NORMAL, Ill.  – Despite a season-high 23 points from Illinois State junior forward Keith Fisher III, the Redbirds dropped their 2019-20 home finale, falling in overtime to the Bradley Braves by a 74-71 final score.
How it Happened
Bradley struck first in the game with a free throw and a lay-in, before the Redbirds ran off five in a row. The Braves took the lead again with 12:53 to play in the opening half before ISU used a 13-2 run over the next four minutes. The lead stretched to as many as 13 following a pair of Jaycee Hillsman free throws; however, Bradley fought back to close the gap to one at 29-28. The Redbirds closed strong, scoring the final four points of the half including a Hillsman three-point play to send Illinois State into the locker room with a 33-28 lead.
Illinois State scored the first seven points of the second half, holding the Braves without a point for the first two and a half minutes of the second stanza. Bradley started chipping away at the deficit, taking its first lead with 9:31 to play in the game, and led by four with 8:01 left in the contest. A pair of free throws following a Bradley technical foul kicked off a 6-0 run. Trailing by three with nine seconds left on the clock, senior Zach Copeland drained three free throws to knot the score at 67 points apiece, forcing ISU's first overtime game this season.
Bradley scored the first five points of the overtime period; and ISU was unable to take a lead in the extra stanza, as the Redbirds were out-scored 7-4 in the final five-minute period.
Key Moment
Ja'Shon Henry scored each of Bradley's seven points in overtime, including three free throws over four tries over the first minute and a half of the extra stanza.
Inside the Box Score
- Fisher scored a season-high 23 points, tied for the second-most in a game during his career.
- His career-high came as a freshman at San Jose State where he scored 26 points against Wyoming, while scoring 23 points against Colorado State.
- Fisher has scored 20 or more points in each of his last two games and was his third 20-point game of the season. He has also scored in double-figures 13 times this season.
- Copeland scored 16 points, making 8-of-9 from the charity stripe.
- He has scored in double-figures 24 times this season.
- He tied a career-high with seven rebounds and led the team with five assists.
- Hillsman scored 13 points for his 12th double-figure scoring game of the season. He made 2-of-5 shots from the field, 1-of-2 from long range, and 8-of-9 from the free throw line, while adding two assists.
- Illinois State's 25 free throw makes are the second-most this season, second only to the 26 the team hit against Indiana State.
Stat of the Game
Illinois State's loss in overtime snapped its seven-game overtime win streak, which was the third-longest in the country (behind only Florida State and Auburn), with the previous overtime loss coming on Nov. 22, 2017 against Charleston-Southern.
What's Next
The Redbirds close out the 2019-20 regular season with a trip to Evansville, Indiana, to take on the Evansville Aces in a 1 p.m. tip-off in the Ford Center.
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