Shockwaves

Final: WSU 74, CU 61. Big win for WSU. Gregg Marshall graciously declines to run a lob play in the final seconds. WSU’s best effort of the season. Shocker fans deserve an assist for an impressive vocal performance. Is there another place in the nation where 10,500 fans show for an 0-6 team? The Shockers made it possible by playing well from the start. Nothing jacks up the fans like players diving on the floor. WSU, for the first time in awhile, combined a good shooting effort with good defense. The Shockers held Creighton to 33.3 percent from the field, its worst of the season. WSU shot 49.1 percent from the field, its fourth straight game of 46 percent or better.

2:06 remaining: WSU 69, CU 61. Mistakes. CU is back in it. WSU must handle pressure and make free throws.

3:45 remaining: WSU 67, CU 54. Hannah with a big three of an inbound play. Shocker ball. WSU doesn’t need a whole lot more points. They need to run clock and avoid turnovers. Murry is 5 of 18 from the field with at least two ill-advised threes. He wants to put the dagger in a little too badly. WSU up 42-20 on the boards. Creighton up 19-6 at the line.

7:55 remaining: WSU 57, CU 47. WSU is in the double bonus. It can win this game at the line – if it can make free throws. CU is making un-CUlike mistakes. Its youth shows up on the road.

10:50 remaining: WSU 54, CU 43. WSU has done a nice job of breaking the press and scoring. Hatch is at the line to complete a three-point play when play resumes. He took a pass and steamed up the sidelines for a basket and foul. Woodfox with seven straight points for the Jays.

11:39 remaining: WSU 52, CU 40. Woodfox with four straight points. Shockers can’t take a break or he is capable of shooting CU right back in the game.

15:50 remaining: WSU 42, CU 32. CU’s Kenton Walker is back after taking a nasty fall in the first half.

17:53 remaining: WSU 40, CU 28. A scene rarely seen at CKA. Creighton coach Dana Altman desperately calling a timeout to shut off the WSU momentum. A dunk on the break by Hawkins gets the crowd roaring again. Stutz has three fouls for WSU. Foul trouble is worth watching for the Shockers. Clemente and Durley each have two.

Halftime: WSU 31, CU 21. Good work by the Shockers, except for 11 turnovers. CU, despite playing poorly, is in good shape down 10. The Jays shot 6 of 26. We’ve seen this many times before with a big Shocker lead against Creighton. WSU must play as well or better in the second half. It did rediscover the energy needed to win. The Shockers outhustled the Jays at almost every opportunity.

WSU is 13 of 28 from the floor and 5 of 10 from three. WSU with 26 rebounds, CU with 12. Murry leads WSU with 10 points. Aaron Ellis has six points, six rebounds and a block. He is looking more solid each game. Booker Woodfox leads CU with five points.

3:44 remaining: WSU 27, CU 15. Jays are 4 of 23, 1 of 7 from three. WSU with 24 rebounds. CU with nine.

6:20 remaining: WSU 22, CU 13. Great hustle play by Hawkins and Ellis gives WSU a possession it shouldn’t have had and leads to a three by Hannah.

7:36 remaining: WSU 19, CU 13. Marshall is on the officials hard. We will see if it is too hard. He is fortunate Gene Grimshaw either has a slow trigger or believes he made a bad foul call on WSU’s Aaron Ellis. Ten turnovers for WSU, most of them unforced. The Shockers can’t win this game at that pace. CU is 4 of 21 from the field and only down six.

11:26 to play: WSU 13, CU 5. Two straight turnovers and a missed three by WSU. The Shockers are on the aggressive and they need to take advantage. CU is 2 of 15 from the field, 0 of 5 from three. I can’t see that lasting all afternoon. Five turnovers by WSU. WSU 15 rebounds to CU’s five.

15:19 to play: WSU 8, CU 3. Almost a full house and the Shockers are getting the fans in the game. Stutz and Murry with threes.

CU starters - Carter, Stinnett, Dotzler, Woodfox, Lawson. WSU - Hannah, Clemente, Murry, Hawkins, Stutz.

People talk a lot about parity in the MVC. Northern Iowa may be laughing at that. After today’s rout at Drake, the Panthers are 4-0 in MVC games on the road with wins at Creighton, SIU, Evansville and Drake. The Panthers are 6-1 in the MVC. They may be hard to catch.

Here, the story is obvious. WSU desperately needs a win, against a team it usually can’t beat under the best of circumstances. Failing winning, the Shockers desperately need to play hard. Shocker fans will forgive a lot. They will not forgive a team that doesn’t hustle.