Shamet scores 30; No. 6 Wichita St. tops Oklahoma St. 78-66 (Dec 09, 2017)
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) Wichita State's Landry Shamet did it all, and his Shockers needed every bit of it to hold off a spirited upset bid from Oklahoma State.
The sophomore guard scored a career-high 30 points, and the sixth-ranked Shockers defeated the Cowboys 78-66 on Saturday.
Shamet only had 11 field goal attempts, but he made 14 of 16 free throws, including 10 of 12 in the second half.
''I thought on the offensive end, he was tremendous, rushing the basket, knocking down free throws and shooting the 3-ball,'' Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. ''He's just a complete player.''
Shamet took several hard hits in the game for his troubles. At one point, he collided with Oklahoma State's Brandon Averette, and Averette crashed down onto his back. After Shamet told reporters he took a beating, Marshall told him he'd have Sunday off.
''I lead by example,'' Shamet said. ''I know what I do every day - I work hard, and these guys respect me and I respect them and it's mutual. It's ever-growing. I feel like I get more and more comfortable vocally, and I feel like with my play, I'm just trying to get more aggressive and lead by example.''
Conner Frankamp scored 14 points and Darral Willis, Jr. added 12 for the Shockers (8-1).
Wichita State's only loss was by a point to Notre Dame. The Shockers won at Big 12 member Baylor last Saturday and now have built a solid non-conference resume.
''We obviously needed this challenge, going on the road to win on back-to-back Saturdays,'' Marshall said. ''It just helps us get better.''
Wichita State made 12 of 26 3-point attempts and outrebounded the Cowboys 36-26.
Tavarius Shine scored a career-high 20 points and Mitchell Solomon added a career-best 17 for Oklahoma State (7-2).
Oklahoma State first-year coach Mike Boynton was trying to get his first win over a ranked team. Instead, the Cowboys had their 15-game non-conference home win streak snapped.
''I'm proud of the effort,'' Boynton said. ''For us to go toe to toe with them is something to build upon.''
Oklahoma State led for most of the first half, but Wichita State closed with an 8-0 run. Shamet made a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to give the Shockers a 26-23 lead. Oklahoma State did not score for the final 3:04 of the half and didn't make a field goal for the final 6:09, when Oklahoma State led by eight for its largest advantage before the break.
Shaquille Morris' only points came on a 3-pointer with about 8 minutes remaining, but the shot gave the Shockers a five-point lead. Wichita State remained in control the rest of the way.
The performance left Boynton feeling good about his program.
''If they're the number six team in the country, which I think they might be better, we're really close to being damn good,'' Boynton said. ''I believe that.''
BIG PICTURE
Wichita State: The Shockers, one of the best shooting teams in the nation, struggled early before getting it together in the second half. Wichita State shot 52.2 percent after the break and made 8 of 14 3-pointers.
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys appear close to being pretty good. They played hard defense for Boynton, but their offense was inconsistent. Oklahoma State missed an opportunity to take control of the game in the first half and never really regained it.
QUOTABLE
Marshall on series with Oklahoma State: ''I would prefer to play them every year. Hats off to the coaches for being willing to play us, and it was all their idea.''
FOUL DISPARITY
While Shamet made 14 of 16 free throws, Oklahoma State's entire team went 18 for 21. The Cowboys committed 28 fouls, and Solomon and Kendall Smith both fouled out.
STRUGGLING STARS
Morris entered the game tied for the team lead with 14.6 points per game. He shot 1 for 5 and had just one rebound in 24 minutes before fouling out.
''He obviously didn't play great offensively, but he was good at the other end,'' Marshall said. ''They're a great defensive team, and they did a good job limiting his touches.''
Jeffrey Carroll, Oklahoma State's leading scorer for the season, went 1 for 9 from the field and finished with three points.
UP NEXT
Wichita State: Hosts Oklahoma on Dec. 16.
Oklahoma State: Plays Florida State in the Orange Bowl Classic on Dec. 16.
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