NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State Redbirds completed the season sweep of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Saturday afternoon, as Illinois State kicked off the month of December in a big way with a 65-58 win over Tulsa.
How It Happened
Tulsa struck first in the game, and led 4-2 nearly two minutes into the contest, before the hosts ran off 13 straight points to push ahead to an 11-point, 15-4 lead three minutes later. Illinois State kept its lead for the remainder of the half, despite the Golden Hurricane climbing within three on two occasions, as ISU took a four-point, 36-32 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The second-half advantage grew to seven for Illinois State, before Tulsa fought back, and ultimately took a two-point lead with 8:31 to play on a pair of Lawson Korita free throws. That brief visitor lead fueled the engines for the Redbirds, as the hosts ran off 11 straight points, holding Tulsa without a point for nearly six minutes. The lead grew to as many as 10 with 20 seconds to play, before a Tulsa three-pointer with 15 seconds left gave the game its final score at 65-58.
Key Moment
With the Redbirds trailing for the first time since the early portion of the game, Isaac Gassman drained a three-pointer with 8:09 to play in the contest, kicking off an 11-0 ISU run, and giving Illinois State a lead they would not give up for the remainder of the game.
Inside the Box Score
- Milik Yarbrough scored 22 points, his best in an Illinois State uniform, and the second-most of his collegiate career.
- Phil Fayne scored 17 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, while adding a blocked shot and two steals.
- Keyshawn Evans made 2-of-6 three-point shots, and scored 12 points while also dishing out a team-best five assists.
- Madison Williams narrowly missed double figures with nine points, while also setting a new career-high with four steals.
- William Tinsley pulled down six rebounds for Illinois State, second-best on the team, while dishing out two assists.
Stat of the Game
13-0: After Tulsa took a two-point lead with 18:22 to play in the game, Illinois State ran off a 13-0 run, as the Redbirds now have five runs of 10-0 or better this season.
What's Next
The Redbirds take to the road on Wednesday, December 6, when the squad travels to Provo, Utah, to take on the BYU Cougars in an 8 p.m. battle.
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