(Photo Credit: Mick Lite)
In what was an absolute thrilling MVC tournament game classic, the matchup between the one seed Wichita State Shockers and eight seed Loyola University Ramblers did not disappoint. There was tons of back and forth action that kept fans abroad on their toes all night. Wichita State was able to close it out late, winning it 66-58 to advance on the semi-finals tomorrow afternoon.
In the first half, the action was jam packed right out of the gate. Montel James won the tip, and just about three seconds later; Milton Doyle threw down a thunderous dunk for the Loyola Ramblers. After a Fred VanVleet offensive foul, Loyola senior Montel James threw down a dunk to put the Ramblers up 4-0 early. Loyola knocked down a three two possessions later to go up 7-2 early on. Wichita State failed to make a shot in the first five minutes.
Then, at the 14:30 mark, Wichita State guard Ron Baker knocked down a floater to end the Shockers drought. That floater sparked what would turn into a 12-0 Shocker run. Ron Baker heated up late in the second half, knocking two three pointers down in a row. Baker led the Shox in points in the first half, with 10. Wichita State led at the half, 30-21. Loyola could have
Photo via Mick Lite.
cut into the Shocker lead even more, but they missed all five of their free throw attempts in the first half, giving the Shockers the nine point advantage at the break.
Ron Baker. Photo via Mick Lite.
Just when most assumed that Wichita State would run away with the game and achieve an easy win in the second half, it didn’t come so easy. Despite having a nine point lead, the Shockers entered another shooting drought, and the Ramblers capitalized on it, with three pointers by Turk, Peterson, and Ingram, and led by as much as seven. It seemed as if Loyola was going to come through, and pull the upset. They kept nailing shot after shot and stonewalled the Shockers at the other end.
But Ron Baker wasn’t going to stand for this. Baker made a layup plus the foul. Then, he nailed two consecutive threes, one in which it looked like he was fouled, but it wasn’t called. Those two threes brought the Shockers back to within 1. But Julius Rajala made a three to put the Ramblers up four. A few possessions later with the Shox once again down one, Baker continued his clutch shooting and hit another three pointer to put Wichita State up two. The Shockers kept up the intensity and held the narrow lead.
And what was that about Ron Baker being clutch? With 31.5 seconds remaining on what was a game deciding possession for the Ramblers down four, Ron Baker came up with a huge block and the Fred VanVleet grabbed the ball. With Wichita State up 62-58, the Ramblers committed an intentional foul, which gave Zach Brown two free throws, which he knocked down and the Shockers also got possession. The Shockers knocked down several free throws late and were able to come through with the end. Ron Baker finished the game with 25 points and the Shockers advance to play tomorrow against the winner of the UNI/SIU game.
