Tarise Bryson scored a team-high 16 points while Ishmael Joyce contributed 15 as the Illinois State mens basketball team rolled to an 88-46 victory over Chicago State Saturday in the Redbirds season opener at Redbird Arena.
The margin was just one point shy of tying an arena record.
After a slow offensive start for both teams, Chicago State (0-2) scored the first bucket of the game at the 17:24 mark while the Redbirds (1-0) knocked in their first two-pointer on a layup by Dan Luczywko at 14:36.
Bryson connected on a three-point shot with nine minutes remaining in the half, which tied the game at 12. Rich Beyers pulled ISU ahead on a second-consecutive trey 38 seconds later, giving the Redbirds the lead which the team kept throughout the game.
Holding Chicago State to just 12 points for eight minutes to close out the half, Illinois State used a 23-0 run to bolt to a 36-14.
ISU opened with an 11-0 run in the first four minutes of the second half to erase all doubt. Joyce, who scored 13 of his 15 points in the second, kept the ISU offense at a peak, connecting on three 3-point attempts.
Chicago State shot only .367 from the field in the game while ISU ended with a .525.
Traves Wilson and Andy Strandmark both contributed five rebounds apiece as Illinois State pulled down 42 boards, 13 more than CSUs 29. Andre Wiggins of Chicago State was the teams leading scorer with 16 as Clark Bone had eight.
Also contributing offensively for the Redbirds was Beyers (13), Wilson (9) and Shedrick Ford (8). Twelve of 13 ISU players scored at least two points in the game.
