Ballard leds Shockers in overtime upset over No. 14 Memphis
Memphis guard PJ Haggerty, left, falls to the ground with Wichita State guard Xavier Bell, middle, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, in Wichita, Kan. Credit: AP/Travis Heying
WICHITA, Kan. — Quincy Ballard scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half and overtime to help Wichita State beat No. 14 Memphis 84-79 on Sunday.
Bijan Cortes hit a 3 to give the Shockers a 78-77 lead with 1:10 remaining in OT. Wichita State never relinquished the lead from that point.
Wichita State (15-10, 5-7 AAC) won its fourth-straight game and first over a ranked opponent in the regular season since 2021. The Shockers had five players in double figures. Corey Washington had a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds.
The Tigers (21-5, 11-2) saw their eight-game winning-streak end. Tyrese Hunter led the Tigers with 24 points. Moussa Cisse had a double-double for Memphis with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Wichita State took a 32-28 lead into halftime highlighted by an 11-3 run in the final 5:28 of the opening 20 minutes.
Ronnie DeGray III hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 71-71 with 18 seconds left for the Shockers to force overtime. The Tigers scored the first four points in OT before the Shockers took over.
Takeaways
Wichita State: The Shockers limited Memphis’ leading scorer PJ Haggerty to just two points in the first half and 14 in total. Wichita State controlled the rebound battle outrebounding the Tigers 54-45.
Wichita State's Harlond Beverly, right, defends against Memphis's Tyrese Hunter during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, in Wichita, Kan. Credit: AP/Travis Heying
Memphis: The Tigers struggled shooting going 27-for-75 from the floor.
Key moment
Cortes hit the key 3-pointer to give the Shockers the lead with just 1:10 left in overtime. He had missed his first two 3-point attempts in the game.
Key stat
Wichita State shot just 19% as a team from three-point range, but made the key ones to spark the win.
Up next
Wichita State goes to Florida Atlantic on Thursday. Memphis will get a week off before hosting Florida Atlantic next Sunday.
