WICHITA, Kan. (Interstat) — Kenyon Giles scored a game-high 33 points to lead Wichita State to a 78-67 victory over North Texas in an American Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Sunday at Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers, improving to 10-7, never trailed after building a 37-27 halftime lead. The Mean Green (10-7) cut the deficit to six points in the second half but could not complete the comeback. David Terrell led North Texas with 19 points and five assists. Wichita State shot efficiently from the floor to maintain its advantage, supported by Dillon Battie’s 10 points and nine rebounds. A crowd of 5,549 saw the Shockers outperform their pregame spread as a 6.5-point favorite. Both teams are now .500 in conference play.

WICHITA, Kan. (Interstat) — In a pivotal American Athletic Conference clash between teams seeking to climb above .500, Kenyon Giles delivered a career-defining performance, pouring in 33 points to propel Wichita State to a 78-67 victory over North Texas on Sunday at a raucous Charles Koch Arena. A crowd of 5,549 watched as Giles, a 5-foot-10 guard from Chesapeake, Virginia, single-handedly dismantled the Mean Green defense. He shot 11 of 19 from the field, including a blistering 5 of 7 from three-point range, and added six free throws. His offensive outburst, which included 25 points in the second half, was the driving force behind the Shockers pulling away late to secure the win. The game’s most critical sequence came early in the second half, just as North Texas threatened to erase a 10-point halftime deficit. The Mean Green had closed to within four points at 43-39 following a Je’Shawn Stevenson three-pointer with 16:03 remaining. On the ensuing possession, however, Giles drew a foul on a pull-up jumper and completed a three-point play. Moments later, he intercepted a lazy pass and converted a fast-break layup. After another North Texas turnover, Giles drilled a deep three-pointer off an assist from Dre Kindell, capping a personal 8-0 run in just over a minute of game time to push the Shockers’ lead back to 51-39. That explosive stretch effectively broke the Mean Green’s spirit and re-established the cushion Wichita State would maintain for the remainder of the contest. North Texas never got closer than nine points again. The contest was a stark study in offensive efficiency. While both teams finished with identical 34 points in the paint and comparable numbers in fast-break points and points off turnovers, Wichita State’s superior shooting was the ultimate decider. The Shockers connected on 51% of their field goals (26 of 51) and 45.5% from beyond the arc. North Texas, conversely, struggled to a 37.5% shooting afternoon (24 of 64) and managed only 3 of 10 from three-point territory. Wichita State also capitalized at the free-throw line, making 21 of 29 attempts compared to North Texas’s 16 of 22. The Shockers’ offensive rating of 110.2 on 71 possessions dwarfed the Mean Green’s mark of 90.0 on 74 trips, underscoring a more potent and effective attack. David Terrell led North Texas with 19 points and five assists, battling throughout to keep his team within striking distance. Je’Shawn Stevenson added 12 points, and Cole Franklin chipped in 12 off the bench. Dylan Arnett provided interior presence with nine points, five rebounds and two blocks. For Wichita State, Giles’s supporting cast provided crucial contributions. Dillon Battie just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, while Karon Boyd added nine points, six rebounds and stout perimeter defense. The Shockers’ size and rim protection were also factors, as Emmanuel Okorafor (eight rebounds) and 7-foot-2 Will Berg (five rebounds, three blocks) anchored a defense that recorded seven blocks and altered numerous other attempts. The first half set the tone for a physical, defensive-minded game. Wichita State built its 37-27 halftime lead by forcing nine North Texas turnovers and limiting the Mean Green to 34.4% shooting. Giles had eight points in the opening period, but it was his second-half eruption that transformed a competitive conference game into a showcase for the junior guard. With the victory, both teams moved to an identical 10-7 overall record. For Wichita State, the win halted a two-game skid that included narrow losses to Rice and a double-overtime defeat at Charlotte. North Texas saw its two-game winning streak snapped and now faces a quick turnaround in conference play. The Shockers’ victory defied the pregame analytics from National Statistical’s ELO system, which had given North Texas a slight 51.6% probability to win. Wichita State, installed as a 6.5-point favorite, covered the spread with the 11-point margin. The combined score of 145 points sailed well over the posted over/under line of 126.5, largely due to the unexpected offensive fireworks provided by Giles. Wichita State looks to build on this momentum with a challenging road trip to Florida Atlantic on Thursday. North Texas returns home to prepare for a visit from Tulane next Sunday, aiming to rectify its offensive struggles and rebound in the AAC standings.

Preview: North Texas at Wichita State WICHITA, Kan. (Interstat) — Two American Athletic Conference teams looking to halt recent slides will meet Sunday when the North Texas Mean Green visit the Wichita State Shockers at Charles Koch Arena. North Texas (10-6) has dropped two of its last three, including a 74-70 home loss to South Florida on Wednesday. Wichita State (9-7) has lost three straight, most recently a 66-64 defeat against Rice on its home floor the same night. The matchup features two of the league’s top scorers entering on hot streaks. North Texas guard Je’Shawn Stevenson has scored 20 or more points in four of his last five games, averaging 20.2 points per contest in that span. He poured in 21 points in the loss to South Florida. Wichita State will counter with guard Michael Gray, who is coming off a season-high 25-point performance against Rice. Gray has averaged 18.5 points over his last two outings, providing a crucial offensive spark for a Shockers team that fell in double-overtime at Charlotte on Jan. 3. The Mean Green have relied on a defense that allows just 64.1 points per game, ranking among the national leaders. They will be tested by a Wichita State squad averaging 75.4 points at home this season. The Shockers have shown resilience, with all three losses in their current skid coming by six points or fewer. North Texas holds a narrow edge in the all-time series, 3-2, but Wichita State won the most recent meeting last February. Both teams are seeking momentum early in the conference schedule. A win would push the victor back above .500 in league play and provide a key result before a difficult stretch of AAC games in late January. Tipoff is set for Sunday afternoon.