NORMAL, Ill. – Five players reached double-figure scoring, including a team-high 19 points from Milik Yarbrough, as the Illinois State Redbirds fell 81-74 to the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday evening.
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How It Happened
The Redbirds jumped out quickly behind a three-pointer from Yarbrough, a Phil Fayne a jumper in the lane and a Josh Jefferson three-pointer to put ISU ahead 8-4 early in the contest. Ole Miss continued to fight, using a 7-0 run to turn a three-point ISU lead into a four-point Rebel advantage. The Ole Miss lead yo-yoed between two and nine points the rest of the half, as the Redbirds trailed 41-36 heading into the locker room at halftime.
The visitors' second-half lead grew to as many as 14 points at 55-41 with 15:46 to play in the game before ISU ran off a 10-2 run, six points from Isaac Gassman on a pair of three-pointers and the margin was closed to six points on a Zach Copeland three-pointer. Illinois State would not back down, and kept chipping away at the deficit, closing to within as few as five on Jefferson's third three-pointer of the game, before the Rebels made a pair of free throws late to give the game its 81-74 final score.
Key Moment
Illinois State got off to a fast start to the game behind a pair of three-pointers and a lay-in, giving the Redbirds a four-point advantage early in the game.
Inside the Box Score
- Yarbrough scored 19 points, making 7-of-13 of his shots from the field, 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, while also pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out six assists.
- Jefferson scored 14 points, making half of his eight shots from the field while picking up three steals, three assists, and two rebounds.
- Fayne put together his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds (seven of those offensive) and picked up two steals and a blocked shot.
- Copeland was 2-for-2 from long range and 4-of-9 overall, scoring 11 points.
- Gassman scored a season-high 10 points (one off of his career-high), making both of his three-point tries and grabbed two rebounds with two assists.
Stat of the Game
Jefferson made three three-point field goals in the loss, his seventh consecutive game with at least three three-point field goals made. That is the longest streak by a Redbird men's basketball player since the 1992-93 season.
What's Next
Illinois State gets a break from games for finals week, before returning to action on Sunday, Dec. 16 when the Redbirds host Cleveland State in the first game of a men's / women's double header starting at 1 p.m. on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
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