WICHITA, Kan. - The Wofford men's basketball team came up short against the Wichita State Shockers on Wednesday night, losing 84-73 in Charles Koch Arena.
The Terriers (7-5) were led by 19 points from
Cayden Vasko and
Nils Machowski, followed by 18 from
Kahmare Holmes. Holmes led the team in rebounds (6) while Machowski led in assists (6). Three terriers had two steals, and three more had one block each.
"I am all sorts of upset about this game; however, I loved how this team played tonight," said head coach
Kevin Giltner. "I think we played the right way… We gave everything in the tank".
How It Happened
Wichita opened the scoring with two buckets before
Nils Machowski could grab the first points for the Terriers from behind the arc. Both teams started off slow through the first four minutes of the game. WSU was the first team to settle into the match, but Wofford refused to get the game away from them. The Shockers got ahead by seven points, but the Terriers fought to bring it back within three. WSU would then go on to a nine-point lead, followed by some key baskets from
Cayden Vasko and Machowski to reign things back in.
The two juniors continued to be a pillar of hope for the Terriers, with nine points from Machowski and seven points from Vasko heading into the final four minutes of the half. The Shockers were able to reach a ten-point margin with three minutes to go in the half. Each of their attempts to push further were thwarted by Machowski, as the Berlin, Germany, native went 4-4 from the line. The teams went into the locker rooms with Wofford down, 29-41.
Kahmare Holmes found his first two points and the first points of the entire half from the free throw line. This was the start of an 8-0 run for the Terriers in the opening minutes of the half. After Holmes made a fast break layup, WSU called a timeout to attempt to stop Wofford's momentum. Wichita finally found its bucket after three minutes, responding with a 13-4 run of its own to push it back over a ten-point margin. Wofford missed three straight free throws in this time after starting the game a perfect 10-10.
Despite not scoring in the first half,
Kahmare Holmes began to heat up. He had 11 points in the first ten minutes of the second frame. Coming out of the under-12-minute timeout, Wofford grabbed a 10-4 run. They only allowed the Shockers to get one field goal between the media timeouts. The teams traded scores over the next part of the game, with WSU edging the Terriers, 9-8.
With four minutes left in the game, Wichita led 67-61. The Shockers were clinical from behind the line, hitting two three-pointers to give them an eleven-point lead for the first time since the 11th minute. Wofford attempted to shave off the lead, but WSU held its margin through to the end of the game, 73-84.
Inside the Numbers
Up Next
The Terriers return to action on Sunday, December 28, in Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Wofford hosts the Union Commonwealth Bulldogs. Tip-off set for 1 p.m. Listen along at wofford.leanplayer.com or watch on ESPN+.
