EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Behind career-highs of 24 points and seven rebounds, Illinois State freshman DJ Horne helped lead the Redbirds to a 71-60 win in the 2019-20 regular-season finale.
How it Happened
Evansville drew the first points of the game, but back-to-back three-pointers from seniors Zach Copeland and Jaycee Hillsman to put ISU ahead 6-2. The Aces scored the next five to lead by one, the hosts' first lead until late in the second half of the game. Leading by one with 12:24 to play in the opening half, Illinois State ran off a 17-4 run to push ahead to its largest lead of the game at 14 points before the hosts cut the gap to seven heading into the locker room at halftime.
The Aces continued to chip away at the Illinois State advantage, and eventually taking a two-point lead with 8:14 to play in the game, Evansville's first lead since the 17:10 mark of the first half. The lead would be short lived, however, as ISU scored four straight points on a pair of Jaycee Hillsman free throws and a jumper from Horne. Evansville tied the game on the next possession, before four straight Redbird points gave ISU a lead it would not give up for the remainder of the game. Leading by one with 4:49 to play in the contest, the Redbirds ran off a 12-3 run to put the game out of reach in the 11-point Redbird win.
Key Moment
A jumper from Hillsman and two free throws by Horne took the game from a tie score to a four-point Redbird advantage, and Illinois State never trailed again in the game.
Inside the Box Score
- Horne made 8-of-16 shots from the field and all eight of his free throw tries en route to his career-high 24 points, topping his previous career-high he set in the MVC opener against UNI on December 31.
- Horne also pulled down a career-high seven rebounds, while dishing out three assists.
- Hillsman scored 13 points, making 4-of-7 shots from the field and 3-of-4 on his free throw tries.
- Zach Copeland made a pair of three-pointers while leading the team with four assists.
- His two three-point baskets puts him into a tie of 10th place in single-season school history with 77 made three-pointers, tied with Tyler Brown who hit 77 during the 2011-12 season.
- Rey Idowu scored eight points, hitting 4-of-5 shots from the field while pulling down five rebounds and adding a career-high two steals.
- Ricky Torres scored seven points with a season-high six rebounds.
- Matt Chastain, playing in his first action since January 22, scored five points and pulled down a team-high-tying seven rebounds in the win.
- Illinois State made exactly 13-of-28 shots from the field in each half.
Stat of the Game
Illinois State out-rebounded Evansville 46-to-29 (17 margin), the team's largest rebounding margin of the season, the highest rebounding margin in a game since the Redbirds out-rebounded Evansville by 18 on February 28, 2015.
What's Next
Illinois State will find out its opponent for the opening round of the 2020 MVC Tournament later this afternoon, as the Redbirds will open play for the tournament in the 6 p.m. game on Thursday.
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