WICHITA, Kan. (Interstat) — DePaul held off Wichita State 61-58 in a low-possession men’s basketball game Saturday at Charles Koch Arena. The Blue Demons, who led 36-31 at halftime, survived despite being outrebounded and committing 16 turnovers. CJ Gunn led DePaul with 18 points. Kenyon Giles scored 16 for the Shockers. Both teams struggled offensively. DePaul improved to 8-3. Wichita State fell to 6-5 before a crowd of 5,988. The Shockers were a six-point pregame favorite.

WICHITA, Kan. (Interstat) — In a game defined more by grit than grace, the DePaul Blue Demons escaped Charles Koch Arena with a narrow 61-58 victory over the Wichita State Shockers on Saturday, overcoming a torrent of turnovers and a glaring disparity at the free-throw line to secure a hard-fought road win. The contest, played before an announced crowd of 5,988, was a stark departure from the high-scoring affair oddsmakers predicted. The teams combined for a total of 119 points, falling well short of the 141.5 over/under line, in a defensive struggle where offensive execution was at a premium. DePaul, now 8-3, built its victory on the back of superior shooting efficiency and a critical late-game stand. The Blue Demons connected on 51.1% of their field goal attempts, while Wichita State managed just 37.7%. That accuracy proved vital in offsetting a disastrous performance in other facets of the game. DePaul committed 16 turnovers, leading to 10 steals for the Shockers, and was outrebounded on the offensive glass 13-4. Most glaringly, the Blue Demons shot a paltry 6-for-10 from the free-throw line, while Wichita State had 28 attempts, making only 13. The Shockers, who fell to 6-5 and had been installed as six-point favorites with a 75.7% win probability per statistical models, were ultimately undone by their own offensive inefficiency. Despite generating extra possessions through turnovers and offensive boards, they could not convert consistently, finishing with an offensive rating of 91.6 points per 100 possessions compared to DePaul’s 95.7. The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final 15 seconds with DePaul clinging to a 59-58 lead. After Wichita State’s Karon Boyd stole the ball from DePaul’s Layden Blocker, Boyd was fouled and sent to the line for a one-and-one with a chance to give the Shockers the lead. He made the first free throw to tie the game at 59 but missed the second. DePaul’s CJ Gunn secured the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled by Boyd on the other end. Gunn, the game’s leading scorer, calmly sank both free throws to put DePaul back ahead 61-58 with 13 seconds remaining. Wichita State’s final chance to force overtime evaporated when Kenyon Giles missed a contested three-pointer with five seconds left. Gunn again grabbed the rebound, was fouled, and though he missed the ensuing free throw, Wichita State’s Michael Gray missed two desperate free throws after a foul in the closing seconds, sealing the DePaul victory. Gunn, a 6-foot-7 guard from Indianapolis, led all scorers with 18 points, including the decisive free throws, in 30 minutes of action. His scoring, particularly from beyond the arc where he hit 4 of 9 attempts, provided crucial offense for a DePaul team that managed only five assists all night. NJ Benson, a 6-foot-8 forward from Mt. Vernon, Illinois, added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench, offering a vital interior presence. Wichita State was led by Kenyon Giles, who scored 16 points, and Emmanuel Okorafor, who added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. The Shockers’ defense, spearheaded by 10 steals and four blocks, kept them in contention, but their offense could not find enough rhythm down the stretch. DePaul led 36-31 at halftime, but Wichita State chipped away in the second half, leveraging its defensive pressure to create opportunities. The Shockers took a brief 54-52 lead on a pair of free throws from Dre Kindell with just under four minutes to play. DePaul responded with a three-pointer from RJ Smith to regain the lead, setting the stage for the tense final minutes where neither team scored a field goal after the 2:26 mark, with the final nine points all coming from the free-throw line. The Blue Demons now look ahead to a quick turnaround and Big East Conference play, visiting Saint John’s on Tuesday. Wichita State will aim to regroup at home against Wofford on Wednesday.

Preview: DePaul Looks to Extend Win Streak at Wichita State WICHITA, Kan. (Interstat) — A pair of teams seeking momentum before conference play begins will meet Saturday when the DePaul Blue Demons visit the Wichita State Shockers at Charles Koch Arena. DePaul (7-3) enters on a two-game winning streak, most recently routing Morgan State 92-49 on Tuesday. The Blue Demons have shown a potent offense, averaging 81.8 points per game, but their three losses have come by an average margin of 19.3 points, revealing some inconsistency. A key figure for the Blue Demons is forward Kaleb Banks, who is coming off an efficient 18-point performance in 25 minutes against Morgan State. Over his last seven games, Banks is averaging 10.4 points, providing a reliable scoring option. Wichita State (6-4) snapped a three-game skid with a gritty 74-69 overtime victory at Northern Iowa on Dec. 6. The Shockers have been strong at home, boasting a 5-1 record in Wichita, with the lone loss a narrow 70-65 defeat to Saint Mary’s. Guard TJ Williams has been a steady leader for the Shockers. He logged 36 minutes and scored a team-high 18 points in the win at Northern Iowa, demonstrating his importance in close contests. Williams has scored in double figures in four of his last six outings. This non-conference matchup presents a contrast in styles. DePaul will look to push the tempo, while Wichita State will rely on its home-court advantage and defense, which has held opponents to 68.8 points per game at Charles Koch Arena. For DePaul, this begins a challenging stretch where six of their next seven games are against high-major competition. Wichita State, a member of the American Athletic Conference, views this as a final major test before its league schedule resumes in January. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. CST tipoff on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.