The No. 8 Wichita State Shockers won against the No. 9 Pittsbrugh Panthers 73-55 on Thursday in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Basketball Tournament. With the victory, Wichita St. advances to the third round of action. They can thank Malcom Armstead and their great defense for the victory.
Wichita St.'s guard, Armstead, finished with a game-high 22 points. He went a perfect 9-9 from the free throw line and added five assists to his performance. They also received a great game off the bench from Cleanthony Early, who scored 21 points, grabbing seven rebounds in the proccess.
The other part to the Shockers' game that was up to par was their defense. They had 10 steals, five by guard Tekele Cotton, who also had six points in the game. They forced 15 Pittsburgh turnovers in the game and made 33-41 free throws.
Pittsburgh and Wichita St. were caught in a few exciting matchup. At the half, both offenses were struggling making it a very defensive game. The Shockers led 26-21 at the half. However, the score did not remain this close for long. With a five point lead already a bit of a cushion, the confidently played their game in the second half and slowly built their lead.
With 10:30 remaining in the game, Cotton slammed it in giving Wichita St. a 10-point lead. The lead fluctuated a little bit, but for the most part it remained a double-digit lead in favor of Wichita St.
Towards the end of the game, Pittsburgh tried adding their full court press, but it didn't have a Louisville vs. Syracuse 2013 Big East championship result as the Panthers ultimately fell in the second round.
Next up for Wichita St. in the West region, they await a winner to surface between Gonzaga and Southern University.
