No. 13 Wichita State 62, Evansville 43: Fred VanVleet had 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists as the host Shockers shut down the Purple Aces.
Ron Baker chipped in 18 points and 15 rebounds for Wichita State (25-3, 15-1 MVC), which won its sixth straight. Evan Wessel added 11 points while Tekele Cotton dished out seven assists.
Egidijus Mockevicius led Evansville (19-9, 9-7) with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Purple Aces shot 31.3 percent from the field for the game, including 1-of-12 from 3-point range.
The first half was a nightmare for the Purple Aces, who were down just 9-6 before Wichita State went on a 17-6 run to go up 14 with just over three minutes left in the half. The lead was 30-14 at the break, as Evansville was 4-of-22 from the field in the first half, with Mockevicius scoring nine of the team's points.
Things didn't change much in the second 20 minutes, as the Shockers gradually pulled away for the easy win. The lead reached 22 on Rashard Kelly's jumper with just over 11 minutes remaining, and the Purple Aces never seriously threatened from there.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Evansville G D.J. Balentine came into the game averaging 19.4 points but managed just eight on 2-of-10 shooting from the field. … The 43-point output was the second-lowest of the season for the Purple Aces, beating only the 41 they scored in the first loss to Wichita State. … The Shockers won the board battle, 40-37.
Evansville | Wichita St. | |
Egidijus Mockevicius 15 | Scoring | Fred VanVleet 22 |
D.J. Balentine 3 | Assists | Tekele Cotton 7 |
Egidijus Mockevicius 11 | Rebounds | Ron Baker 15 |
Egidijus Mockevicius 5 | Free Throws Made | Ron Baker 4 |
Duane Gibson 1 | Steals | Tekele Cotton 2 |
D.J. Balentine 1 | Blocks | Darius Carter 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Evansville | 43 | 31.2 | 1-12 | 12-17 | 9 | 32 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
Wichita St. | 62 | 38.6 | 10-27 | 8-18 | 16 | 39 | 4 | 9 | 8 |