WICHITA, Kan. – Jaheam Cornwall scored a career-high 22 points, but Gardner-Webb ran up against a physical, deep Wichita State team Tuesday night in a 74-52 loss.

The game was the first of two stateside games for the 2019 Cancun Challenge.

Gardner-Webb (0-4) shot 35.6 percent from the floor overall, and 20.8 percent (5-of-24) from inside the three-point arc, for the game – with the Shockers (4-0) superior size and length causing problems throughout.

Wichita State used several lengthy runs to pull away by more than 20 points in the opening half, as Gardner-Webb made only five field goals through the first 15 minutes of action. Cornwall, who scored nine of his points before the break, sparked a late Gardner-Webb rally that trimmed the lead back to 16 points – 43-27 – after a Kareem Reid slam at the first half horn. Cornwall assisted on that transition bucket.

The Brooklyn, N.Y., junior drained a three out of the locker room to cut the lead to 43-30, but Wichita State responded with a 13-0 run to put the game away.

Cornwall finished the night by shooting 7-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-8 from long range. He knocked in two free throws, pulled down four rebounds and dished off three assists. The scoring output topped his prior career-best of 19 points, which was set two years ago at Radford.

Gardner-Webb's other four starters didn't fare as well, combining to shoot just 4-of-26 from floor (15.4 percent). 

Ludovic Dufeal finished with seven points and Lance Terry had six points on the night. No other GWU player had more than four points.

Wichita State went inside often, making 11 layups and three dunks en route to a 34-6 scoring edge in the paint. The Shockers made 47.4 percent from the floor (27-of-57), 9-of-29 from deep (31.0 percent) and owned the glass.

Jamarius Burton and Morris Udeze each scored 15 points to pace the Shockers, with Trey Wade (11 points) and Erik Stevenson (10 points) also in double figures. Leading scorer Dexter Dennis started the game 0-of-8 from the floor and finished with five points on 2-of-11 shooting.

Gardner-Webb will head back to the Carolinas for its next game, taking on South Carolina Friday night in Columbia, S.C. The game will tip at 7:00 pm in Colonial Life Arena – site of Gardner-Webb's first NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament appearance last March.