Vince Greene scored a career-high 29 points and helped lead a second half offensive surge where the Illinois State mens basketball team shot 17-of-26 in the for 65 percent but Bradley answered, shooting 58 percent in the half also and beat the Redbirds, 88-76, in Valley action in Peoria Wednesday night.
Greene, who scored five points in the first half, led all scorers and was 10-of-12 from the field, two-of-two from the three-point line and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. Also scoring in double digits for the Birds, who fall to 4-17, 3-10 in the league, was Gregg Alexander who had 15 while Bradley (9-14, 5-7 MVC) was led by Phillip Gilbert who had 26 points. James Gillingham added 20 for the Braves.
Illinois State trailed 37-25 at the half before Greene opened up the second period with two buckets and a trey and Illinois State closed the gap, 39-32, and was within seven for the first time since the 16-minute mark of the first. Alexander then hit his second trey of the game and the BU lead was cut to three, 40-37.
A turnover charged to Andy Strandmark with 14:31 to go led to a jumper by Jason Faulknor and Gillingham as Bradley went up by nine, 48-39 but Greene remained on fire, hitting another trey before Guidry followed with his own and ISU was back to within four, 50-46 with 12 to play.
Alexander got ISU to within one, 50-49, after he answered with a three-point bucket and the Redbirds remained hot from the field. Bradley stayed consistent as well as the lead teeter-tottered before the Birds got to within one again, 52-51 with 10:58 to play.
Both teams played neck-to-neck for the next two minutes before ISU got their first lead of the game, 60-58, after Greene hit two free throws after a foul by Chris Mroz.
But Bradley went back on top, 64-60, charged by two free throws and a three by Gilbert while Gilbert came out of the a media timeout with 6:45 to play and hit another three, boosting the Braves confidence again, 67-62.
Greene continued to keep ISU in the game, however, hitting a jumper with 2:34 left in the game, but Bradley scored the next three points. Greene was not done and drove to the basket for a layup in the final minute but it was not enough as Bradey dominated in the end en route to its first win over the Birds since 2001
The Redbirds scored their first two points of the game off a bucket by Guidry at the 18:17 mark but it was all the Birds could muster before Bradley went on a 10-0 run to take a 13-2 lead with 14:40 remaining in the first half.
Illinois State got another point off a free throw from Greene before the Braves, led by Gilbert who scored 13 first-half points, continued to keep the gap wide, leading 23-8 with nine to play before halftime.
Bradley kept the 15-point advantage steady through the final minutes of the first, leading 33-18 with 3:53 to play and then 37-25 with 40 seconds in the half. But Illinois State pulled to within 12 after Kevin Troc hit a three pointer to end the half and keep the Birds in the game, 37-25.
Illinois State returns to action on Saturday at Redbird Arena when the Bulldogs of Drake come to play a 7:05 p.m. game. Drake lost to Indiana State tonight, 63-62.
