 "Photo: Senior guard Rashad Reed steps up to shoot against Illinois State earlier last week.")
The Sycamores traveled to Wichita, Kan. on Saturday evening to take on the Wichita State Shockers in a very important Missouri Valley Conference game.
The Sycamores began the game hot and dominated for 30 minutes, but the Shockers caught fire near the end and defeated the Sycamores 76-70.
"We played with a lot of fire and intensity," said head coach Kevin McKenna. "I think fatigue had a lot to do with what happened at the end."
The loss drops the Sycamores to 6-7 in MVC play and 14-10 overall. This ties the Sycamores with Drake and Missouri State for sixth place.
The win puts the Shockers at 9-4 in the MVC and in second place behind Northern Iowa. The Shockers are 20-5 overall.
Senior Rashad Reed and sophomores Carl Richard and Jordan Printy got the Sycamores started hot.
In the first fifteen minutes, Richard had 10 points, Reed had five, and Printy had 10.
With 9:54 left in the game, the Sycamores took their biggest lead of the half after senior Josh Crawford hit a layup to put ISU up 25-9.
The Sycamores took an 11-point lead into halftime.
The Sycamores shot an outstanding 58.3% in the first half, evidence of their halftime lead.
After a pair of Reed free throws at the 7:34 mark in the second half, the Sycamores were up 60-47.
Ten points from J.T. Durley and eight points from Toure' Murry down the stretch along with an ISU cold streak pushed the Shockers ahead of the Sycamores for the victory.
The Sycamores shot 54.7% from the field and 41.2% from beyond the arc. The Shockers shot a much lower 38.7% from the field and only 29.6% from three-point range.
"We talk about playing for 40 minutes," said McKenna. "I think we played really good basketball for 35 minutes."
The Shockers outrebounded the Sycamores 32-24.
"They had 19 offensive rebounds," continued McKenna. "Those second and third opportunities that they get are just demoralizing for us."
The Sycamores will return to action Tuesday as they head to Omaha, Neb. to take on Creighton. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:05 p.m.
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