Staff report
WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita State’s men’s basketball team won, 73-67, against NCAA Division II Augusta on Saturday, but coach Gregg Marshall’s Shockers got more than they bargained for.
The Shockers cruised to 41-25 edge at halftime at Koch Arena and extended the lead to 22 points with 16:16 remaining.
But then Augusta guard Keshun Sherrill, the former West Rowan High star, got hot. Really hot.
Sherrill made two free throws at the 7:42 mark to cut the deficit to 62-52. Those were the first two of 15 straight points he would score for the Jaguars of the Peach Belt Conference.
A jumper by Sherrill made it a 64-54 game, and his steal and 3-pointer made it 64-57 with 6:08 remaining.
Sherrill’s jumper with 5:27 left made it 64-59. With 4:42 remaining, he drained another 3-pointer, and at the 4:01 mark, he made another long one to slice the Shockers’ lead to 66-65.
Wichita State pulled itself together at that point and was able to hang on.
Sherrill, who bounced back from 1-for-8 shooting in the first half, scored 28 of his 33 points in the second half. He shot 8-for-13 after the break.
Sherrill shot 6-for-12 on 3-pointers and 9-for-11 on free throws. He played 39 minutes and had four assists, three rebounds and two steals.
The 5-foot-9 senior already has enjoyed a celebrated career at Augusta. He’s been an All-America pick twice and was Peach Belt Freshman of the Year in 2014.
Sherrill averaged 23.3 points per game as a junior and led Augusta in scoring in 26 of 29 games. His career high is 37 points.
Next for Augusta, the Peach Belt favorite, is a trip to Wilson, N.C., where the Jaguars will take on Mount Olive and Barton on Nov. 11 and 12.