WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Ron Baker scored 17 points to help No. 11 Wichita State beat No. 10 Northern Iowa 74-60 on Saturday and win the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship.
Fred VanVleet added 13 points for the Shockers (27-3, 17-1 Missouri Valley) while Tekele Cotton and Evan Wessel scored 11 each.
Seth Tuttle scored 16 points to lead Northern Iowa (27-3, 16-2), which had a 16-game winning streak snapped. No other Panther scored in double figures.
Northern Iowa entered the game allowing 53.8 points a game, fourth best nationally.
Up 12 at halftime, Wichita State extended its lead in the first five minutes. A Baker layup, VanVleet jumper and Shaquille Morris dunk equaled a quick 6-0 run that give the Shockers a 51-33 lead with 15:20 remaining.
The Panthers shot their way back into the game behind the 3-point line. Four 3-pointers, two from Paul Jesperson, accounted for a 12-0 Panthers run.
Suddenly, Wichita State’s lead was down to 53-49 with 9:15 to play, and Shockers coach Gregg Marshall called a timeout, a rarity for him.
It was still a four-point game when Wessel — who entered the game shooting 32.9 percent from the 3-point line — hit a wide-open trey from the baseline.
Wessel hit another 3-pointer a minute later, part of an 11-3 run that gave the Shockers a 68-56 lead with 4:02 remaining.
Through the game’s initial 10 minutes, UNI had things going to plan.
The Panthers, who beat the Shockers in Cedar Falls earlier this year, built a 20-16 lead, and Tuttle had helped force Wichita State’s top two centers into foul trouble.
But the Shockers finished the half on a 22-6 run.
The Shockers have won 32 straight home games, fourth longest active streak nationally.
Northern Iowa and Wichita State compete at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Friday in St. Louis.