ORLANDO, Fla. -- Minus its go-to guy, Wichita State never quite got it going offensively in a 52-45 loss to UCF at Addition Financial Arena.
Walk-on Melvion Flanagan scored a team-high 11 points for WSU (7-6, 0-1 American) which was without starting point guard Craig Porter Jr. (ankle).
WSU shot 35.0% from the field but hung around with another gritty defensive effort, holding its sixth straight opponent under the 40% mark.
Jaron Pierre Jr.'s three-pointer pulled the Shockers to within a point, 46-45, at the 4:50-mark of the second half, but they came up empty on each of their last seven offensive possessions to finish the game.