No. 19 Wichita State upends No. 5 Cincinnati 76-72
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (AP) Dave Stallworth was running the show the last time Wichita State beat a Top 5 team on the road. Landry Shamut took the lead as the Shockers did it again 54 years later.
This one, too, will be a reference point, given all that was at stake.
Shamut scored 19 points, and No. 19 Wichita State ended the nation's longest home-court winning streak, beating No. 5 Cincinnati 76-72 on Sunday to leave the American Athletic Conference race wide open.
The Shockers (21-5, 11-3) beat a Top 5 team on the road for the first time since 1964. They led most of the way, building an 11-point lead midway through the second half and holding on. Shaquille Morris' dunk with 5 seconds left finished it off.
The Shockers ran onto the floor for congratulatory chest bumps. Coach Gregg Marshall got a celebratory dunking in the locker room, leaving his light-colored shirt clinging to him.
''It's tremendous,'' Marshall said. ''Look at my shirt. College basketball has such tremendous parity. The games are decided by great players making great plays. Landry is a tremendous player.''
The Bearcats (23-4, 12-2) had won their last 39 home games. In their first real home challenge of the season, they wound up playing catch-up and coming up short. Cincinnati hasn't beaten a ranked team all season, falling to 0-3 with losses to Xavier and Florida.
Cincinnati and Wichita State were expected to contend for the title in the Shockers' first season in the AAC. Wichita State gave itself a chance with a solid all-around game led by its point guard. Shamut had 16 points in the first half, when the Shockers shredded the nation's second-ranked defense to take control.
Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin was bothered by his team's ''gross, mind-boggling defensive breakdowns,'' including allowing the Shockers to get open for those two late layups. Wichita State shot 53 percent from the field, getting open 3-pointers in the first half and layups in the second half.
''We're just not in a good place right now,'' Cronin said. ''I hadn't slept much. We're not in a good place for a lot of reasons.''
Wichita State closes the regular season by hosting Cincinnati on March 4. Houston (21-5, 11-3) also is in the running for the league title after beating Temple on Sunday.
The Shockers hit seven of eight shots during a 17-3 run that gave them a 34-23 lead. Cincinnati responded by turning up its full-court defense, forcing three quick turnovers, and going on a run that cut the deficit to 42-40 at halftime.
The Shockers showed a little defense of their own, forcing five turnovers while rebuilding their lead to 59-48 with 11 minutes left, matching its biggest of the game. Cincinnati closed to 72-70 on Trevon Scott's dunk with 13 seconds left, but the Shockers scored on a pair of inbound passes by Landry, the last a full-court heave to Morris for a dunk that provided the final margin.
''This is what we do,'' said Austin Reaves, who made the first of the two decisive layups. ''We stick together on the road.''
BIG PICTURE
Wichita State: The Shockers needed a win to maintain their chances of a regular season title, and they got it with another good showing on the road. The Shockers are the most successful road team in the nation over the past five years at 47-8, including 7-2 this season.
''This is like our 50th red-out or white-out or black-out,'' Marshall said. ''We feel comfortable when that happens.''
Cincinnati: The Bearcats moved into the Top 5 even though they hadn't beaten a ranked team all season. Losses at Houston and at home to Wichita State left them prepared for a plummet.
''As it gets later in the season, every team is better,'' said Jacob Evans III, who had 16 points. ''It's not the beginning of conference or the season. Every team knows us well. We've got to be able to go to second options when they take away the first ones.''
NO LONGER A SWEET HOME
The Bearcats hadn't lost at home since a 77-70 defeat against Temple on Dec. 29, 2015. They went 18-0 at Fifth Third Arena last season and were 13-0 at Northern Kentucky's BB&T Arena, where they're playing this season while their on-campus arena is renovated.
LONG TIME NO SEE
The Shockers and Bearcats played regularly as members of the Missouri Valley Conference from 1958-70, but it was their first game since 1981.
TOP 5 HISTORY
It was only the fourth time the Shockers have beaten a Top 5 team on the road. They beat No. 5 Oklahoma A&M in 1954 and topped No. 3 Loyola in 1963 and again in 1964 behind Stallworth.
TOUGH WEEKEND IN CINCY
Cincinnati had two teams in the Top 5, and both of them lost at home over the weekend. No. 4 Xavier lost to No. 3 Villanova 95-79 on Saturday at Cintas Center.
UP NEXT
Wichita State: The Shockers host Tulane on Wednesday.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats host Connecticut on Thursday. They won at UConn 65-57 on Feb. 3.
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