2011 Missouri Valley Conference Basketball

2011 MVC Tournament Semifinal No. 2: (3) Indiana State 61, (2) Wichita State 54

On Quarterfinal Friday of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, the top seed almost got ambushed by an underdog, but it managed to survive. On Semifinal Saturday at Arch Madness, the second seed in the Valley received a stiff challenge, and this time the favorite wasn’t able to escape disaster.

Myles Walker had 14 points and Jake Odum added 12, leading third-seeded Indiana State to an upset over second-seeded Wichita State in an Arch Madness semifinal game on Saturday afternoon at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. For the second straight day, the Sycamores won a game against a team that had swept them in the regular season, moving them to the MVC championship game for the first time since 2001.

Coach Greg Lansing saw his Sycamores fall behind 7-0 to start the game and then trail by as many as 11 points in the first half. They battled back, however, taking a 40-31 lead midway through the second half. After a quick Shocker run cut the lead to 42-41, the Sycamores went on a run of their own, jumping up by 12 at 55-43 with 3:40 left in the game. The Shockers scored the next eight points to make it close again, but that run took up over two minutes of game time. The Sycamores – still holding a multiple-possession lead inside the two-minute mark of regulation – made their free throws after Wichita pulled within four points. The display of steely nerves enabled the off-the-radar third seed to preserve its victory.

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For coach Gregg Marshall and the Shockers, the loss signals the end of their March Madness dreams, which were fully dependent on winning Arch Madness. The Shockers have no one to blame but themselves. They shot 33 percent as a whole and attempted just 9 free throws. J.T. Durley led the Shockers with 18 points, but the rest of the starters combined to go 2-of-19 for 6 points. David Kyles did add 10 points off of the bench in the loss for an NIT-bound ballclub.

The Sycamores move on to play Missouri State on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. local (Central) time in St. Louis. The game will be broadcast on CBS. The Bears and the Sycamores split their two meetings this season, with each team winning at home. Whoever claims the grudge match will punch its ticket to America’s favorite bracketed sporting event.

Schedule

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament – Championship Game

Sunday, March 6 – St. Louis, MO

(3) Indiana State vs. (1) Missouri State, 2:05 p.m. Eastern time

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Staff Writer