Wichita State vs. Indiana: Score and Twitter Reaction from March Madness 2015

An amazing point guard battle unfolded during Friday's second-round NCAA tournament showdown between Wichita State and Indiana at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

In the end, it was Shockers star Fred VanVleet who helped his side emerge victorious, 81-76, over the Yogi Ferrell-led Hoosiers.

CBS Sports' Seth Davis praised the level of impassioned effort both sides showed in an intense, high-scoring affair:

While Ferrell poured in 15 points by the half and VanVleet had 19, the latter floor general really took his game to another level in the final 20 minutes. VanVleet got to the rim at will and scored 27 points overall, while Wichita State gave Indiana fits inside.

Getting into the bonus early helped the Shockers stay out in front and maintain momentum. InsideTheHall.com's Alex Bozich described that development:

VanVleet is often more of a distributor than a scorer, but the Shockers needed him to fill it up on Friday in order for Wichita State to advance in front of a friendly crowd.

Typical Shockers leading point-getter Ron Baker struggled throughout, bricking all four of his three-point attempts in the first half and sinking just two of nine shots overall in that span.

Zach Osterman of The Indianapolis Star observed how miffed Baker was at his lackluster production:

As Baker's funk persisted down the stretch, the need for VanVleet to take control only increased—and did he ever.

Reserve forward Zach Brown, who had season averages of 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds per game entering Friday, exceeded expectations, to say the least, with 11 points and eight boards.

Baker hit some clutch free throws at the end to finish with 15 points, nine of which came at the charity stripe. Another huge, late hoop came from senior Tekele Cotton on a beautifully designed play:

Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated praised the big bucket:

The Hoosiers attempted 20 free throws to Wichita State's 34, which had to leave the de facto visitors a bit frustrated.

What allowed Indiana to stay close was a massive edge from beyond the arc. The Hoosiers sank 11 of 22 three-pointers, while Wichita State missed 11 of 13 such shots.

But the Shockers did quite a number on Ferrell in containing him late. Rivals.com's Jeff Rabjohns observed how Wichita got more physical on the diminutive Hoosiers point guard by deploying Cotton to guard him:

The combination of experience and production the Shockers boast was on full display in light of the milestone VanVleet hit, per KWCH 12's Will Kunkel:

Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com praised how the winners overcame a well-executed performance by Indiana's offense to keep their March Madness run alive:

Coach Gregg Marshall's Wichita State team saw its undefeated season derailed in the round of 32 last year versus eventual national finalist Kentucky. Now it will take on another powerhouse program in Kansas this time around.

Kansas coach Bill Self weighed in on the potential matchup even before the Shockers' second-round triumph (via Bleacher Report's Jason King):

The fact that Wichita State still won, despite how off Baker was from the field has to strike a bit of fear into the Jayhawks. There will be so much pride on the line in that Sunday game, and Baker may have gotten any of the anxious pressing out of his system in the Indiana contest.

Provided VanVleet maintains his high level of play, Wichita State has a real chance to pull off the upset. Intrastate passions will be high in close proximity to both schools, so turnouts and enthusiasm from each fanbase should be enormous.   

Among the upcoming round-of-32 games, few will be as fascinating as the impending clash between Kansas and Wichita State.