WICHITA—Cleanthony Early scored 16 points to lead Wichita State over slumping Illinois State 74-62 Wednesday night.Early was 5 of 11 from the field. Williams scored 14 points and Malcolm Armstead and Nick Wiggins had 10 points apiece for the Shockers (16-2, 5-1 Missouri Valley). Carl Hall had a team-high 10 rebounds, and Tekele Cotton had seven points and seven assists.Wichita State led 31-20 at halftime. Wichita State shot 46.6 percent from the field and had 44 rebounds. The Redbirds shot 32.8 percent and had 36 rebounds.Jackie Carmichael had 22 points and nine rebounds for Illinois State (9-9, 0-6). Tyler Brown had 14 point and nine rebounds, and Bryant Allen and John Wilkins had 11 points apiece.Illinois State has lost six consecutive games and remains winless in the MVC after a solid Non-Conference part of the schedule.Wichita State has won 17 consecutive games at home.

ATHENS—Walter Offutt scored 19 points and Ohio used a 20-2 run in the first half to defeat Northern Illinois 81-63 in a Mid-American Conference game Wednesday night.Reggie Keely chipped in 12 points for the Bobcats (12-5, 3-0), who are 11-1 at home.Abdel Nader scored 17 points for Northern Illinois (3-12, 1-2), Keith Gray had 14 and J.J. Cravatta and Darrell Bowie had 10 each.Northern Illinois led 10-9 on Daveon Balls’ jumper with 13:57 left, but Ohio’s run gave it a 29-12 advantage, capped by Ivo Baltic’s dunk with 5:35 remaining. Stevie Taylor scored all eight of his points during the run.The Bobcats led 45-18 at the break, shooting 68 percent from the field (17 of 25) and 63.6 percent from beyond the arc (7 of 11). Ohio had assists on 16 of its baskets compared to two for Northern Illinois.

ROSEMONT—Cashmere Wright scored 20 points before leaving with an injury, leading Cincinnati to a 75-70 victory over DePaul Tuesday night.Cincinnati (15-3, 3-2 Big East) won its second straight game after breaking a two-game losing streak at Rutgers. DePaul (10-7, 1-3) has lost four of its last five games.Wright went down with an apparent right knee injury with 15:12 remaining. Playing defense, he had leaned toward a DePaul player when his leg gave out and he collapsed to the floor. Wright left the court and later returned to the Cincinnati bench but did not play again.Wright had been the dominant player Tuesday, scoring his 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting and handing out seven assists. The Bearcats led by 13 points when he exited.Cleveland Melvin led DePaul with 32 points, 10 in the last 2:03 when the Blue Demons cut a 12-point lead to three.

PEORIA—Dyricus Simms-Edwards scored 18 points and Bradley defeated Southern Illinois 69-66 Tuesday night.Four Braves were in double figures. Walt Lemon Jr. scored 16 points and added eight assists, Tyshon Pickett scored 15 and Will Egolf had 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots for Bradley (11-7, 3-3 Missouri Valley).Desmar Jackson led the Salukis (8-9, 1-5) with 21 points. Jeff Early had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Anthony Beane Jr. added 13 points for SIU. The win ended Bradley’s three-game losing streak and gave the Braves their first season sweep of their MVC rivals since 2000-01.Neither team led by more than eight points in the game.

NEW YORK—JaKarr Sampson scored 14 of his 17 points in the first half and St. John’s handed No. 20 Notre Dame its second straight loss, 67-63 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.The Red Storm (10-7, 2-3 Big East), who had lost two straight and four of five, had a 12-point lead midway through the second half and despite giving it all up, they managed to score the game’s final six points for the win, their third straight over the Fighting Irish.Eric Atkins had a season-high 21 points for Notre Dame (14-3, 2-2), which used an 18-4 run to wipe out the double-digit deficit and take a 61-59 lead with 4:27 to play.Notre Dame’s last lead came at 63-61 on a drive by Jerian Grant with 2:50 left.D’Angelo Harrison, the second-leading scorer in the Big East with a 20.6 average, hit a 3-pointer 18 seconds later to give the Red Storm the lead for good at 64-63. Harrison took just three shots in the first half. His only field goals of the game were 3-pointers and he finished with eight points.St. John’s entered the game leading the nation in blocked shots at 8.56 per game. The Red Storm had nine, the two biggest on two of Notre Dame’s last three possessions in the final 20 seconds.Harrison blocked a shot by Tom Knight and Sampson made one of two free throws with 19.7 seconds left, Chris Obekpa, who leads the nation with 5.13 blocks per game, got his second of the game when he blocked Pat Connaughton’s drive off his head and out of bounds with 7.6 seconds left.Phil Greene had 13 points for St. John’s and Amir Garrett added 11.Grant had 14 points for Notre Dame and Jack Cooley, who was limited to 18 minutes because of foul trouble, added 10.St. John’s, which came into the game last in the conference in free throw shooting at 61.4 percent, made 12 of 15 from the line with Sampson going 7 of 9.The teams play again March 5 at Notre Dame.

Carlos Boozer scored 20 points, Luol Deng added 18 and the Bulls held Atlanta to a franchise-low 20 points in the first half of a 97-58 victory over the Hawks on Monday night.Reserve forward Mike Scott scored nine points to lead Atlanta as none of the starters reached double figures. Josh Smith and Kyle Korver had nine points each.The Bulls held the Hawks to just five points in the second quarter and led 48-20 at the break. Ivan Johnson had a basket for the Hawks with 2:54 left in the first quarter, and Atlanta did not score again until Al Horford’s tip with 5:15 left in the second. The Hawks missed 17 consecutive shots during the drought while getting outscored 14-0.Jeff Teague had a layup with 7.9 seconds left to prevent the Hawks’ lowest scoring total in franchise history.It was still a record low in points for the Hawks since they moved to Atlanta in 1968. The 58 points allowed by the Bulls is a Franchise REGULAR SEASON record. They gave up an NBA PLAYOFF RECORD 54 points to Utah in game three of the 1998 NBA Finals.

LES

EVANSTON—Aaron White led a balanced attack with 17 points as Iowa snapped a 3-game Big Ten losing streak with a 70-50 victory over Northwestern on Sunday afternoon.Josh Oglesby had 14 points, and Melsahn Basabe added 10 for the Hawkeyes (12-5, 1-3).Dave Sobolewski had 14 points, and Tre Demps added 10 for the Wildcats (10-7, 1-3) in front of 6,805 fans at Welsh-Ryan Arena.Iowa opened a 25-15 lead by halftime behind Roy Devyn Marble’s eight points and steadily increased its lead through the second half.The Wildcats travel to Illinois on Thursday and host Indiana next Sunday. Iowa entertains Wisconsin on Saturday, then hits the road for games at Ohio State and Penn State.

SAN FRANCISCO—The unproven kid thoroughly beat the former Super Bowl champion and reigning MVP.With a strong arm that allowed him to pick the Packers apart from the pocket and speedy legs that helped him break free for big gains, Colin Kaepernick did a little bit of everything in a record-setting, sensational playoff debut — and Aaron Rodgers just couldn’t keep up.Kaepernick passed for 263 yards and ran the San Francisco 49ers right back to the NFC championship game with a 45-31 win over Green Bay in an NFC divisional game Saturday night.Kaepernick rushed for a quarterback playoff record 181 yards and two touchdowns and threw two scoring passes to Michael Crabtree. Next up for the Niners: a game on Jan. 20 for a spot in the Super Bowl, against the winner of Sunday’s game between the Seattle Seahawks and Falcons at Atlanta.

“It feels good. We’re one step closer to where we want to be,” Kaepernick said. “I feel like I had a lot to prove. A lot of people doubted my ability to lead this team.”

And what a playoff debut it was by the second-year pro making just his eighth NFL start. No doubting Jim Harbaugh’s big midseason gamble switching quarterbacks now.Rodgers never got in sync for the Packers (12-6), finishing 26 of 39 for 257 yards with two touchdowns.Kaepernick ran for scores of 20 and 56 yards on the way to topping the rushing mark of 119 yards set by Michael Vick in 2005 against St. Louis. Crabtree caught TD passes of 12 and 20 yards in the second quarter and wound up with nine receptions and 119 yards for the Niners (12-4-1) in the NFC divisional matchup.Kaepernick, sporting a burgundy beanie partially covering his head, was greeted at his locker after the game by former 49ers quarterback John Brodie.San Francisco had 579 total yards with 323 on the ground, scoring its third-most points in the franchise’s storied playoff history.

“Our offensive line did an amazing job today,” Kaepernick said. “They shut everybody down inside. Our receivers, our tight ends, blocked great outside, and our running backs were running hard, so it made it easier on me.”

Frank Gore and Anthony Dixon each added 2-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter for the No. 2 seed NFC West champions, slim favorites on their home field in a rematch of Week 1. They added to their memorable night by setting a franchise postseason record for yards rushing, 119 of those by Gore to complement Kaepernick.Rodgers, the former Cal star passed up by San Francisco with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft, never got going. Rodgers rooted for the Niners as a kid in Northern California.This was another early exit for the Packers, who lost in the divisional playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants a year ago and were denied a chance to defend the title they won after the 2010 season.Those Green Bay road stars of two years ago — they won three away from Lambeau Field on the way to the Super Bowl — didn’t have it this time against San Francisco’s stingy defense and a no-fear, second-year quarterback who would not be denied. A kid who was born in Milwaukee and grew up a big Green Bay fan until the day he was drafted in 2011 out of Nevada.

“I didn’t know how fast he was,” Green Bay defensive back Charles Woodson said. “Coming in I really never paid attention to it. But he is fast.”

San Francisco advanced to back-to-back NFC title games for the first time since reaching three in a row following the 1992-94 seasons, with 1994 their last trip to the Super Bowl.

With the sellout crowd at Candlestick Park waving red flags reading “Quest for Six” — a sixth Super Bowl title, that is — Kaepernick did his part and then some to deliver in the first key step. Even after an early interception that gave Green Bay all the momentum in a hostile road stadium.Kaepernick topped Vick’s mark with the 56-yard keeper on an option play in the third quarter. That gave Kaepernick 163 yards on 12 carries, also setting a 49ers franchise record for the postseason.

“The execution for the 49ers on the read option was excellent, but our issues were bigger than that,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “We did not a very good job of keeping him the pocket. He was able to get out of the pocket for a number of big conversions.”

Kaepernick joined Jay Cutler in 2011 and Otto Graham in both 1954 and `55 as the only players with two rushing and two passing touchdowns in a playoff game.David Akers kicked a 36-yard field goal moments before halftime to give San Francisco a 24-21 lead at intermission after Green Bay tried to ice the struggling veteran by calling timeout before his kick.Mason Crosby’s 31-yard field goal tied the game at 24 midway through the third quarter, then Kaepernick took over again. San Francisco’s defense handled the rest.Kaepernick had 11 carries for 107 yards rushing by halftime.Pick six, no problem.The strong-armed Kaepernick brushed off the interception he tossed on the fourth play of the game that Sam Shields ran back 52 yards for a touchdown, then took control with his pinpoint passing to his favorite go-to guy – Crabtree – and with his quick-burst ability out of the pocket.

“He does a great job of responding,” Harbaugh said. “He has done that any time there has been an interception he has thrown, a safety or a turnover, he’s responded with a scoring drive. That’s rare. I think that’s a rare quality. So far he’s shown that he’s got that ability to come back.”

San Francisco, fueled all year by its near miss in overtime of the NFC title game, made it two victories against Rodgers and Co. this season after a 30-22 Week 1 win at Lambeau Field.Kaepernick bounced back from the early interception and again after a second-quarter taunting penalty in which he threw the ball down in the face of safety M.D. Jennings after being hit by Jennings and Erik Walden. Center Jonathan Goodwin grabbed Kaepernick in an effort to settle him down after his 15-yard run was negated by the 15-yard flag.Two plays later, Kaepernick found Crabtree for his 20-yard TD as San Francisco capitalized on another Packers turnover.Rodgers answered right back on the Packers’ next chance, driving his team 80 yards on six plays and hitting James Jones on a 20-yard touchdown of his own that tied the game at 21. Green Bay got help from a 15-yard personal foul penalty by Dashon Goldson for a helmet-to-helmet hit on DuJuan Harris.

“We felt like we gift-wrapped them 14 points off turnovers in the first half and our defense was playing all right,” Rodgers said. “And then we just didn’t get it done in the second half. I knew we were going to have to score some points. We knew we were going to have to put up at least 38 points.”

Former California receiver Jeremy Ross fumbled Andy Lee’s punt early in the second and C.J. Spillman recovered as San Francisco got the ball back at the 9. Kaepernick threw a 12-yard TD pass to Crabtree three plays later.Rodgers’ streak of 183 passes without an interception spanning the previous five games ended when Tarell Brown picked off the ball on a deep third-down throw in the second quarter. Brown had another interception in the waning moments.

“We expected them to try to get him out on the perimeter. But we didn’t expect to let him do what he did,” Woodson said. “Give him a lot of credit. He played a great game. He made a lot of great plays out there today. It was hard to swallow.”

Harris ran 18 yards for a score in the final minute of the first quarter as Green Bay took a 14-7 lead. Rodgers connected with James Jones on a 44-yard completion one play earlier before Harris easily ran right up the middle into the end zone for a Packers team that managed 45 total yards rushing in the season-opening loss.Such moments were few against a 49ers defense happy to welcome back All-Pro lineman Justin Smith after he missed the final two regular-season games with a partially torn left triceps muscle.

NOTES—The Green Bay defense gave up the most total yards (579), yards rushing (323) and second-most points in the playoffs in franchise history….San Francisco improved to 13-3 at home in divisional playoff games…..The 49ers had 48 offensive plays in the first half to 20 by Green Bay.

The United Center is becoming a friendly place for visiting teams. Luis Scola scored 22 points to help the Phoenix Suns beat the “Dow Jones” Bulls 97-81 Saturday night, snapping a five-game losing streak. Michael Beasley added 20 points for Phoenix, which had lost 12 straight on the road and got its first road win since beating Cleveland on Nov. 27.The Suns got the 2,000th win in franchise history, accomplishing the feat in their 3,599th game to become the fourth-fastest team to the reach the milestone.

“It was a much needed win for us,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. “When you [win No. 2,000] against a historical team like the Bulls and all they’ve meant to this league, it really is a great achievement.”

Carlos Boozer had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Joakim Noah added 10 points and 13 boards for the Bulls, who continued there inconsistent play at home with its fourth loss in the last six. The Bulls, 10-10 at home this season, lost for just the second time in 13 games when both Boozer and Noah recorded double-doubles.Phoenix joined a list of underachieving teams who have recently won at Chicago. The Bulls were outhustled at home on Dec. 31st by a Charlotte team that had lost 18 in a row, then on Wednesday by a Milwaukee team that had lost four of five and recently changed head coaches.Bulls home struggles are more surprising considering they have won 10 of 15 on the road, including high-profile wins at New York and Miami in the last eight days.

“We’re going on the road and beating some of the best teams, then coming home against lower-echelon teams and not competing,” Noah said. “If we all knew what the problem was, we’d do something about it.”

Phoenix shot almost 50 percent from the floor to make up for losing the turnover matchup and getting doubled up on the offensive boards. The Suns had shot under 40 percent three of the last four games and were held under 80 points the last two.

“For the first time in a very long time we played and executed well for four quarters,” Gentry said.

The Suns scored just 26 points in the second half Friday night at Brooklyn, the second-worst half in franchise history. Phoenix looked like a completely different team against one of the NBA’s top defenses, and did it without one of their leading scorers, Jared Dudley, who suffered a bruised right hand against the Nets.Scola led Phoenix with 10 first-quarter points, then Beasley had 14 in the second, shooting 7 for 8, as the Suns led 49-42 at the break.Beasley’s 20 points marked his best output since scoring 21 against the Clippers on Dec. 8.

“I was shooting tonight like I really wanted to make it,” Beasley said. “It is the first time in a long time I have felt that way and had the confidence.”

The Bulls were whistled for four technical fouls, capped by coach Tom Thibodeau’s penalty with 3:57 left in the fourth. Nate Robinson was issued one minutes earlier, and Boozer and Luol Deng were each given technicals in the third.

“We just got frustrated,” Boozer admitted. “It wasn’t the refs’ fault, it was on us. Usually we don’t lose our composure like that.”

Boozer was held without a field goal for the first 22 minutes, and his team missed all four of its 3-point attempts in the first half.The Bulls shot 36.4 percent from the floor and 18.2 percent from range, matching a season-low by hitting just two 3s.

“We have to play with more intensity, more of an edge,” Thibodeau said. “We are not doing that. We have to correct it.”

NOTES—Gentry said Dudley will need an X-ray on his right hand to determine the extent of the injury…..Chicago-area native Shannon Brown had 11 points starting in place of Dudley…..Banged up Bulls G Kirk Hinrich had one point and three assists in 23 minutes. Thibodeau said prior to the game that Hinrich will continue to be day-to-day as he manages an array of injuries.