HOUSTON _ Life in the American Athletic Conference will be different.
After losing four games in the Missouri Valley the last five seasons, No. 7 Wichita State has two losses in one week in its inaugural season in the American after Houston defeated the No. 7 Shockers 73-59 on Saturday at H&PE Arena. It was the first time WSU lost back-to-back conference games since losing to Evansville and Creighton to end the 2012-13 regular season.
Wichita State's 11-game road winning streak, tied for longest in the country, was ended by Houston three days after its 27-game winning streak at Koch Arena was snapped by SMU. The Shockers dropped to 15-4 and 5-2 in the AAC, while Houston improved to 15-4 and 5-2.
Houston's Rob Gray scored a game-high 24 points to lead Houston. Wichita State finished shooting 32.8 percent from the field with a season-low four 3-pointers on 4 of 20 shooting, and committed 18 turnovers. Shaquille Morris led WSU with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Wichita State never recovered from its worst offensive half of the season in the first half. The Shockers had more turnovers (11) than made baskets (eight) by halftime and finished shooting 35 percent from the floor, as Houston claimed a 35-26 lead.
After the Shockers blitzed Houston for 53 points in the first half at Koch Arena earlier this month and essentially ended the game before halftime, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson had his team ready to defend on Saturday. Houston's guards bullied WSU's ball handlers and prevented them from operating with space.
On ball screens, Houston would trap WSU point guard Landry Shamet and force him to pass out of the play. The strategy to force the ball out of his hands worked in the first half, as Houston held WSU's leading scorer scoreless and limited him to one shot.
It was the most disjointed performance of the season for WSU, even more than the first half in Stillwater where WSU turned the ball over 12 times and scored just 26 points. At least WSU played excellent defense in that game. On Saturday, Houston was able to get its leading scorer, Gray, going early and WSU was whistled for six traveling violations.
WSU cut Houston's lead to 22-17 late in the first half, then Gray got loose for a layup that kicked off a 9-2 run that established the first double-digit lead, 31-19, of the game for Houston.
Two Gray jumpers bookended a 7-2 run to start the second half to extend the lead to 42-28, but Wichita State would make its lone rally of the game when Shamet and Conner Frankamp made back-to-back 3-pointers, then Rashard Kelly turned a steal into a dunk to cut Houston's lead to 42-36 with 15:56 remaining.
It was the closest WSU would come.
WSU's defense forced a stop on the next possession, but the offense couldn't continue the run as Morris shuffled his feet for a turnover. Gray soon followed with another jumper and WSU came up empty on its next three possessions, as Houston quickly restored a double-digit lead.
It was Wichita State's first double-digit loss since Jan. 14, 2017 when it lost 76-62 at Illinois State.
