NORMAL, Ill.– For the fourth time this season a team came into Redbird Arena in first place or a tie for the top spot in the MVC standings, and the Redbirds swept that quartet of games, the final of which came on Wednesday night with a 65-57 victory over the Missouri State Bears.
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How It Happened
The game started as a defensive battle, as a pair of Phil Fayne baskets staked the Redbirds to a 4-2 lead, a score that remained through the first nine minutes of the game. The ISU advantage grew to 7-2 after a Milik Yarbrough three-point play. Missouri State rallied to score the next seven points, taking a two-point lead, one of two leads by the Bears in the game. The teams fought back and forth, and Missouri State took a two-point lead with 27 seconds left in the first half; however, a Yarbrough three-pointer sent Illinois State into the locker room with a one-point, 25-24 advantage.
The Redbirds got a jumper from Fayne to start the second half, and the hosts never trailed in the final 20 minutes. Illinois State's lead grew to as large as 10 with 13:05 to play in the game, and the Bears were unable to re-claim the lead in the eventual eight-point Redbird win.
Key Moment
Yarbrough's three-point basket with six seconds left in the first half sent Illinois State into the locker room with a 65-57 advantage.
Inside the Box Score
- Yarbrough scored a game-high 28 points, making 8-of-17 shots from the field and a season-best 11-of-11 from the free throw line. The free throw night is tied for the seventh-best single-game free throw game in program history. He also pulled down nine rebounds, dished out three assists, grabbed three steals and blocked a pair of shots.
- Fayne went for 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
- Rey Idowu scored seven points with six rebounds – both one off of his career-high – while blocking a shot in 16 minutes of action.
- Illinois State out-rebounded Missouri State 37-to-30, the sixth-straight game in which the Redbirds have out-rebounded their opponents, tied for the third-longest consecutive streak over the last decade.
- The Redbirds' eight three-point attempts are the first time in head coach Dan Muller's tenure in which ISU has attempted single-digit three-point tries.
Stat of the Game
Illinois State went 19-of-21 at the free throw line (90.5 percent), and the Redbirds are 35-of-38 from the charity stripe over the last two games (92.1 percent).
What's Next
Illinois State heads to Carbondale, Illinois, to take on the Salukis of Southern Illinois. Illinois State and Southern Illinois currently stand in a four-way tie (along with UNI and Bradley) for fourth place in the MVC standings. Three of those schools will open the MVC Tournament on Friday, while one will play its first game of the MVC Championships on Thursday.
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