With just three regular-season games remaining, the Redbirds (16-11, 8-7 MVC) are striving to reestablish a winning streak after beating Bradley, 60-47, Wednesday night in Peoria, Illinois. Loyola (16-11, 6-9 MVC) will try to recover from a 58-39 home-court loss versus No. 11 Northern Iowa Wednesday.
ISU already earned a 48-45 victory over Loyola (Jan. 31), and a win over LU Saturday would mark the first time that Illinois State has swept four regular-season MVC series since the 2008-09 campaign. The Redbirds, who can still finish as high as third and no lower than sixth in the league, are also trying to gain ground in the standings after starting the day in fifth place. Loyola is two games behind, in sixth place.
TELEVISION BROADCAST
Saturday's game will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, ESPN Full Court and ESPN3. Below are channel listings where the game can be found:
- Comcast XFINITY (Bloomington-Normal): 56, 522, 922, 835
- DirecTV: 665
- DISH: 429
- AT&T U-Verse: 741, 1741
- Comcast XFINITY (Chicago-area): 37, 200, 835
- Mediacom: 33, 733
- ESPN3.com
THE SERIES:
Illinois State hosts Loyola Saturday night for the 14th meeting in the all-time series dating back to 1980, which the Redbirds lead, 9-4. ISU is 5-1 versus the Ramblers in Chicago, with a 4-1 mark at Redbird Arena. Head coach Dan Muller is 2-1 versus LU, with ISU earning a 48-45 win at Loyola in this season's first meeting (Jan. 31).
WHAT'S AT STAKE?:
ISU is aiming for its fourth Missouri Valley Conference regular-season sweep of the season, which would mark the first time that the Redbirds have swept four MVC foes since 2008-09. Illinois State is also striving to win its second-straight game, while Loyola is trying to bounce back from a loss (Feb. 18).
ILLINOIS STATE AT A GLANCE:
Improved to 16-11 and 8-7 in the MVC after winning at Bradley (Feb. 18) ... currently alone in fifth place in the MVC, and with three games remaining, can finish anywhere from third through sixth place ... is 8-5 at home ... leads the MVC in blocked shots, steals and offensive rebounds per game ... three players have recorded double-doubles this season ... earned three MVC Newcomer of the Week accolades ... selected to finish fifth in the MVC.
LOYOLA AT A GLANCE:
Fell to 16-11 and 6-9 in the MVC by losing at home versus No. 11 Northern Iowa (Feb. 18) ... won three of four games prior to the UNI loss ... like ISU, has a 6-5 road record ... ranks No. 3 in league field goal percentage and 3-point shooting percentage ... picked to finish 10th in the MVC after going 10-22 overall and 4-14 in the league for a 10th-place finish last season during its first year in the MVC ... led by former Illinois State coach Porter Moser.
EARLIER THIS SEASON VS. LOYOLA
Reggie Lynch netted two free throws and back-to-back blocks in the final 16 seconds to help Illinois State hold off Loyola on the road, 48-45, at Gentile Arena (Jan. 31). Deontae Hawkins led Illinois State with 11 points and five rebounds, while Paris Lee forced six steals to match a career high, and Lynch recorded five blocks. Loyola was led by Montel James' 22 points and seven rebounds. Illinois State's victory at Loyola marked the fourth time this season that ISU held an opponent to 45 points or less. ISU shot 37.3 percent from the field compared to Loyola's 42.9 percent clip. However, ISU outrebounded LU, 32-32, and forced more turnovers while also recording more blocks and steals.
HOME STRETCH
With just three regular-season games remaining, Illinois State enters Saturday's game at fifth place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, with the mathematical potential to earn the MVC Tournament's No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 or No. 6 seed. ISU has once again avoided playing in the tournament's Thursday night first round (March 5), because even if ISU goes 0-3 and Drake (currently in seventh place) finishes 3-0 through the regular season's final three games, both teams would be 8-10 in the MVC, but ISU would hold the tiebreaker based on sweeping the Bulldogs during the regular season. A Redbird victory over Loyola Saturday would assure ISU of a No. 5 seed or higher, because ISU would improve to 9-7 in the MVC while LU would fall to 6-10, three games behind Illinois State, with only two games left.
I-74 RIVALRY SWEEP
Three Redbirds reached double figures as Illinois State snapped a season-long three-game losing streak with a 60-47 win at Bradley (Feb. 18). ISU swept the regular-season I-74 Rivalry series versus BU for the first time since 2011-12.
REIGKNITED
One game after being held scoreless for just the second time in his career (Feb. 14), senior guard Daishon Knight bounced back to lead Illinois State with 15 points in the win at Bradley (Feb. 18). Knight has now recorded double-figures in 24 out of the last 33 games dating back to last season, including three-straight games with 20 or more points during a stretch from Jan. 14 through Jan. 20. He is the only Redbird to have started all 27 of ISU's games this season, and has a team-best streak of 41-straight starts.
DEFENSIVE DUO
Illinois State is the only program in the nation to feature players in the top 15 for both steals per game and blocks per game. Redbird sophomore guard Paris Lee leads the MVC and ranks No. 9 nationally with 2.6 steals per game, while sophomore center Reggie Lynch leads the league and ranks No. 13 nationally with 2.9 blocks per game.
STEALING A RECORD
In Illinois State's game at No. 12 Northern Iowa (Feb. 11), sophomore point guard Paris Lee set the ISU single-season steals record, earning his third steal of the game and 62nd of the season at the 12:41 mark, forcing Wyatt Lohaus to turn the ball over at midcourt. Lee passed the previous record of 61, established by Todd Starks in 1986-87.
CATCHING COACH
After matching a career high with six steals at Bradley (Feb. 18), Lee now has 68 steals this season and 115 for his career. Lee ranks No. 17 on ISU's career steals list and enters Saturday's game two steals away from matching head coach and former player Dan Muller's career-steals mark of 117, which ranks No. 16 on the career list. Lee's 2.6 steals per game is also on pace to set ISU's season-steals average mark, which is 2.0, set by Ron Jones in 1979-80.
SOPHOMORE SWATTER
By blocking Seth Tuttle's layup attempt at the 18:16 mark in the second half of Illinois State's game against No. 19 Northern Iowa (Jan. 25), sophomore center Reggie Lynch broke ISU's sophomore blocks record. Lynch has 67 blocks this season, surpassing the previous sophomore mark of 48 blocks established by Joe Galvin in 1977-78.
FULL STRENGTH
Everyone on Illinois State's active roster has been healthy in ISU's last three games. In total, injuries caused ISU players to miss a combined 21 games: DeVaughn Akoon Purcell, seven, broken right hand; Deontae Hawkins, 10, stress reaction in left foot; Reggie Lynch, two, back pain; Paris Lee, one, knee; John Jones, one, plantar fasciitis in left foot. ISU has gone 4-2 in the MVC when the Redbirds are healthy.
ROAD WARRIORS
A year after going 3-11 on the road – with just one Missouri Valley Conference victory – ISU won its fourth MVC road game of the year by beating Bradley in Peoria, Illinois (Feb. 18), marking the first time that the Redbirds have earned four MVC road victories since going 4-5 in MVC road games during the 2008-09 season. Illinois State has earned the rebounding edge in nine of its 11 road matchups.
REBOUNDING REDBIRDS
By outrebounding No. 12 Northern Iowa (Feb. 11), Illinois State earned the rebounding advantage in seven-consecutive games for the first time since the 2008-09 season. The Redbirds' streak was snapped versus No. 13 Wichita State (Feb. 14), and after also being outrebounded at Bradley, ISU has lost the rebounding battle in two-straight games for the first time all season. However, ISU has still earned the rebounding edge in 21 out of 27 games this season, including 11 of the last 14. ISU ranks second in the MVC with a +4.4 rebounding margin.
ASSISTING THE TEAM
Senior guard Daishon Knight, who leads Illinois State in scoring (14.0 points per game), was held scoreless for the first time this season and just the second time in his career during ISU's loss to No. 13 Wichita State (Feb. 14). However, Knight found other ways to contribute, earning a career-high seven assists while collecting three rebounds in 30 minutes.
AKOON-PURCELL EXCELS
Junior guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell led Illinois State last week against two nationally-ranked teams, averaging 14.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game at No. 12 Northern Iowa (Feb. 11) and versus No. 13 Wichita State (Feb. 14). Akoon-Purcell shot 8-for-19 (42.1 percent) from the field, 5-for-10 (50.0 percent) from beyond the arc and 7-for-10 (70.0 percent) from the free throw line, while also forcing one steal. In ISU's win over Bradley (Feb. 18), Akoon-Purcell contributed nine points plus seven rebounds.
DECISIVE WINS
The Redbirds have earned 11 (out of 16) double-digit wins compared to just two double-digit losses (out of 11). Six of Illinois State's defeats have been by five points or less.
FIRST-HALF ATTACK
Illinois State has held the halftime advantage in all but six games - with one tie - this season. ISU is 16-4 when leading at halftime, 0-1 when tied, and 0-6 when trailing at the half. ISU has also earned a cumulative +6.3 scoring margin in the first half, compared to a -0.1 second-half scoring margin.
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
The Redbirds lead the Missouri Valley Conference in steals (7.7) per game and blocks (4.3), which is No. 40 and No. 77 in the nation, respectively. Sophomore guard Paris Lee leads the MVC and is No. 9 in the nation with 2.6 steals per contest, while sophomore center Reggie Lynch is averaging 2.9 blocks per game, which ranks No. 1 in the MVC and No. 13 nationally.
REBOUNDING DIVIDEND
The Redbirds lead the Missouri Valley Conference with 13.1 offensive rebounds per game. ISU has established a +3.4 offensive rebounding margin (354-261), while holding an advantage on the offensive glass in 18 games, with one tie. ISU has capitalized on its offensive boards, scoring 126 more second-chance points than its opponents (321-195). In 13 of the Redbirds' 15 MVC games, ISU has earned the advantage in second-chance points.
SCHEDULE STRENGTH
Illinois State's non-conference strength of schedule is ranked No. 32 in the nation according to the Feb. 20 Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report. ISU's No. 32 NCSS leads the Missouri Valley Conference, and ISU's RPI is No. 92, which is third-best in the league (behind Northern Iowa (16) and Wichita State (17)).
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
