NORMAL, Ill. – After winning two-straight road games, the Illinois State men's basketball team is aiming to defend its home court against UT Martin - a team with more road wins than any other in the nation - Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Both teams are coming off of road victories, with the Redbirds surmounting a nine-point second-half deficit to top DePaul Sunday afternoon, and the Skyhawks winning in overtime at Illinois-Chicago Monday night.
Illinois State sophomore center Reggie Lynch - who ranks No. 8 nationally with 3.4 blocks averaged per game - recorded his first-career double-double, with 13 points and 13 rebounds in ISU's win over DePaul. UT Martin's Twymond Howard also earned a double-double in the Skyhawks' win at UIC.
The Redbirds are facing UT Martin for the fourth time in program history, with the Redbirds holding a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series. Illinois State has one all three of the games at home, with one victory occurring at Horton Field House and the other two happening at Redbird Arena.
THE SERIES:
Wednesday's game marks the fourth meeting between Illinois State and UT Martin, with the Redbirds holding a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams first met Nov. 26, 1983, with ISU winning, 68-56, at Horton Field House. Illinois State then beat the Skyhawks at Redbird Arena, 77-60, on Dec. 9, 2000 and, 80-51, Nov. 27, 2004.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?:
After earning two-straight road victories, the Redbirds return to Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena hoping to extend their winning streak to a season-best three-straight games. Illinois State is also trying to remain undefeated in the all-time series versus UT Martin, and the Redbirds are aiming to extend their current 31-game winning streak versus members of the Ohio Valley Conference. Head coach Dan Muller is 3-0 versus the OVC.
ILLINOIS STATE AT A GLANCE:
Improved to 5-3 overall and 2-0 on the road with a win at DePaul (Dec. 14) ... winners of two-straight games, and three out of the last four ... three players have recorded double-doubles this season ... the Redbirds have not been outrebounded yet ... earned two out of five possible Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week accolades this season ... finished as the runner-up at the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (Nov. 21-24) ... went 18-16 and 9-9 to finish tied for fourth in the MVC last season despite featuring the most inexperienced team in the nation ... selected to finish fifth in the MVC this year.
UT MARTIN AT A GLANCE:
Notched five road victories in the first month of the season, which ranks as the most wins away from home in Division I basketball ... the Skyhawks are off to their best eight-game start to a season since 2002-03 after earning an 81-78 overtime win at Illinois-Chicago Monday night ... posted an 8-23 overall record and a 3-13 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference last year ... returning three out of last year's five starters ... junior transfer Twymond Howard leads UT Martin with 14.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game ... first-year head coach Heath Schroyer is in his eighth overall season.
ISU VS. OVC
Illinois State has won 31-straight games against members of the Ohio Valley Conference, and head coach Dan Muller is 3-0 versus the OVC while at ISU after earning an 83-57 victory against Austin Peay (Dec. 22, 2012), a 64-58 win over Tennessee State (Jan. 19, 2013) and a 77-67 victory versus Morehead State (March 19, 2014) in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Against current members of the Ohio Valley Conference, the Redbirds own a 98-53 all-time record (.649).
WINDY CITY WIN
Despite trailing by as many as nine points with 8:04 remaining, Illinois State outscored instate rival and BIG EAST foe DePaul, 18-6, over the final 2:38 to pull off a 78-72 comeback victory over the Blue Demons Sunday in Chicago-suburban Rosemont, Illinois. The Redbirds forced five turnovers in the final 2:51 while holding DePaul to two field goals. Illinois State turned its defense into offense, gaining the lead which it never relinquished with 58 seconds remaining on a four-point play - ISU's second of the game - by sophomore guard Paris Lee. The Redbirds won at DePaul for the first time in program history, and ISU is now on a series-best three-game winning streak against the Blue Demons.
ANOTHER DOUBLE-DOUBLE
After just one Illinois State double-double was recorded last season, the Redbirds have already earned their third of the 2014-15 campaign, as sophomore center Reggie Lynch grabbed a career-best 13 rebounds while scoring 13 points in ISU's win at DePaul Sunday afternoon. It marked Lynch's first-career double-double performance. DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (15 points, 10 rebounds versus Utah State, Nov. 16) and Deontae Hawkins (18 points, 15 rebounds versus Youngstown State, Nov. 29) are the other two Redbirds to earn double-doubles this season.
CONTROLLING THE BOARDS
By outrebounding DePaul, 43-38, Illinois State has earned the rebounding advantage in four-straight games, and the Redbirds have not been outrebounded in eight-straight, matching an eight-game streak established at the beginning of the 2008-09 season. The Redbirds had not outrebounded four-straight opponents since 2011-12. Comparatively, ISU ranks No. 2 in the Missouri Valley Conference with a +6.4 rebounding margin after eight games, last year's Redbirds had a -2.2 rebounding margin at the same point.
WINNING ON THE ROAD
This season, Illinois State is striving to improve its road record compared to last year's, and the Redbirds are off to a promising start. While ISU held a dominant 14-3 record on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena in 2013-14, the Redbirds went 3-11 in true road contests. Illinois State has already secured two non-conference road victories by beating UAB, 78-74 (Dec. 7), and topping DePaul, 78-72 (Dec. 14).
HIGH-PERCENTAGE
The Redbirds have already shot 50 percent or better from the field in two games (versus VCU Dec. 2 and at UAB Dec. 7). Last season, ISU shot 50 percent or better just three times. The two-game streak marked the longest for Illinois State since late in the 2012-13 season.
McINTOSH GETS HOT
After scoring no more then five points in a game through his first six contests, freshman forward MiKyle McIntosh has averaged 16 points per game during Illinois State's last two road matchups. At DePaul Sunday afternoon, McIntosh collected a career-high seven rebounds while scoring 14 points with one assist, one block and one steal in 25 minutes. He also enjoyed a breakout game while leading Illinois State to a 78-74 win at UAB (Dec. 7). McIntosh scored a career-high 18 points in 22 minutes on 7-for-10 (70 percent) shooting, including a 3-for-4 (75 percent) effort at the free throw line. The Pickering, Ontario, native netted 13-unanswered points during a critical second-half stretch from 14:09 until 9:12.
LYNCH'S BLOCK PARTY
Sophomore center Reggie Lynch has averaged 5.3 blocks per game through ISU's last four contests. The Edina, Minnesota, native is now leading the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks No. 8 nationally with 3.4 blocks per game. Lynch recorded a career-high seven blocked shots in the Redbirds' win over Youngstown State (Nov. 29), followed by six blocks versus both VCU (Dec. 2) and at UAB (Dec. 7). He now ranks No. 6 on the ISU career-blocks list, with 123, behind Joe Galvin's 132 blocks.
LIGHTING UP KNIGHT
Senior guard Daishon Knight has reached double-figures in 11-out-of-the-last-14 games dating back to last season, including six out of this year's eight contests. Knight led all scorers with 25 points - one shy of a career-high - to help Illinois State win at DePaul (Dec. 14). He has netted 20 or more points six times throughout his ISU career which began in 2013-14.
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