CHARLOTTE, N.C. (GoShockers.com) – Wichita State snapped a four-game losing streak with a 66-58 road win at Charlotte Tuesday night in Halton Arena.
Wichita State (12-10, 2-7) sweeps the regular season series with Charlotte and records its first road win since the season opener at Western Kentucky on Nov. 4.
The Shockers were down a pair of starters in Justin Hill and Harlond Beverly who both missed the game with injuries.
A pair of double-doubles from Corey Washington and Quincy Ballard powered the Shockers. Washington scored a team-high 21 points to go with 10 rebounds on 9-of-15 shooting, while Ballard put up 12 points and 13 boards. It’s the third time the duo has posted double-doubles in the same game this season.
AJ McGinnis added 10 points for the shorthanded Shockers.
Wichita State shot 52.9 percent from the floor and held Charlotte to 36.2 percent. The outside shots didn’t fall, as the Shockers finished 2-for-12. While Charlotte made seven from deep, they were inefficient, going 7-for-28.
Wichita State survived an early Charlotte 8-0 run that had the Niners up by 10 with 11:27 remaining in the opening half to take a 33-31 lead into the locker room. After the early 10-point deficit, Wichita State finished the half on a 23-11 run.
Washington (12) and McGinnis (8) spearheaded the first half comeback as the duo combined for 20 first half points.
Despite a 2-for-11 mark from three-point range, Wichita State shot 50 percent from the field thanks to 20 paint points. The Shockers held Charlotte to just 38 percent shooting in the first half.
After holding the lead for the first 8:00 minutes of the second half, Charlotte regained the lead on a Nik Graves three-pointer with 11:13 to go. The two teams traded baskets over the next couple minutes until a Washington three-point play put the Shockers back in front, 50-48.
They would not relinquish that lead again. An 11-2 run put Wichita State in control, 61-50. That 11-point lead would be their largest of the night.
One last 8-0 charge made it interesting as the Niners pulled within three and still 57 seconds left. Missed free throws kept Charlotte in the game, but two big ones from Bijan Cortes and a 3-for-4 visit from Xavier Bell iced it.
Up Next
Wichita State and South Florida square off on Super Bowl Sunday in Tampa at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
