WICHITA, Kan. — Tyson Etienne matched his season-high with 29 points and became the fastest Shocker to 100 career threes as Wichita State rallied past UCF in overtime, 93-88, Saturday afternoon at Charles Koch Arena.
Helped by Etienne’s timely shooting and its full-court press, WSU (9-4, 5-2) erased an eight-point deficit in the final 3:55 of regulation and rallied again from five-down in overtime.
Etienne connected on 5-of-10 shots from beyond the arc, including the go-ahead basket with 1:03 to play in OT. It was his 100th career three, in just his 44th game, breaking Landry Shamet’s school record (50 games).
The Shockers forced 23 turnovers, including five over the final 3:12 in regulation and three more in the extra period.
Brandon Mahan and Jamille Reynolds scored 17-each for UCF (4-7, 2-6), which shot 57.4 percent from the field but missed five of its last six shots in OT.
WSU shot 46.2 percent and knocked down 10-of-30 from three and 23-of-33 at the foul line.
Helped by a plus-10 margin, the Shockers outscored UCF 33-10 off of turnovers.
Morris Udeze reached double-digit scoring for the fourth consecutive game, converting 8-of-9 attempts from the field for 18 points. His 32 minutes were a career-high.
Reserve forward Clarence Jackson scored five of his 13 points in overtime to go with a team-high eight rebounds.
Alterique Gilbert stacked 12 points with seven assists and tallied four of the Shockers’ 12 steals.
Dexter Dennis supplied another 12 points, giving WSU five double-figure scorers for the first time this season.
DOWN THE STRETCH:
UCF seemed to have the game in hand after Mahan banked in a three with 3:52 to play in regulation for a 74-66 cushion.
Instead, WSU scored the next eight points – five of them by Etienne. His three made it a one-possession game with 2:06 to go.
Dennis tied it with a pair of free throws at the 1:15-mark, and Jackson sank two more to put the Shockers in front with 59 seconds to play.
Down 77-75, UCF’s Dre Fuller Jr. drove the basket, drew a foul and made two clutch free throws with five seconds remaining to extend the game.
The Knights jumped to an 84-79 lead in overtime after Darin Green Jr.’s jumper with 2:24 to go.
WSU’s Jackson helped turn the tide, converting an offensive rebound into a three-point play. Moments later, Etienne drilled career triple No. 100 to put the Shockers in front. It was the last of 14 lead changes.
WSU made 7-of-8 free throws over the final minute.
NOTABLE:
The Shockers were unlikely victors, according to ESPN.com. The Knights’ win probability topped out at 92.8 percent with 3:45 to play in regulation and at 83.4 percent in overtime.
WSU is now 5-1 in games decided by five points or less, including 2-0 in overtime.
WSU played overtime at Charles Koch Arena for just the second time in 10 years. The Shockers lost to Temple, 85-81, on Jan. 6, 2019. Prior to that, WSU hadn’t played bonus basketball at home since a triple-OT win over Indiana State on Jan. 22, 2011.
The Shockers improved to 6-0 all-time against UCF (4-0 in Wichita). The teams will meet again Feb. 10 in Orlando.
The win gives WSU sole possession of second-place in the American Athletic Conference ahead of SMU (5-2) and Memphis (5-2). The Shockers remain a game behind first-place Houston (9-1) in the loss column.
The Shockers have now won their last seven AAC home games going back to last February.
UP NEXT:
WSU continues its homestand Wednesday against Tulane (7 p.m. CT, ESPN+) and Sunday, Feb. 7 versus Temple (2 p.m. CT, ESPNU).
Start time for the Temple game has been pushed back an hour for television purposes.
WSU won its only meeting with Tulane last year, 82-57, and is 4-0 against the Green Wave since joining The American.
