A hot Shocker start and the coldest shooting of the season from the Redbirds led Wichita State to a 71-51 win over Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament championship game. The Redbirds converted only 29 percent from the field. The Shockers have earned their sixth consecutive NCAA bid while the Redbirds wait until Sunday to see if they dance or go to the NIT.
The Valley now prepares for its women’s tournament this week. Illinois State women open the tournament on Thursday at 4:00 as the ninth seed against eighth-seeded Indiana State.
The Big Ten Conference men’s hoops tournament is in the nation’s capital starting Wednesday. Illinois has the ninth seed and faces eighth-seeded Michigan at 11 a.m. Central on Thursday.
Other NCAA men’s tournament bids handed out on Sunday included Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall’s former school, Winthrop, for the Big South title and Florida Gulf Coast for the Atlantic Sun championship. Jacksonville State won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament on Saturday. Three more bids will be awarded tonight to tournament champions in the Colonial, Metro Atlantic and Southern.
The Bulls visit Detroit tonight.
The Blues blanked the Avalanche 3-0.
Brad Keselowski took advantage of a pit row speeding penalty to Kevin Harvick to win the second race of the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup season.
Dustin Johnson maintains his Number 1 status with a win in the PGA’s Mexico Championship.
