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NORMAL, Ill. – Five Redbirds recorded double-digit scoring efforts to lead a balanced offensive attack in Illinois State's 77-63 win over IUPUI Wednesday night on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
ISU (3-2) shot 30-for-60 (50.0 percent) from the field and held IUPUI (2-5) to 21-for-54 (38.9 percent). The Redbirds also outrebounded the Jaguars, 42-31. Paris Lee led all scorers with 18 points. He added six rebounds, six assists and two steals. Lee was joined in double-figures by MiKyle McIntosh (14), Deontae Hawkins (13), DJ Clayton (12) and Phil Fayne (11). For IUPUI, Matt O'Leary netted a team-best 17 points and collected seven rebounds.
Illinois State continued its season-long trend of scoring the game's first field goal, as McIntosh sliced in the lane for a layup to make it 2-0. IUPUI responded with five-unanswered points, including a Noah Thomas baseline 3-pointer, before Clayton tied the game with a trifecta. The teams proceeded to exchange baskets until the Redbirds went on a 10-0 run, including six points by Fayne, and Illinois State took a 21-12 lead on a Fayne layup at the 11:29 mark.
ISU extended its advantage to 30-17 by outscoring IUPUI, 9-3, from 10:44 until 7:14. Defensively, Illinois State forced IUPUI to commit five-straight turnovers – without a Redbird turnover – from 13:26 to 8:07. ISU then manufactured an 8-2 run, including two Lee 3-pointers, as Illinois State built a 40-23 advantage with 2:14 remaining in the first half. ISU went on to lead, 44-29 at halftime.
In the first half, the Redbirds forced 11 IUPUI turnovers compared to four of their own. Lee led all scorers with 12 points, as ISU shot 19-for-35 (54.3 percent) from the field, and the Jaguars shot 9-for-22 (40.9 percent).
IUPUI scored first to start the second half with a Darell Combs jumper, and the Jaguars outscored ISU, 6-3, to pull within 47-35 at the 18:21 mark. After Illinois State built a 51-35 advantage, IUPUI went on a 6-1 run to cut ISU's lead to 52-41, on a pair of Aaron Brennan free throws, with 13:30 remaining.
The Redbirds answered by manufacturing a 10-3 run, from 13:18 until 9:48, to reestablish an 18-point advantage, 62-44. However, IUPUI responded with a 9-2 run to pull within 64-53 on a Ron Patterson layup with 7:36 remaining. The Jaguars cut further into ISU's advantage with a pair of Kellon Thomas free throws followed by a dunk by Patterson to make the score 67-57 with 5:04 remaining. However, Illinois State outscored IUPUI 10-6 in the final four minutes to secure the non-conference victory.
Following the win, ISU wraps up its three-game home stand Saturday at 7 p.m. versus New Mexico on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena in the annual Mountain West-Missouri Valley Conference Challenge. For tickets, navigate to GoRedbirds.com/Tickets, call (309) 438-8000 or visit the Illinois State Athletics Ticket Office at the north entrance to Redbird Arena.
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