Dec. 6, 2005
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. - Senior forward Neil Plank, who finished with 10 points, led the Illinois State men's basketball team to a 65-36 win over IPFW Tuesday night at Redbird Arena, holding the Mastodons to just 36 points, a new Redbird Arena low.
With the win, the Redbirds improve to 5-1 on the season, with all five wins coming at Redbird Arena, the best home start since 2000-01. The Mastodons fall to 2-5 on the year.
Greg Dilligard's opening dunk set the tone in the first half as Illinois State went on to rattle off seven answered points, not allowing an IPFW basket until the 15:33 mark. Following a Dana Ford three-pointer that put the `Birds up 18-8, Plank and Eric Vianney went on to drain consecutive three-pointers to put ISU up 30-13 at the half.
The Redbirds held IPFW to 30 percent shooting in the first half, as the visitors made only six of their 20 first-half attempts, another Redbird Arena season-low. Illinois State tallied 11 points off 13 first-half turnovers by the Mastodons.
IPFW scored as many points in the first six minutes of the second half as they did in all of the first period, cutting the Redbird lead to nine at 35-26. The Mastodons notched three straight three-point buckets on the run. IPFW forward Justin Hawkins had two of those three treys.
Another Dilligard dunk with 11:45 left in the game extended the Illinois State lead to 43-29. Dilligard finished with eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks, putting him in sole possession of sixth place in school history with 75 career blocks. Vianney added to the lead, putting the `Birds up by 26 with two three-pointers in the final three minutes, finishing with a career-high nine points on the night.
Illinois State shot 47.8 percent, including an impressive 57.1 percent from behind the three-point line, completing eight of 14 attempts.
The Redbirds host the final game in their five-game homestand Saturday when the Eagles of Georgia Southern visit Redbird Arena for a 7:05 p.m. match-up.
