Dec. 29, 2007
Final Stats in PDF Format
OMAHA, Neb. - In the official Missouri Valley Conference debuts for head coach Tim Jankovich and sophomore guard Sead Odzic, Illinois State's (9-3, 1-0 MVC) men's basketball team won its conference opener for the first time since the 1998-99 season, recording an 80-67 victory over host Creighton (9-2, 0-1 MVC) inside the Qwest Center Omaha Saturday night. Anthony Slack had his second double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds and senior teammate Levi Dyer added 20 points on five three-point field goals.
Dyer's 20 points led a fivesome in double figures for ISU, with Osiris Eldridge (15), Slack (11), Boo Richardson (10) and Dinma Odiakosa (10) joining him. Creighton was led by P'Allen Stinnett's 22 points and team-high seven rebounds.
The Redbirds came out firing, jumping out to an 11-2 lead at the first media timeout (15:33). The surge started with a 6-0 run, with Odiakosa contributing two field goals and Richardson tallying a runner in the lane. With ISU holding onto a 9-2 edge, Eldridge hit the floor hard with an apparent ankle injury, but walked off the floor on his own.
Creighton trimmed the Redbird advantage to 16-10 with 11:31 remaining in the first stanza after recording an 8-7 spurt. Stinnett had four points in the stretch, but Dyer kept ISU in the commanding lead by scoring seven-consecutive points. The Redbirds extended their advantage to 11 points, 24-13, at the 7:43 mark. Odiakosa had five more quick points before picking up his second foul, and Emmanuel Holloway and Brandon Sampay added field goals in the spree.
ISU forced Creighton into its first timeout with 4:26 left in the frame after going on an 8-3 run to claim a commanding 32-16 advantage. Dyer had two threes in the spurt, and Boo Richardson added two transition layups off a pair of Creighton turnovers. ISU took a 42-29 lead into the locker room at halftime after Creighton finished the frame on a 13-10 spree.
The Bluejays opened the second half on a 9-5 run, and pulled within nine, 47-38, at the initial media timeout (15:51). Chad Millard, Dane Watts, Stinnett and Cavel Witter each tallied field goals in the stretch. Eldridge countered his first points of the game with a three-pointer for ISU and Slack added a field goal in the paint.
ISU built its lead back to 15 points (56-41) at the 11:48 mark. Eldridge and Dyer combined for eight points in the spree, with Dyer capitalizing on a four-point play after converting a three-pointer from the left corner and drawing the foul on Watts.
The Redbirds built their largest lead of 18 points, 69-51, before Stinnett answered with a three-pointer to pull the Bluejays back within 15 (69-54) and Creighton called timeout. ISU called a timeout of its own with 3:38 remaining after the Jays trimmed the Redbird lead to 69-57. Stinnett had four quick points in the spurt. Dom Johnson found Slack wide open for a dunk on the ensuing possession, and ISU extended its lead back to 14, 71-57.
ISU hit 11 free throws in the final 2:27, including five by Odzic, to seal the victory. The Redbirds will wrap up their four-game road swing Tuesday in a New Year's Day Valley contest at Wichita State, which fell to Drake in its MVC home opener Saturday at Charles Koch Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m.
