Wichita State routs UNI 82-57 behind hot shooting

The Wichita State University men's basketball team nailed their first five 3-pointers of the game Wednesday night and cruised to an 82-57 victory over the University of Northern Iowa Panthers at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan.

The Shockers (21-4, 12-2 MVC) shot 55.9 percent (33-for-59) from the floor for the game, including 63.2 percent (12-for-19) from 3-point range. Senior guard Joe Ragland led Wichita State with 19 points. Four Wichita State players reached double figures in scoring.

The Panthers (16-10, 6-8 MVC) fell behind the Shockers early on in the game and never held a lead. Wichita State opened the game on a 17-9 run and eventually pushed the lead to as much as 21 points in the first half at 43-22 with 3:28 remaining. However, UNI responded with a 13-0 run to end the first half, pulling within 43-35 at the break.

UNI continued to chip away at the WSU lead early in the second half and pulled to within 47-44 with just under 18 minutes remaining in regulation. However, Ragland knocked down a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, which ignited a 17-3 run for the Shockers.

The Panthers were never able to regain momentum and scored just 13 points over the remaining 17 minutes.

Freshman center Seth Tuttle led UNI in scoring, recording 15 points and three rebounds. Junior guard Marc Sonnen chipped in with 11 points, nine of which came off three 3-pointers. Junior forward Jake Koch contributed nine points and three rebounds.

With the loss, the Panthers currently sit at 6-8 in Missouri Valley Conference play with four MVC games remaining. UNI is currently tied for sixth place in the MVC standings, two games out of a third-place tie with Illinois State University and Missouri State University.

The Panthers return to action Saturday when they host the Illinois State Redbirds (16-9, 8-6 MVC) at 7 p.m.