Nov. 23, 2008
Box Score
DALLAS, Texas -- A combination of 19 first-half points by tournament most valuable player Champ Oguchi and the team's nine second-half three-pointers paved the way to Illinois State's 84-73 victory over SMU and the 2008 SMU Tipoff Classic title Sunday night at the Moody Coliseum.
The Redbirds swept the tournament field in the three-day event to improve to 4-0 on the season, while claiming its first regular-season tournament championship since winning the 1998 Hawaii-Pacific Shootout. The 4-0 start is the first by the Redbirds since the 1996-97 campaign, while SMU fell to 2-2 on the season.
ISU's first five made field goals in the second half were all from beyond the arch, with two each from Oguchi and Lloyd Phillips. During the Redbirds' 15-point three-point run, SMU countered with only four points and ISU built a 49-32 lead at the 14:45 mark. The lead proved to be the largest of the game and SMU cut the gap to seven points twice, but the Redbirds shot 13-for-15 from the foul line in the second half to seal the win.
In the game's first 14 minutes, both offenses were sluggish as the teams were tied 16-16 with 6:18 left on the half. However, Oguchi started to heat up the Redbirds went on an 18-8 run over the next five-and-a-half minutes, in which Oguchi scored 16 ISU points. SMU ended the half with a 4-0 run and trailed 34-28 at the break.
For the third time this season, all five Redbird starters scored in double-figures led by tournament MVP Oguchi. The Oregon transfer tossed in a career-high 28 points on 8-for-11 shooting, including a 6-for-8 effort on threes. Osiris Eldridge joined Oguchi on the all-tournament team and finished with 12 points and six assists.
Dinma Odiakosa and Phillips each dumped in 13 points, while Emmanuel Holloway tossed in 12. The Redbirds shot 51 percent from the field and 56.5 percent on treys (13-of-23).
SMU's Paul McCoy led the Mustangs with 22 points.
Illinois State returns to action Friday, Nov. 28, when the Redbirds open up their home schedule by facing Nicholls State on the first day of action in the World Vision Invitational on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
