ST. LOUIS (AP) — Fred VanVleet scored 22 points including several key baskets late to lead another strong ensemble effort and No. 2 Wichita State remained the nation's lone unbeaten team after defeating Indiana State 83-to-69 yesterday (SUN) in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament final. Tekele Cotton added 20 points — with four 3-pointers — and Ron Baker had 14 points for the Shockers, who got tested in the second half before putting the title game out of reach.
Wichita State matched the NCAA record for victories to start the season held by UNLV in 1990-91 with its third straight convincing tournament win after going 18-0 in the conference regular season. The Shockers, now 34-and-0 won their first conference tournament since 1987.
Heading into the NCAA tournament, the Shockers now have more wins than any team in tournament history.