WICHITA, Kan. -- Wichita State went to the Final Four last year, yet there was something missing for that team: a Missouri Valley Conference championship. This season the Shockers were focused on not letting that happen. So after No. 3 Wichita State routed Drake 83-54 Saturday night behind Tekele Cottons 21 points and Darius Carters 15, the Shockers relished cutting down the nets to celebrate a conference title that seemed like a foregone conclusion some time ago. "It means a lot, it really does," said point guard Fred VanVleet, who had 15 points and six assists. "Its something we didnt do last year. Its special, and we appreciate it. But, at the same time, we have more goals ahead of us." Wichita State (29-0, 16-0 Missouri Valley) is the first team to start 29-0 since Illinois in 2004-05 and is two wins away from a perfect regular season. The Shockers cruised despite leading scorer Cleanthony Early being held to a season-low three points and Ron Baker only scoring six, less than half his season average. Daddy Ugbede scored 14 points, Jordan Daniels had 13 and Aaron Hawley 10 for Drake (14-14, 5-11), which had more turnovers (20) than field goals (18). Drake coach Ray Giacoletti can compare this seasons Wichita State team to that of a year ago. He was an assistant at Gonzaga last season, and the top-seeded Bulldogs lost to the Shockers in the NCAA Tournament. "Its a much better basketball team now than it was at that time," Giacoletti said. "Ive been doing this 29 years and have been around a lot of great teams that try to outscore you and out-talent you. This team tries to out-tough you in every single facet and really doesnt care about the other stuff." That toughness was flaunted in a 31-4 run Wichita State wrapped around halftime, an onslaught so complete that the Shockers completed the 14-1 portion to start the second half without Drake even attempting a field goal. After trailing early, the Bulldogs held the Shockers scoreless for over 3 minutes, going on a 9-0 run capped by Hawleys backdoor layup for a 15-14 lead with 9:18 remaining in the first half. To make matters worse for Wichita State, Early was on the bench with two fouls and Baker soon joined him with his second. But Wichita State started the game-turning run behind Carter, a reserve who scored four straight before the Shockers started a parade of baskets at the rim. "I thought Darius gave us a huge lift tonight," Shockers coach Gregg Marshall said. "He was really active." VanVleet and Cotton had layups. Cotton and Nick Wiggins had back-to-back slams. VanVleets 3-pointer helped Wichita State lead 31-18 at halftime. The Shockers roll only gained momentum to start the second half. After Drakes Seth VanDeest made a free throw, Wichita State scored 14 straight. Cotton and Carter converted three-point plays to get it started and Carter had another slam. And Kadeem Coleby and VanVleet put back offensive rebounds, bringing roars from the crowd. The Shockers led 45-19 with 16:35 remaining, and Drake seemed befuddled. Much of that had to do with Cotton, who had seven steals in the game. "Was there two Tekele Cottons out there?" Marshall asked, joking. "It sure seemed like it." Cotton said his approach was simple. "I just try to get in position where they dont see me," he said. "Sometimes I can get in the passing lanes and get it. Sometimes, I dont." Hawley ended the run with a 3-pointer 15 seconds later, the Bulldogs first shot attempt of the half. After that, the Shockers could sub liberally and soon start celebrating an outright Missouri Valley title, actually clinched earlier in the day when Indiana State lost. "Hopefully," Marshall said, "this isnt our only championship." Air Jordan 1 Sale . -- Center Max Unger and tight end Zach Miller are both probable for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday against the New York Giants and Percy Harvins recovery continues to be slow. Replica Wholesale Shoes . has left the San Jose Sharks to become the Boston Bruins director of player personnel. https://www.wholesaleshoesforcheap.com/yeezy-700-sale/. The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., who trains out of San Diego, will fight bantamweight champion (Rowdy) Ronda Rousey on July 5 in the co-main event of UFC 175 in Las Vegas. NMD Sale . Despite Arsenals financial firepower, the 31-year-old midfielder was the only arrival in the January transfer window. Signed until the end of the season as injury cover, Kallstrom might not be fit until mid-March after arriving Friday at Arsenal having injured his back earlier in the week while training with Spartak Moscow. Wholesale Shoes Nike .C. -- Marcus Paige and his North Carolina teammates have endured so many wild swings -- big wins, surprising losses, NCAA drama -- that no one can blame their Hall of Fame coach for wondering whats next.GATINEAU, Que. - Canadian coach John Herdman left the Womens World Cup draw with a smile after being grouped with China, New Zealand and the Netherlands.The Canadians are ranked eighth in the world while China is No. 14, the Netherlands No. 15 and New Zealand No. 19.Positive, was Herdmans assessment of Canadas newly minted Pool A. Its not the easiest but certainly doable.Canada will play China on June 6 and New Zealand on June 11, both in Edmonton, before taking on the Netherlands on June 15 in Montreal. Herdman pointed to the Dutch as his teams toughest opponent in the group.Canada is the highest-ranked of those teams, Herdman said. Over the last three years, weve played all of those teams and beaten them. So I think its a good group for us. Its one that we think yeah, we could finish top of.Were going to have to be at our best every game. Thats a reality. Theres no way we can drop into second gear against one of those teams. Were happy. I think the soccer gods listened to us last night. We avoided that group of death.That would be Pool D with the top-ranked U.S., Asian runner-up Australia (No. 10), African champion Nigeria (widely seen as far better than No. 35 would suggest), and perennial European power Sweden (No. 5).Consider that the U.S., Nigeria and Sweden won all their qualifying games. The Americans won all six matches without conceding a goal, Sweden did the same in winning 10 matches while Nigeria outscored its opposition 28-4 in seven matches.Wow, thats a tough group, said Herdman.Norways Even Pellerud, a former Canada coach, called Group D both terrible and great. Presumably terrible if youre in it and great if youre not.Winnipeg, which hosts four of the six games in Group D, will benefit from the big guns clashing.We look at it in a positive way. If you want to win, you need to beat players and the best teams, said Swedens Pia Sundhage, who used to coach the U.S. team. Its a tough group. We try to embrace that, for sure.American coach Jill Ellis shared that attitude.Weve got a lot of depth on our roster and Ill think well be able to manage the group, she said.Nigerian coach Edwin Okon was unfazed.Nigerians are not afraid of any group, he said.The tournament, which has been increased in size to 24 teams from 16, runs June 6 to July 5 in Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.The top two teams in each of the six groups plus the four best third-place finishers advance to the knockout round of 16.With eight newcomers to the tournament — Cameroon, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand — there was always the possibility of some lopsided groups especially with a deep, talented European contingent.But most of the contenders will be happy with the draw.New Zealand coach Tony Readings pegged Canadas Pool A as the second toughest behind the U.S.-Australia-Nigeria-Sweden foursome.Also a strong group, Pellerud said. Netherlands are very strong, New Zealand is getting so strong now. Very even. Canada has a good chance to go through but they have to play at their best.I think its good group for Canada, I really do, said Ellis. There are some good challenges in there for them but I think theyre definitely teams that they can manage.ddddddddddddWhile Canadian captain Christine Sinclair attended the draw, her teammates watched it on TV in Vancouver,There were some big teams in the pool we were hoping to avoid, said defender Rhian Wilkinson. Its a tough group we have, but its an exciting one as well. . . . For me, Im just really glad we know who were playing, where were playing and when were playing. It just makes it so much more real now.The 2011 draw was not so kind to Canada, then ranked sixth in the world. The Canadians, under coach Carolina Morace, went 0-3-0 while being outscored 7-1 in a pool with European champion Germany, African champion Nigeria and France.The Canadian women placed last, in 16th place, at the 2011 competition.Canada has got out of the first round just once, finishing fourth in 2003 after losing to Sweden in the semifinal and the U.S. in the third-place playoff.Canadas career record at the tournament is 4-11-3 including an 0-9-0 mark against European opposition. It has been outscored 46-26.Canada looks to win its group this time, to avoid big guns from other pools and to avoid additional travel.It will be a tough group, said Dutch coach Roger Reijners.But New Zealand coach Tony Readings, no stranger to Herdman who led the Football Ferns at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, called it quite an evenly balanced group.If Canada wins its group, it will play a third-place team, possibly one from Pool D, in the round of 16. If it finished runner-up it will meet the second-placed team from Pool C. A third-place finish in its pool, if good enough to advance, would mean a date with either the Group B or C winner.Saturdays draw comes after 398 qualifying matches featuring 128 countries and 1,643 goals. New Zealand needed just three matches to book its ticket while the Netherlands had to play 14.Colombia, England, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and Switzerland also went unbeaten in qualifying.As host, Canada escaped the grind of qualification.Saturdays draw was hosted by former star wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc and Olympic champion speedskater Catriona Le May Doan. Draw assistants were hockey star Hayley Wickenheiser and former Canadian soccer internationals Kara Lang and Jason deVos.The hour-long show started with First Nations hoop dancer Alex Wells, a three-time world champion at his speciality, featuring a local high school choir and a group of young dancers kicking up their heels with the tournament mascot, a Great White Owl named Shueme.Four Mounties escorted the Womens World Cup trophy to the stage.Canadas next action may be in January with Herdman looking to take his team to China for the Four Nations tournament.World Cup DrawGroup A: Canada (8), China (14), New Zealand (19), the Netherlands (15)Group B: Germany (2), Ivory Coast (64), Norway (9), Thailand (30)Group C: Japan (3), Switzerland (17), Cameroon (51), Ecuador (49)Group D: U.S. (1), Australia (10), Sweden (5), Nigeria (35)Group E: Brazil (6), South Korea (16), Spain (16), Costa Rica (40)Group F: France (4), England (7), Colombia (31), Mexico (25)Follow @NeilMDavidson on TwitterThe draw took place Saturday at the Canadian Museum of History. 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