Gardner-Webb @ Wichita St. preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 12, 2008 ) Gardner-Webb 64, Wichita St. 76

Wichita State matched a school-record with 15 made 3-pointers Saturday during a 103-62 victory over a Tennessee Martin squad which entered the weekend 14th in the country with 93 points per game. The Shockers will play another preliminary matchup for the upcoming Cancun Challenge when they host Gardner-Webb on Tuesday.

Wichita State shot 68.8 percent from the floor in the first half Saturday - one week removed from a 13.5-percent first-half shooting performance against Texas Southern when they missed 21 straight field goals during a 13-minute stretch. “Better than last game, which was more like a visit to the dentist with a root canal,” Shockers coach Gregg Marshall told reporters. “You saw our guys share the basketball with less one-on-one and hero ball and the result was incredible.” Tyson Etienne became the fourth true freshman in the Marshall era (13 seasons) to log a 20-point game as the guard went 5-for-8 from downtown and finished with a team-high 21 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Gardner-Webb gave No. 4 North Carolina some trouble in the first half Friday as it held the lead for more than five minutes and trailed by three at the break but a 9-0 run to open the second half propelled the Tar Heels to a 77-61 victory over the winless Runnin’ Bulldogs.

TV: 8 p.m., No TV

ABOUT GARDNER-WEBB (0-3): Sophomore Jose Perez led his squad with 12 points and five boards against the Tar Heels while also handing out five assists - half of his team’s total. Junior Nate Johnson had another lackluster shooting performance, and is 3-for-14 from downtown and 9-for-29 from the floor through three games, but made up for it with strong defensive play finishing with three steals and five rebounds. Freshman Kareem Reid had a strong game off the bench with eight points, two rebounds and a pair of blocks in 16 minutes.

ABOUT WICHITA STATE (3-0): Sophomore Jamarius Burton missed the Texas Southern game with an injury but returned Saturday to hit 4-of-5 from deep on his way to 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. With starting center Jaime Echenique not expected back on the floor until December, sophomore Morris Udeze made his first career start and scored a career-high 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Freshmen Grant Sherfield and Noah Fernandes shared point guard duties against UT Martin with each dishing out a team-leading six assists.

TIP-INS

1. Wichita State topped 100 points scored for the eighth time in the Marshall era and the first since Nov. 28, 2017 against Savannah State.

2. The Shockers scored 56 points off their bench against UT Martin - the third-most in school history.

3. Wichita State won its only previous meeting against Gardner-Webb, 76-64 on Dec. 12, 2008.

PREDICTION: Wichita State 92, Gardner-Webb 78