficit.
Creighton dropped to 12-6 overall, 4-2 in the MVC. Wichita State improved to 14-3 on the year and is 5-1 in Valley action.
Creighton took a 28-25 halftime lead, led by seven points from Gregory Echenique and eight rebounds by Doug McDermott. WSU was paced by 11 points from J.T. Durley in the opening stanza.
Creighton's largest lead came midway through the second half when Kaleb Korver drained a three-pointer to make it 41-35 Bluejays with 13:43 left. Wichita State answered with a 9-0 run to take the lead for good. After Korver pull-up jumper in the lane cut Creighton's deficit to one point (44-43), WSU used another 8-1 run to go ahead by eight, 52-44, with 9:38 remaining.
The Shockers continued to expand their lead, going ahead by as much as 68-52 before Creighton freshman Taylor Stormberg made two free throws to end the scoring.
WSU was paced by 15 points from Durley, 13 from Kyles and 12 points and 10 rebounds by Toure' Murry. WSU shot 45.3 percent for the game (24-53), including 56 percent in the second half (14-25). WSU outrebounded Creighton 38-27 for the night.
Creighton was led by 12 points from Echenique, while Doug McDermott pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds. Creighton shot 40 percent for the game (18-45) and hit just 13-of-22 free throws (59.1 percent).
Creighton returns to action on Sunday with a 12:05 pm (Central) game at Indiana State. That game can be heard on KXSP (Big Sports 590 AM) and will be televised on Fox Sports Midwest.
NOTES: The game was Creighton's fifth annual White-Out game. The Bluejays had won the previous four games ... Gregory Echenique was charged with Creighton's first technical foul of the season early in the first half after a verbal exchange with a Wichita State student-athlete ... Creighton had won its sixth MVC game of the season each of the previous 16 seasons ... Wichita State was picked to win the MVC regular-season title ... Wichita State has won its last four games away from home ... Garrett Stutz played two minutes in the first half before being helped off with an apparent lower leg injury. He did not return and left the arena on crutches ... With three rebounds on Wednesday, Kenny Lawson Jr. now has 664 in his career, tied for 14th in school history with Kyle Korver (1999-2003) ... Doug McDermott's 11 rebounds were his fourth double-figure rebound game of the season ... Creighton still leads the all-time series with WSU, 52-42 ... Jahenns Manigat took two charges, giving him seven of the team's 17 charges taken this winter.
