EVANSTON—Vincent Edwards scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half and Caleb Swanigan added 20 points and 14 rebounds to help No. 16 Purdue beat Northwestern 69-65 on Sunday.Purdue (25-6, 14-4 Big Ten) clinched the outright regular-season conference title earlier in the week, but had to hold on in the final seconds to fend off Northwestern (21-10, 10-8) in front of a raucous sellout crowd.Bryant McIntosh finished with 25 points and six assists for Northwestern. The Wildcats have lost six of nine.Swanigan had his nation-leading 25th double-double.NU Is expected to get an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time, but first plays in the Big Ten Tournament in Washington starting Thursday against Ohio State or Rutgers.

ST. LOUIS—Conner Frankamp scored 19 points and Markis McDuffie added 16 as No. 21 Wichita State beat Illinois State 71-51 in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship game Sunday, earning an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.After splitting their regular-season series and sharing the conference championship, Wichita State left no doubt as to whom the top team in the MVC was this season.The Shockers (30-4, 17-1), the No. 2 seed, have won 15 straight games since losing at Illinois State on Jan. 14. The No. 1-seeded Redbirds (27-6, 17-1) had won eight straight games since losing at Wichita State on Feb. 4.Landry Shamet added 14 points for Wichita State. Paris Lee, the MVC’s player of the year, led Illinois State with 18 points, while MiKyle McIntosh scored 16.After sluggish starts the past two games, Wichita State opened this one with a 10-2 run that included 3-pointers from Frankamp and Shamet.The Shockers, who got 13 points from Frankamp in the opening half, never trailed in the first 20 minutes, led by as many as 11 points and held a 33-25 advantage at halftime.Wichita State pulled away in the second half, led by McDuffie and Shamet. The Shockers led by as many 23 points after halftime and sealed the victory at the free-throw line, sinking 21 of 31 attempts in the second half.With the win, Wichita State reached the 30-win mark for the fourth time in five seasons and solidified its standing as one of the top 25 teams in the nation heading into the NCAA Tournament.ISU has lost five straight tournament championship games and fell to 4-8 in title games. The Redbirds’ last MVC Tournament championship was in 1998.

DETROIT—Tai Odiase and Dominique Matthews scored 16 points apiece to help No. 6 seed UIC hold off third-seeded Wisconsin-Green Bay for a 79-70 win in the Horizon League Tournament on Sunday.UIC (15-17) will play No. 10 UW-Milwaukee in the tournament semifinals Monday.Matthews hit a 3-pointer midway through the second half to spark a 17-2 run that put the Flames on top 68-52 with 4:42 left.The Phoenix went 0 for 11 from the field during a nine-minute stretch in the second half that included UIC’s breakaway but then dug in and used a 10-0 run late in the game to cut the deficit to 72-70 with 1:08 left. UWGB’s James Hurdle had two 3-pointers during the run but the Phoenix didn’t score again as UIC sealed it from the free throw line from there.Tarkus Ferguson added 12 points and 10 rebounds for UIC to get his sixth career double-double.Kerem Kanter led UWGB (18-13) with 19 points and Hurdle had 11.

NASHVILLE—Brian Campbell kept the Blackhawks rolling away from home.Campbell scored with 1:05 remaining to lead the Blackhawks over the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight win.The Blackhawks established a new franchise record with their eighth consecutive road victory.

”It’s a fun accomplishment knowing the organization has had a proud history and some great tradition here,” Joel Quenneville said. ”We did play in some tough buildings and some tough games and finding a way to win a lot of nights differently. Tonight was probably a good illustration of that.”

Patrick Kane scored twice, including an empty-netter after Campbell’s goal, and Jordin Tootoo and Jonathan Toews also scored for the Hawks, who have won 12 of 13. Corey Crawford made 32 saves.With the win, the Blackhawks moved one point ahead of the idle Minnesota Wild for the top spot in the Central Division. The Hawks have played three more games than the Wild.Viktor Arvidsson scored twice and Calle Jarnkrok also had a goal for Nashville, which has lost two straight.With time winding down in the third and the score tied at 3, Toews had the puck on the right wall in the Nashville zone. He sent a pass to Campbell in the slot, where he beat goaltender Juuse Saros with a wrist shot. Saros made 28 saves.The goal was Campbell’s first in his last 20 games played.

”I haven’t scored in a little bit,” Campbell said. ”I’ve had some chances and can’t finish. Johnny made a great play. It’s always nice scoring a big goal to help our team.”

For the second consecutive game, the Predators allowed a go-ahead goal late. In Thursday’s 2-1 loss in Montreal, the Canadiens scored with nine seconds remaining to win the game.Kane scored the game’s first goal at 16:23 of the opening period. With the Hawks on a power play, Kane beat Saros on the far side with a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot.Tootoo made it 2-0 at 11:03 of the second after Nashville defenseman Yannick Weber blocked Brent Seabrook’s slap shot from the center of the blue line. Tootoo picked up the puck and moved to the low slot, where he beat Saros with a wrist shot.The goal was the first point in 28 games this season for Tootoo, a former Predator.

”When you have great leadership and guys who’ve been through adversity, there’s no panic button,” Tootoo said. ”That’s what’s great in our dressing room here. We all encourage each other to be loose out there and focused on the task out hand.”

Arvidsson halved the Blackhawk lead 1:17 later. Skating across the Hawk blue line, he was able to tip the puck away from Seabrook and then gained position on Duncan Keith before beating Crawford with a wrist shot to the stick side.Toews and Jarnkrok traded goals in the final minute of the second, with Toews striking on the power play at 19:03 on the power play and Jarnkrok responding 14 seconds later.Arvidsson scored his second of the game at 4:13 of the third. Ryan Johansen carried the puck into the Hawk zone on the right side. At the top of the faceoff circle, he left a drop pass for Arvidsson, who skated to the lower part of the circle and beat Crawford with a sharp-angle wrist shot on the short-side.

NOTES—The Blackhawks won four of the five meetings with Nashville this season. … Predators D Ryan Ellis missed the game with a lower-body injury from Thursday night in Montreal. He was replaced by Anthony Bitetto, who had been a healthy scratch in Nashville’s last 13 games. … Kane had nine points (three goals, six assists) in five games against Nashville this season. … With two assists, Richard Panik extended his points streak to eight games.The Blackhawks host Anaheim on Thursday night.Ha

A rhythm shooter on a team out of sync, Jamal Crawford and the Los Angeles Clippers broke out on Saturday night.The veteran reserve came alive late, scoring 25 points to carry the visiting Clippers to a 101-91 victory over the Bulls.

”We definitely needed a win,” Crawford said after his 10-of-17 shooting performance. ”Everything is better. The food tastes better, the flight will be better, you know, but it’s a total team effort.”

Chris Paul added 17 points and Blake Griffin had 16 for Los Angeles, which lost in Milwaukee on Friday and had fallen to the fifth spot in the Western Conference standings.Crawford, a former Bulls guard who won his third Sixth Man of the Year award last season, scored 10 points during a 14-7 spurt in the fourth quarter as the Clippers won for just the second time in six games.

”He went 1-on-1 and you can’t do nothing when he is going like that,” said Dwyane Wade, who scored 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting. ”When they have guys making shots like that, we are taking the ball out of the basket. Our offensive rhythm is not the same as it was in the first half when we were able to get stops and go the other way.”

Jimmy Butler scored 16 points for the Bulls, who had won five of their last six games, including wins against Cleveland and Golden State.The Bulls led by 10 points five times in the second quarter, but the Clippers took control late in the third. Crawford’s long 3-pointer at the buzzer closed an 18-5 Los Angeles run at the end of the period to go up 82-73.Los Angeles then extended its lead to 96-80 midway through the fourth.Crawford, who averages 15.3 points per game in his career and will turn 37 in two weeks, was in single digits in five of his previous six games.The Clippers are 6-6 on the second of back-to-back games. In those cases, Los Angeles won its first five, then lost six in a row before Saturday’s win. … The Clippers won their first game in 10 tries after trailing at halftime on the road…..Bobby Portis scored 11 points and was in double figures for the third straight game. It was the first such streak for him this season. … The Bulls failed to record a blocked shot for the second time this season. … The Bulls’ 30 second-half points were a season low for any half this season. Their 12 points in the third quarter tied their fewest points in any quarter.

ROSEMONT—Trevon Bluiett scored 24 points, added 10 rebounds, and Xavier closed out the regular season with a much-needed 79-65 win over DePaul on Saturday.Xavier (19-12, 9-9 Big East), once ranked as high as No. 7, had lost six in a row and is in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament altogether.The Musketeers and Blue Demons will meet again Wednesday in the opening round of the Big East Tournament.Malcolm Bernard added 13 points for Xavier, which hit 10 3-pointers, won the rebounding battle, and finished with just nine turnovers.Billy Garrett Jr. led DePaul (9-22, 2-16) with 17 points while Eli Cain added 15. The Blue Demons shot just 40 percent and 6 of 21 from long range.DePaul kept the score close most the game but Xavier pulled away late. A Bluiett 3 gave the Musketeers a 72-61 lead, which they extended to 17 three possessions later.It was DePaul’s final home game at Allstate Arena(nee Rosemont Horizon)which was their home since 1980-81. The Blue Demons move into brand new Wintrust Arena near McCormik Place next season.

ST. LOUIS—MiKyle McIntosh scored 15 points and No. 1 seed Illinois State never trailed in a 63-50 win over fourth-seeded Southern Illinois on Saturday to advance to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament final.Paris Lee added 12 points, including 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, and Phil Fayne grabbed 11 rebounds for the Redbirds, who will play second-seeded Wichita State on Sunday for the championship.Illinois State (27-5) rolled to a 43-20 halftime lead. A 3-pointer from Tony Wills early in the second half gave the Redbirds their largest advantage of the game, 52-22, before SIU used a 16-2 run to trim the gap back to 13 late in the game.Sean Lloyd led Southern Illinois (17-16) with 12 points and Mike Rodriguez had 11.The victory extended ISU’s record for most wins in a season.

PISCATAWAY—DeShawn Freeman scored 21 points and hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left to lead Rutgers past Illinois 62-59 on Saturday.Freeman hit the game-winner from the wing, before flinging Tracy Abram’s missed 3-point attempt into the student section.Illinois led 44-34 after Michael Fink made a 3-pointer with 14:44 to go but Rutgers (14-17, 3-15 Big Ten) rallied, taking a 55-54 lead with five minutes remaining after Corey Sanders scored six straight points.Malcolm Hill and Maverick Morgan each scored 16 points for Illinois (18-13, 8-10).Corey Sanders had 17 points for Rutgers.

The Illini ended the regular season winning four out of five, but the loss may end its NCAA Tournament hopes and coach John Groce’s tenure…..The Scarlet Knights end a once promising regular season. After an 11-2 start under first-year coach Steve Pikiell, Rutgers managed to win just three games in the Big Ten. However, that matches the total from the first two seasons…..Illinois will head back East for the Big Ten Tournament in Washington.

Artemi Panarin scored with 1:14 left in regulation and then had the clinching goal in the shootout, helping the Blackhawks beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Friday night for their sixth consecutive victory.Jonathan Toews also scored in the tiebreaker as the Hawks pulled within one point of idle Minnesota for the top spot in the Western Conference. Corey Crawford made 31 saves in his first start since Feb. 23.After Toews beat Thomas Greiss with a wrist shot, Crawford turned away Joshua Ho-Sang. Patrick Kane was stopped by Greiss and Nikolay Kulemin shot it off the right post before Panarin finished off the victory for the Blackhawks.Greiss made 30 stops for New York, and Brock Nelson scored his 14th goal in the second. The Islanders had won four of five, including a 5-4 victory at Dallas on Thursday night.

ST. LOUIS—Deontae Hawkins scored 19 points, Keyshawn Evans had 16 and Illinois State set a program record on Friday with its 26th win, beating Evansville 80-69 on Friday in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinals.Paris Lee added 13 points with seven assists and DJ Clayton had 12 points for the Redbirds (26-5), who blocked a tournament and school record 14 shots. Hawkins, Phil Fayne and Daouda Ndiaye had four blocks apiece.The Redbirds face Southern Illinois in a semifinal on Saturday.ISU, the top seed, shot 51 percent (27 of 53), had five more 3-pointers and was plus-six at the foul line but didn’t put away the Purple Aces (16-17) until they made 7 of 8 free throws in the closing minute.Jaylon Brown, who had 24 points, scored four points and Christian Benzon had a layup as Evansville quickly cut a 10-point deficit down to 73-69 with less than a minute to play. But the Redbirds made their free throws and the Purple Aces missed their last two shots.Benzon had 11 points and 10 rebounds and David Howard scored 14 points for Evansville.