NORMAL, Ill. -- Even when Illinois State trailed No. 21 Wichita State by 16 points and was shooting less than 20 percent from the field, point guard Paris Lee never got discouraged.

"I had a good feeling," he said.

Lee justified his instincts with 13 of his game-high 19 points after halftime as the Redbirds ended the Shockers' 12-game winning streak Saturday night with a 58-53 Missouri Valley Conference decision at Redbird Arena.

Lee's pullup jumper with 6:23 left gave Illinois State (14-11, 8-4) a 49-47 lead, and his four free throws represented the game's only scoring in the last 2:52. Wichita State (17-6, 11-1) fanned on its last five possessions, including a clean look at a game-tying 3-pointer by point guard Fred VanVleet with about 15 seconds left that banged off the back iron.

Shortly after forward Quintin Brewer grabbed the rebound of guard Ron Baker's final miss from 3, time expired and the student section from a loud crowd of 8,284 stormed the floor to celebrate the end of the Redbirds' 11-game regular season losing streak to the MVC juggernaut.

"It should tell the team we can compete with anyone," Lee said.

Forward Deontae Hawkins added 14, converting a 3-point play with 3:31 remaining for a 54-50 edge. Guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell stuffed the stat sheet for 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Illinois State followed a familiar script to match last season's MVC Tournament semifinal win over the Shockers, when it rallied from a nine-point second half deficit. This comeback started early in the second half after Baker's jumper upped Wichita State's advantage to 37-21.

Using three 3-pointers and a 3-point play, the Redbirds hit Wichita State with a 14-1 run to cut the deficit to three at the 14:58 mark. A season-high crowd of 8,284 picked up the scent, got really loud and the home team fed off it.

"We never held our heads down," Hawkins said.

Illinois State employed a zone during most of the second half, with Lee and reserve guard Justin McCloud supplying notable energy and ball pressure. The Shockers complied with three straight turnovers in one stretch and 1-of-14 3-point shooting after halftime.

Baker and VanVleet, the mainstays for Wichita State during most of the last three seasons, combined to make only 5-of-21 shots.

"They made some 3s and got going," Shockers coach Gregg Marshall said. "We put them at the foul line too much, and we were 1-of-14 from 3 in the second half. You shoot seven percent on 3 in the second half, you won't win on the road.

"I've got to do a better job of helping the guys with execution against a zone. This one falls on me. We played east-west too much."

Wichita State controlled the first half, VanVleet scoring seven points and doling out four assists to lead a measured attack. Meanwhile, the Redbirds' offensive effort could best be described as frantic.

Shooting as though it was a 15-second shot clock at times, Illinois State started the game 2-of-22, missing a spate of forced shots and also watching at least five good looks around the rim roll in and out. Noticing frustration was coloring the efforts of too many key players, coach Dan Muller addressed it at halftime with his team in a 33-21 hole.

"I challenged them," he said. "Some of the words I used, I can't say here. But I thought we were self-absorbed with the misses, and they snapped out of it."

Baker and forward Shaquille Morris each scored 10 points for the Shockers. Morris tallied nine in the first half, cleaning up on lobs and slick post feeds from VanVleet, but was rendered ineffective by fouls in the second half.

Wichita State still owns a three-game lead in the conference over Illinois State and Evansville, but the Redbirds own something no one else in the MVC possesses: The athletic skill to match up with the Shockers and the confidence to close out tight games against them.

"I think we know that," Muller said. "Winning a game like this says we've grown up, matured. Our toughness level has improved. It is a huge win, but I expect to win."

NOTES: Wichita State entered the night ranked second in Division I in turnover margin at plus 5.6 per game. ... Illinois State is 12-1 when allowing less than 70 points and 1-10 when permitting 70 or more. ... The Shockers' 11-0 start in conference play is just the sixth in the Missouri Valley, dating back to 1960.