ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands – Illinois State led for over half the game; however, a hot-shooting second half by the WKU Hilltoppers – including 7-of-8 from long range – saw the Redbirds drop the second game of the 2019 Paradise Jam Tournament by an 83-69 score on Saturday evening.
How it Happened
Illinois State came out firing out of the gates, scoring the first seven points on a Jaycee Hillsman three-pointer, a Matt Chastain free throw and a Zach Copeland three-pointer. The lead grew to as many as eight after a pair of Hillsman free throws and yo-yoed between one and eight points for the entire half, as the Hilltoppers closed the first half on a 6-0 run to turn a seven-point ISU lead into a one-point advantage heading into the locker room at halftime.
Ricky Torres started the second half with a lay-in; however, that and an Abdou Ndiaye lay-in would be the only points that ISU would score in the middle of an 18-4 WKU run that spanned from the end of the first half through the first three and a half minutes of the second half. Using strong shooting the Hilltoppers gradually increased their lead to as many as 17 before settling on the final margin of 14 points.
Key Moment
Western Kentucky's 18-4 run over a six-minute span between the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half turned a seven-point Illinois State lead into a seven-point WKU advantage.
Inside the Box Score
- For the second time this season, Illinois State put five players in double-figure scoring, led by 15 points from Torres.
- Keith Fisher III scored a season-high 13 points, his first time in double-figure scoring this season, making 6-of-12 shots from the field in a reserve role against WKU.
- Torres' 15 points came on 6-of-9 shooting from the field while also dishing out three assists.
- Dedric Boyd dished out five assists while scoring 11 points, his fourth consecutive game scoring in double-figures.
- Copeland scored 11 points, making 3-of-8 shots from beyond the arc and adding a rebound and an assist.
- Hillsman scored 10 points with three rebounds, while making half of his six shots and four three-point attempts. He made both of his free throws, as he remains perfect from the charity stripe on the season.
- Illinois State's reserves out-scored WKU's bench players 26-to-23, as the Redbirds' bench has out-scored its opponents in all five games.
Stat of the Game
Illinois State out-rebounded Western Kentucky 32-to-26, while also having a positive assist-to-turnover ratio (15-to-11).
What's Next
The Redbirds get an off day on Sunday before returning to action on Monday, Nov. 25 with a noon CT tip-off against the Grand Canyon Antelopes.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
