VanVleet takes Wichita State’s assists title in win over Evansville (VIDEO)

Evansville’s motion offense no longer confuses Wichita State. Its man-to-man defense is no longer a source of frustration. That is so 2013.

No. 11 Wichita State routed Evansville 62-43 on Sunday at Koch Arena, its fifth straight win over the Aces, all by 14 or more points. Evansville swept the Shockers in 2013, still the last team to beat them at home, but the Shockers are past that indignity.

They underlined that point with another superb team defensive effort that turned into a celebration of individual moments.

Guard Fred VanVleet handed out five assists to become WSU’s career leader with 431, passing Toure Murry with a one-handed pass to Rashard Kelly for a layup late in the game. VanVleet scored 22 points, 18 in the first half, and grabbed eight rebounds. Guard Ron Baker scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to register the first double-double of his career.

The Shockers (25-3, 15-1 Missouri Valley Conference) kept pace with No. 11 UNI for first place in the Valley. Evansville (19-9, 9-7) ended a three-game win streak and plays at UNI on Wednesday.

Over the past two seasons, WSU figured out how to disrupt Evansville’s offense, usually a solid construct of cutting, screens and timing that wears down a defense. The process started last season when the Shockers trailed by 15 points at home and had to increase their pressure, instead of crowding the lane and letting the Aces catch the ball freely on the perimeter.

The pressure worked and WSU rallied to win 81-67. The same formula worked twice more last season and in a 61-41 win earlier this season on the road.

“You’re down 15, you’ve got to speed them up,” VanVleet said. “We found something that’s been working for us, trying to pressure them and disrupt them and throwing off their timing.”

Evansville is one of the MVC’s best scoring teams and it averaged 70.9 points (tied with WSU atop the conference) with a shooting accuracy of 48.9 percent and an assists average of 16.2, both first in the MVC. The Aces can’t approach those numbers against WSU. The Shockers held the Aces to 15-of-48 shooting and forced 13 turnovers. In two games against WSU, Evansville has totaled 84 points. It is 30 of 98 (30.6 percent) from the field in two games against the Shockers.

“Their pressure, their defense … got us out of screening, cutting, working to get good shots,” Evansville coach Marty Simmons said. “We took as many bad shots today as we have all year.”

The Aces didn’t record more baskets than turnovers until the game’s final five minutes. WSU held them to 4-of-22 shooting in the first half and led 30-14. The Shockers extended that lead to 22 points midway through the second half.

WSU held Aces guard D.J. Balentine, the MVC’s top scorer, to eight points, 11 below his average. Hounded by Tekele Cotton most of the game, Balentine missed 8 of 10 shots. In the first meeting, a 61-41 WSU win, he scored 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting.

"He’s like his shadow," WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. "He doesn’t give him any free looks. He knows very well how to play him."

Evansville made 15 of 48 shots and committed 13 turnovers. It shot 31.3 percent from the field, barely better than the 30-percent effort (15 of 50) in the first meeting.

VanVleet ended the first half with a series of virtuoso moves. He split two defenders and lofted in a soft jumper for a 26-12 lead. Another jumper. off a screen, made it 28-12. He took his deserved heat-check, missing a fadeaway from the top of the key, before ending the half with a fadeaway off one leg to give WSU a 30-14 lead.

“It was pretty stagnant,” VanVleet said. “Guys just weren’t making shots. Mine were going in, so I just stayed aggressive.”

This story was originally published February 22, 2015 at 5:17 PM with the headline "VanVleet takes Wichita State’s assists title in win over Evansville (VIDEO)."