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Wichita State Basketball: Shockers blow out Illinois State

By Brock Zimmermann

Dec 22, 2016; Wichita, KS, USA; The Wichita State Shockers bench reacts after a score against South Dakota State Jackrabbits during the second half at Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State won 89-67. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2016; Wichita, KS, USA; The Wichita State Shockers bench reacts after a score against South Dakota State Jackrabbits during the second half at Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State won 89-67. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /
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Wichita State basketball tied up the Missouri Valley Conference standings after dominating shorthanded Illinois State, 86-45, on Saturday night.

The top teams in the MVC battled it out for most of the first half, but Wichita State went on a 17-4 run to end the half and never trailed again in the game.

Related Story: Redbirds pose real threat to win MVC

The Redbirds held a lead for less than two minutes but were not able to stay competitive on the road.

Illinois State has struggled away from home with all five of their losses coming on the road or at a neutral site. The Redbirds struggled more without star MiKyle McIntosh who is sidelined for three weeks with an MCL injury.

He scored 20 points against the Shockers in the previous meeting and was second on the team in points and rebounds per game.

The Shockers proved they won’t give up their reign in The Valley. The Wichita State basketball program is still one of the best mid-majors in the country. They have rolled since starting conference play with their only loss on the road to Illinois State.

Wichita State shot 56.6 percent from the field and 38.5 from beyond the arc on Saturday. Conner Frankamp led the way for the Shockers with 18 points, his third straight game of at least 15 points. There were three other Shockers in double-digits.

Wichita State shut down the Redbirds completely on offense. The Redbirds shot 33.3 percent from the field, 18.2 percent from three-point territory, and 45.5 percent from the line. They committed 19 turnovers and scored a season-low 45 points.

The Shockers improve to 21-4 (11-1) and are getting hot at the right time. The Redbirds fall to 20-5 (11-1) and need to get creative offensively if they want to stay near the top of the standings.

Next: Three takeaways from Purdue's road victory over Maryland

Both teams have a chance of getting an NCAA Tournament bid but Illinois State has more to lose going forward. Wichita State should roll through the remainder of its schedule and the Redbirds have some challenging road games without McIntosh.