Illinois State Tips Off I-74 Rivalry Series Wednesday in Peoria

PEORIA, Ill. – Illinois State and Bradley hold their first meeting in the 2015-16 I-74 Rivalry series, Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. in Carver Arena. The Redbirds (9-10, 3-3 MVC) are aiming to snap a season-long three-game losing streak, while the Braves (3-16, 1-5 MVC) are also trying to bounce back after dropping seven of their last eight contests.

ILLINOIS STATE AT BRADLEY • WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 2016 • 7 P.M. CT

• THE SERIES:
  Wednesday's game marks the 121st meeting between Illinois State and Bradley. BU leads the all-time series, 63-57; however, the Redbirds have won three-straight and 11 of the last 13. Versus the Braves, ISU is 18-41 in Peoria and 11-23 in Carver Arena. Head Coach Dan Muller is 4-2 against BU, and ISU swept the series last year.

• THE COACHES:
  Illinois State: Dan Muller (Illinois State, 1998) is in his fourth season as the head coach at Illinois State (67-54). Muller is the first coach in ISU history to beat three Top-25 teams in his first three seasons.
  Bradley: Brian Wardle (Marquette, 2001) is in his first season as the head coach at Bradley (3-16). Wardle was the head coach at Green Bay from 2010-15, leading the Phoenix to the 2014 Horizon League championship.

• ABOUT ILLINOIS STATE:
  Picked to finish fourth (out of 10 teams) in the Missouri Valley Conference ... return three of five starters and six of 13 letterwinners from last year's team, which went 22-13 overall, advancing to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) ... tied for third place in the 2014-15 MVC standings (11-7) ... feature MVC preseason team selection DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell ... started the MVC season 3-0 for the first time since 2008-09.

• ABOUT BRADLEY:
  Picked to finish 10th (out of 10 teams) in the Missouri Valley Conference ... return one of four starters and three of 13 letterwinners from last year's team, which recorded a 9-24 overall record and a 3-15 MVC mark (10th place) ... as the youngest team in college basketball, Bradley's roster includes 10 freshmen who have combined to play more than 80 percent of the team's minutes this season, while scoring more than 80 percent of the team's points.

• UP NEXT: Saturday, Jan. 23 vs. Northern Iowa: 3 p.m. CT at Redbird Arena (Retro Game).

LAST TIME OUT (L, 66-55 - JAN. 15, 2016 VS. EVANSVILLE)
The Illinois State men's basketball team shot 30.7 percent from the field and dropped its third-straight Missouri Valley Conference contest, losing, 66-55, to Evansville on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. The Redbirds (9-10, 3-3 MVC) finished 23-for-75 from the field and 6-for-31 from beyond the arc. The 31 three-point attempts were the second most this season for the Redbirds, and ISU attempted just four free throws in the game. Conversely, Evansville knocked down 22-of-44 (50.0 percent) attempts from the field.

I-74 RIVALRY
Separated by just 36.9 miles on Interstate 74, Illinois State and Bradley meet for the 121st time in the I-74 Rivalry series dating back to January 25, 1905. ISU has won 11 of its last 13 games against the Braves for the first time in series history, marking ISU's best record over 13 games throughout the series. BU's best stretch was when BU won 13 of 14 games from 1921 through 1975. The Redbirds enter Wednesday's contest on a three-game winning streak against Bradley after sweeping the series last year. Head coach Dan Muller, who is 4-2 versus BU as a coach, was 5-3 against Bradley as a player from 1994-98.

DEFENSIVE DISCIPLINE
In four of Illinois State six Missouri Valley Conference games this season, the Redbirds have limited opponents below their season scoring average at the time. ISU is 3-1 when accomplishing this feat. Illinois State most recently held Evansville (previously averaging a league-best 79.4 points per game) to 66 points, despite ISU losing, 66-55 (Jan. 15). The Redbirds limited UE to its third-lowest point-total of the year.

STRONG START
By beginning the 2015-16 Missouri Valley Conference season with a 3-0 record before suffering their first MVC loss at Indiana State (Jan. 9), the Redbirds recorded their best start to a conference season since also beginning 3-0 before suffering a loss during the 2008-09 season. Illinois State has now started conference play with a 3-0 record just seven times since joining the MVC in 1981. After starting 3-0, the Redbirds have gone on to finish no lower than third in the league. ISU is now 3-3 after three-straight losses.

Top Seven MVC Starts in Illinois State History (MVC Record/Finish/Postseason

CLIPPED
After falling behind and being forced to overcome double-digit deficits in their first three Missouri Valley Conference games, the Redbirds have lost three-straight in which they've established first-half leads, with ISU leading by double digits in two of the three losses. ISU led by as many as 13 points at the 3:25 mark in the first half at Indiana State (L, 77-65, Jan. 9) and led by as many as 12 points at the 15:00 mark in the second half at Southern Illinois (L, 81-78, Jan. 12). ISU led by four versus Evansville (L, 66-55, Jan. 15).

SOPHOMORE SUCCESS
Sophomore forward MiKyle McIntosh notched back-to-back career performances, earning a career-high 25 points (22 in the first half) on a career-best eight field goals and five 3-pointers, plus a career-high three blocks at Southern Illinois (Jan. 12). At Indiana State (Jan. 9), McIntosh scored a then-career-best 20 points, while matching a career high in assists (four) during a season-high 33 minutes.

LOCK DOWN
Charged with guarding one of the top offensive players in the Missouri Valley Conference, junior guard Tony Wills limited Southern Illinois' Anthony Beane to 12 points on 5-for-18 (27.8 percent) shooting during ISU's game at SIU (Jan. 12). Beane, who had been averaging 20.6 points per game (second in the MVC) on 40.4 percent shooting, was held under 13 points for just the third time all season. Wills excelled on both ends of the floor, scoring a season-high 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field.

HAWKINS BAROMETER
When sophomore forward Deontae Hawkins plays well, so too do the Redbirds this season. ISU – now 9-10 overall – is 8-3 when Hawkins achieves double-digit scoring.

DOUBLE-DIGIT DeVAUGHN
Senior guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell has reached double figures in all 19 of ISU's games this year, and dating back to last season, 21-straight and 26 of the last 27. He has recorded 20 or more points four times in 2015-16, and Akoon-Purcell is averaging 15.4 points (sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference) and 4.8 rebounds per contest (17th in the MVC). Akoon-Purcell has led ISU in scoring 11 times this season.

BATTLING BACK
In six of Illinois State's nine victories this season, the Redbirds have overcome deficits of eight points or more. In all three of the Redbirds' Missouri Valley Conference wins, ISU has overcome deficits of 12 or more points (down 13 vs. Missouri State, Dec. 30; down 12 at Drake, Jan. 3; down 13 vs. Loyola, Jan. 6). Illinois State's wins over Missouri State and Loyola marked the 25th and 26th times in program history, respectively, that ISU has overcome a deficit of 13 points or more to win.

TRENDING
ISU is 9-1 when allowing less than 70 points and 0-9 when allowing more than 70; ISU is 4-1 when scoring 70 or more points; ISU is 6-0 when its starters outscore the opponent's starters and 3-10 when Illinois State's starters do not outscore the opponent's; ISU is 7-2 when outrebounding its opponent and 2-8 when ISU is outrebounded; ISU is 8-1 when leading with five minutes to play and 0-9 when trailing at the five-minute mark; ISU is 7-2 when shooting more free throws than its opponent and 2-8 when shooting fewer.

LEE-DING IN STEALING
After 19 games, junior point guard Paris Lee ranks third in the Missouri Valley Conference with 1.6 steals averaged per contest. With one steal at Southern Illinois (Jan. 12), Lee increased his career-total to 160 steals and is in sole possession of fifth place on the career steals list, ahead of Jamar Smiley (ISU's point guard when Dan Muller played). In 2014-15, Lee led the MVC and ranked No. 9 nationally in steals (2.4 per game), establishing ISU's single-season steals record (82). Lee has 31 steals this season.

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