Reggie Lynch scored 15 points to lead Minnesota to a 68-59 win over Illinois on Saturday to end a five-game losing streak.

 

Akeem Springs added 14 points and Nate Mason and Amir Coffey had 13 apiece for the Golden Gophers (16-7, 4-6 Big Ten)

 

Minnesota scored the first seven points of the second half to take a 42-35 lead for good. Mason's jumper made it 54-44 at the 12:29 mark.

 

Coffey had two free throws with a minute left to put the lead at 10. Kipper Nichols hit a 3-pointer for the Illini with 33 seconds left but that was their only basket in the last seven shots.

 

Nichols led the way for Illinois (13-11, 3-8 Big Ten) with a career-high 16 points. Malcolm Hill added 13 points and four rebounds.

 

>>Wichita Routs ISU

 

Conner Frankamp scored 18 points and Shaquille Morris had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Wichita State put a beat down on Illinois State in an 86-45 win on Saturday night as the Shockers drew even atop the Missouri Valley Conference standing.

Illinois State beat Wichita State 76-62 on Jan. 14 and entered Saturday's game with a one-game lead in conference.

 

Wichita State led 35-22 at halftime and used a 19-2 run to start the second half pushing the lead to 30 points in less than six minutes. Wichita State (21-4, 11-1) shot 8 for 9 from the floor during that span.

 

The Shockers shot 57 percent from the floor (30 for 53) to 33 percent (18 for 54) for Illinois State (19-5, 11-1). The Redbirds were a paltry 4 for 22 from behind the 3-point line and didn't have one player in double-figure scoring.

 

Markis McDuffie added 16 points for Wichita State and Zach Brown chipped in 10.

 

Phil Fayne led the Redbirds with nine points.

 

>>Bradley Drops Drake

 

Darrell Brown had 20 points and Donte Thomas added 19 with nine rebounds as Bradley held off a late charge to beat Drake 79-72 on Saturday to halt a six-game losing streak.

Bradley sprinted to a 41-23 halftime advantage and was up 62-47 midway through the second period. The Bulldogs had a 6-0 run late, capped by a T.J. Thomas dunk, to close to 69-63. Thomas added two free throws later to cut the margin to 70-65 with 2:36 remaining. Graham Woodward drilled a 3-pointer to close to 77-72 with 24 seconds left.

 

Brown made 14 of 15 free throw attempts. JoJo McGlaston added 11 points and Koch Bar chipped in 10 for Bradley (9-16, 4-8 Missouri Valley). Jayden Hodgson had a career-best seven assists.

 

Drake, which started the season 1-12, is 6-7 in its last 13 games.

 

T.J. Thomas led the Bulldogs (7-17, 5-7) with 10 points and 13 rebounds.