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These American Conference rivals collided in January, with the East Carolina (ECU) Pirates (12-12; 10-12-1 ATS) taking down the Wichita State Shockers (10-14; 8-13-2 ATS) 54-52. This time, the Pirates get to host in Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. Thursday's battle is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Will this game resemble the first meeting, or are the Shockers going to get revenge on the road?
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Facing a tough FAU team, Wichita State (2-9 conference record) forced overtime last weekend. They still managed to lose by 13 at home. NCAA net rankings have the Shockers rated 151st nationally, so barring a heroic run through the AAC Tournament, this team won't be dancing.
Wichita's struggles start on the offensive end, where this uptempo team only puts up 73.3 points per contest. The Shockers shoot 44.8% from the floor, 31.9% from beyond the arc, and 69.5% at the free throw line. This team only manages 16.5 free throw attempts per game. Wichita State averages 12.5 turnovers per game and 11.8 offensive boards. Can they muster more than 52 in their second crack at the Pirates?
Defensively, the Shockers are surrendering 73.9 points per game. Like the offense, Wichita State's defense doesn't dip much on the road. For the season, the Shockers' foes hit 41.8% of their field goal attempts and 32.9% of their threes. Wichita State sends opponents to the charity stripe 16.0 times per contest. The team is +4.0 in rebounding, yet has a -2.1 turnover margin. Let's see what they bring to Greenville.