Wednesday, January 28, 2015 7:00 p.m.
Charles Koch Arena, Wichita, Kansas
Since halftime of the last game between # Wichita State and Loyola, the two teams’ fortunes have gone in opposite directions. The Ramblers led the Shockers by five at intermission on Jan. 11 in Chicago, but it’s been a nightmare for Loyola ever since. Less than three minutes into the second half, the lead was gone for good; with 13 minutes left in that game, Milton Doyle re-injured his ankle; the Shockers outscored Loyola 44-25 in the second half; and the Ramblers have limped through the past four very winnable games with a 1-3 record. Meanwhile, the Shockers have won their last four games by an average of just over 22 points a game while integrating their bench players more fluidly into their rotation and giving their starters more rest. They have not trailed in any game past the first half 9:30 mark since playing Loyola.
In WSU’s last time out, they were able to play 15 different players; only three starters played more than 16 minutes (none more than 28), and yet they were able to build a 39-point lead over Drake before the end of their bench hit the team manager. It was the third consecutive game where every available Shocker played, and the fourth consecutive game where 14 or more WSU players saw court time. The Shocker bench has averaged 18 points per game in the last four contests after averaging 12 against Loyola and the three games prior. Darius Carter, WSU’s key frontcourt starter, averaged 11.4 points and 22.4 minutes per game up to and including the Loyola game; he has averaged 15.8 points and only 19 minutes per game since.
Loyola has struggled in every game since the first half of the WSU game was in the books. The Ramblers were outscored by 19 in the second half of the game against the Shockers, and have been outscored or even in all but two of the eight halves they’ve played since. Prior to and including the WSU game, no opposing player had scored 20 points or more against the Ramblers, but it’s happened in three of the past four games. And besides an ailing Milton Doyle, Earl Peterson (a major contributor prior to and including the WSU game) has suffered from severely decreased production as a result of turf toe. Since Wichita State, not a single Loyola bench player has contributed more than eight points; from the beginning of the season through the WSU game, a Loyola bench player scored 9 points or more in all but five of the 16 games.
The Shockers have won 23 consecutive games at Koch Arena dating back to February 2013 in a sold-out, rocking environment. Last season the Ramblers lost 57-45 in Wichita, and Loyola has not won there since the 1973-74 season. With Earl Peterson ailing and Milton Doyle out entirely, knocking off the surging #12 Shockers on the road is the season's most extraordinary long shot.
Loyola game notes:
http://www.goshockers.com/pdf9/3140707. ... &DB_LANG=CWichita State game notes:
http://www.goshockers.com/pdf9/3140706. ... &DB_LANG=CTV/Streaming video: ESPN3 (
http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index), Cox Channel Kansas/ShockerVision (
http://www.goshockers.com/liveEvents/li ... em_id=7500) $4.95 24-hour pass
Vegas odds: WSU by 19
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