ST. LOUIS - No. 2 Wichita State is still perfect. Calm and collected, too, in a 32nd straight win.
The top-seeded Shockers stayed unbeaten with an 80-58 romp against Evansville in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Tournament Friday.
"I love how this team goes about their business, their approach and how resolute they are," coach Gregg Marshall said. "They're really, really focused and locked in to the next challenge, and that's how you win 32 in a row."
If they're feeling pressure because of the streak, their opponents never noticed.
"Fantastic to see what they're doing," Evansville guard D.J. Balentine said after scoring 31 points. "If people say they don't deserve a No. 1 seed, that's silly."
Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker scored 17 points apiece and Wichita State set a tournament record with 11 blocked shots, shot 51 percent and held Evansville to 37 percent.
"Got to have some erasers back there," point guard Fred VanVleet said.
It was intimidating on both ends, with everyone sharing in the success and no one taking more than 11 shots. Just how Marshall drew it up.
"This team is very unselfish," Baker said. "If we continue to play like that, I like our chances."
Balentine made seven 3-pointers for ninth-seeded Evansville (14-19), which lost twice by an average of 15 points to Wichita State (32-0) in the regular season. The Purple Aces led 20-19 midway through the first half before Wichita State started pulling away.
"It's hard for us to just make passes from A to B," coach Marty Simmons said. "They play hard. They challenge every catch. Their intensity is outstanding."
Kadeem Coleby had six of the blocks for the Shockers, who are two victories shy of matching the NCAA record of 34 wins to start a season by UNLV in 1990-91. UNLV was perfect before losing in the NCAA semifinals to Duke that season.
Wichita State beat every Valley school twice in the regular season and takes Missouri State in the semifinals today. Missouri State has come the closest to beating the Shockers, losing by three in overtime at home in January after blowing a 19-point lead.
This is rarified air for the Shockers, who haven't been ranked this high since 1981 when they were also No. 2. They went to the Final Four last year as a No. 9 seed and are two wins away from a first Valley title since 1987 and a likely No. 1 seed.
"They're disciplined in everything they do," Simmons said. "They're well-schooled. They're well-taught. They don't beat themselves."
Balentine was 7-for-14 from 3-point range, falling one short of the school record.