No. 8 Wichita St. improves to 15-0

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Associated Press

Associated Press

WICHITA, Kan. — Fred VanVleet had a season-high 22 points to lead No. 8 Wichita State past Northern Iowa 67-53 on Sunday, the unbeaten Shockers’ 15th straight win.

Cleanthony Early had 18 points for Wichita State (15-0, 2-0 Missouri Valley), which established a school record for consecutive wins and extended the best start in school history. The previous record winning streak of 14 games came in 1953-54.

Deon Mitchell had 16 points for Northern Iowa (7-7, 1-1).

Wichita State shot 38.1 percent from the field, but VanVleet continued his hot streak. In the last four games, he averaged 18.3 points while compiling 21 assists and just one turnover.

Early scored 11 of Wichita State’s first 13 points in the second half. His third 3-pointer in a 5-minute span gave the Shockers a 43-33 lead with 14:05 remaining.

Northern Iowa cut Wichita State’s lead to 43-39 with 12:17 to play but VanVleet made a jumper with 8:11 remaining and then dribbled past two Panthers and slithered between two more for a winding layup to go up 57-44 with 6:28 remaining.

No. 20 COLORADO 100

No. 10 OREGON 91

BOULDER, Colo. — Askia Booker scored a career-high 27 points, 11 in the last 4:40, and Colorado rallied in the second half to hand Oregon its first loss of the season.

Spencer Dinwiddie added 23 points and Xavier Johnson and Josh Scott had 15 points apiece for Colorado (13-2, 2-0 Pac-12), which is off to its best start since the 1968-69 team began the season 13-2. Scott had 12 rebounds for the Buffaloes, who remain unbeaten in 11 home games this season.

Mike Moser had 24 points to lead Oregon (13-1, 1-1), which was denied its first 14-0 start since 1937-38. Joseph Young and Damyean Dotson both added 16 points.

Leading the nation in scoring, Oregon, one of seven unbeaten Division I teams entering the day, could not keep up with Colorado.

Young connected on a 3-pointer for Oregon with 1:24 left but that proved to be the Ducks’ final field goal as Colorado made six of eight free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

No. 21 SAN DIEGO ST. 61

No. 16 KANSAS 57

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Xavier Thames scored 16 points, four on free throws in the closing seconds, and San Diego State held on to end Kansas’ 68-game non-conference winning streak at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas (9-4) had a chance to tie the game when Perry Ellis went to the free throw line with 11.9 seconds left. He made his first free throw but, after San Diego State (12-1) called a timeout to ice him, Ellis missed the second and the Jayhawks were forced to foul.

Thames made both free throws to give San Diego State a three-point lead, and the Aztecs fouled rather than allow Kansas to attempt a tying 3-pointer. Frank Mason missed the first and made the second, and Thames made two more foul shots with 4.6 seconds left to seal the win.

Skylar Spencer finished with 13 points for the Aztecs, who have won 11 straight since losing to No. 1 Arizona on Nov. 14. That streak is tied for the second-best in school history and trails only the 20-0 start of the 2010-11 team.

Andrew Wiggins and Mason scored 14 points apiece for the Jayhawks, who had won 112 of their last 114 games at their venerable on-campus home. Joel Embiid finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.