BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (GoShockers.com) – Justin Hill dropped a career-high 31 points in his Wichita State debut, powering the Shockers to a 91-84 road win at Western Kentucky in the season opener Monday night.
Playing its first true road game to open a season since 1992, Wichita State (1-0) starts the season in the win column for the fifth straight season.
Hill was in command all night, stuffing the stat sheet with 31 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals on 9-of-14 shooting, 4-of-7 from three-point range and 9-of-11 from the free throw line. His 31 points are the most ever by a Shocker in a debut.
Xavier Bell added 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting and a trio of three-pointers. Quincy Ballard and Harlond Beverly both chipped in 10 points apiece to round out the leading scorers. Ballard’s most emphatic points of the night came on a huge one-hand poster midway through the second half.
Wichita State shot 44 percent from the field, including 11 three-pointers (11-for-27). The Shockers also made a living at the free throw line, going 26-for-36. Wichita State finished with 14 turnovers after 10 of those came in the first half. Wichita State also dished out 17 assists on the night, something they did only six times all of last season.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair the first 10 minutes until Western Kentucky seized control with 8:59 to go in the half. The Hilltoppers grabbed a 25-17 lead, but Wichita State cut it back to one at the 5:35 mark.
The Hilltoppers made it 38-35 with 2:37 to go, but the visiting closed the half on an 8-0 run behind three-pointers from Bell and AJ McGinnis to take a 43-38 lead into the locker room.
WKU didn’t pack it in to start the second half. The Hilltoppers regained the lead just 3:10 into the half, 50-48.
Finally with 10:30 remaining, Wichita State got some breathing room behind a 6-0 spurt. A pair of Ballard free throws pushed it to 10 with 7:46 remaining.
One final push from the home team saw WKU make it a three-point game, 85-82, and less than a minute to play, drawing comparisons to last year’s team. But that wouldn’t be the case tonight. Wichita State closed it out at the free throw line to leave Bowling Green 1-0.
Up Next
Wichita State welcomes Montana State to the Roundhouse on Saturday, Nov. 9 for its home opener at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
