Box Score | Postgame Comments

Wichita, Kan. - Fred VanVleet scored a career-high 27 points and No. 12 Wichita State hit timely shots and used a 9-0, second-half run to gain separation in a 58-47 win over Loyola tonight at Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan. Devon Turk led the Ramblers (13-8, 3-6 Valley) with nine points. The Shockers move to 19-2 (9-0) with the win.

Both teams got off to slow starts, Loyola hurting itself with turnovers while Wichita State struggled to find the basket. Turk opened the scoring more than two minutes into the contest and Montel James followed with four points, including a thunderous dunk, as the teams battled back and forth. Five straight from VanVleet gave WSU a 12-7 lead but an Earl Peterson floated and a transition three-pointer from Turk pulled the visitors even at the 8:36 mark. Wichita State scored the next three points but buckets from Ben Richardson and Jeff White gave the Ramblers the lead with 6:06 to play. The Shockers scored nine of the next 12 points to regain the lead but LU trailed by just three after a Donte Ingram triple in the final minute. However, Wichita State could play for the last shot and VanVleet knocked down his third three-pointer of the period, a contested, step-back one, just before the buzzer to make it a 29-23 game at halftime.

Trailing by seven early in the second half, Loyola had two Christian Thomas put-backs taken off the board by a shot-clock violation and a travel. Tevin Glass hit a wing three-pointer to push the lead to double figures for the first time (35-25) but the Ramblers responded immediately, using a Richardson jumper and a Crisman corner three-ball at the end of the shot clock to cut the deficit to five with 12:28 left. However, two transition baskets spurred the Shockers' decisive 9-0 spurt that ended with the home team holding a 44-30 lead and the Ramblers would get no closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Turk buried two more from downtown and led the Ramblers with nine points. James, White, Ingram and Crisman all added six points apiece as nine of the 10 Loyola players that saw action scratched the scoring column. VanVleet and Baker (16 points, 14 in the second half) combined for 43 of Wichita State's 58 points.

Loyola returns home to take on Illinois State on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 31). Tip time from Gentile Arena is scheduled for 1 p.m.