NORMAL, Ill. –Illinois State fell on Saturday evening in front of a season-high 9,011 fans, as the Redbirds nearly overcame a 31-minute span without a made three-pointer, falling to Bradley 65-59 at Redbird Arena.
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How It Happened
Feeding off the energy of the large crowd, the Redbirds roared out of the gate by scoring the first 11 points of the game including starting 3-of-3 from long range. The lead remained at 11 points at 18-7 following an Isaac Gassman three-pointer with 14:49 to play in the first half. That would be the final long-range shot of the half for ISU, although the Redbirds would not give up the advantage until late in the half, as Bradley scored the final eight points of the first half to take a 33-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Zach Copeland and Milik Yarbrough each scored baskets early in the second half to close the deficit to one on two occasions, although ISU was unable to re-capture the lead. The Redbird deficit reached double-digits with a pair of Bradley free throws with 5:50 to play in the game. Illinois State fought back and closed to within four points on a jumper by Yarbrough, but ISU could not get any closer the rest of the way in the six-point loss.
Key Moment
Illinois State started the game on an 11-0 run, making 4-of-5 shots to open the contest.
Inside the Box Score
- Yarbrough scored a game-high 20 points, making 7-of-18 shots from the field and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe. He also pulled down eight rebounds while picking up a steal.
- Phil Fayne recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 18 points and a season-high-tying 11 rebounds. He also added an assist and a steal.
- Copeland scored seven points with an assist in the game.
- Matt Chastain scored six points while pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out a career-high five assists.
- Illinois State out-rebounded Bradley 43-to-38 and had a 12-to-7 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Stat of the Game
Over each of the last two games, the Illinois State opponent hit at least half of their three-point attempts while making less than 40 percent from inside of the arc.
What's Next
Illinois State returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 20 when the team travels to Terre Haute, Ind., to take on the Indiana State Sycamores in a 6 p.m. (CT) tip-off.
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