Casey Reid hit two free-throws with 3.3 seconds left in the game to seal Illinois States first Missouri Valley Conference victory this season over Northern Iowa, 76-71, in front of 5,099 fans at Redbird Arena.
Illinois State, 2-15, 1-8 MVC, was led by Gregg Alexander with 17 points. The win ended a nine-game losing streak for the Birds. The Redbirds also had four other players in double digits, including Vince Greene with 14 and Marcus Arnold tallying 11.
Northern Iowa, 5-12, 2-7 MVC, was paced by Chris Foster who had 17 points, 15 of which came in the second half. David Gruber chipped in 11 points on 4-5 shooting from the field.
Alexander started the game off hot, hitting back-to-back three pointers on the first two possessions of the game, and never cooled down. After jumping out to a 23-15 lead in the first half, on the strength of eight points by Alexander, Northern Iowa went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 23.
The Redbirds responded with a 12-4 run to end the half and took a 35-27 lead into the lockerroom. Illinois Statewas hot from behind the arc in the first half, shooting 50 percent (5-10). However, the Birds were not as successful from the charity stripe as they only shot 25 percent (2-8) from the line in the first frame. Northern Iowa was paced by Matt Bennett and John Little, who each poured in 5 first-half points apiece.
Northern Iowa started the second half on a 12-4 run to knot the score at 39. The run was led by guard Chris Foster, who had nine of the 12 points during the run. The teams went back and forth until back-to-back threes by Kevin Troc and a tough lay-up by Andy Strandmark put the Birds up 57-49. The Panthers battled back to cut the margin to 72-71, but it would not be enough as the Birds hit 8-of-10 free-throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Illinois States next game is against arch-rival Bradley this Saturday at Redbird Arena. The game is slated to start at 4:02 p.m.
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