NORMAL, Ill. – Behind a game-high 20 points from Antonio Reeves and a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double from Sy Chatman, The Illinois State men's basketball team won its game against Purdue Northwest – the team's first game back in the United States after a pair of games in Mexico – by an 81-71 final score on Saturday evening.
Reeves made 9-of-17 shots from the field and 2-of-6 from long range while adding four rebounds. Chatman scored his 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, and both of his free throw tries, while his 12 rebounds give him his third double-double of the young season.
Kendall Lewis narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, as eight different Redbirds scored at least five points in the win. Mark Freeman dished out a game-high seven assists, while Howard Fleming gave out three in addition to his five points and five rebounds. Ryan Schmitt scored a career-high eight points with five rebounds in the contest.
Illinois State returns to action on Wednesday, December 1, when the squad hosts Missouri State, in the earliest MVC contest in both program's history.
The teams went back and forth early, and with the game tied at 30 all with 3:45 to play in the first half ISU closed the half on a 9-2 run, to take a 39-32 lead into the locker room at halftime.
ISU continued the momentum and scored the first seven points of the second half, pushing the Redbird run to 16-2 between the two halves. The Redbird advantage reached as many as 19 points with 3:09 to play in the game, before ISU put its foot off the gas pedal in the eventual 10-point victory.
The Redbirds made 32-of-68 shots in the game – a percentage of 47.1 – and converted on 7-of-21 three-pointers and 10-of-18 free throws. The team pulled down a season-high 52 rebounds, the fifth-most in a game in Redbird Arena history, as Purdue Northwest had 31 in the game. PNW converted on 29-of-73 shots (39.7%) in the game and made one quarter of their three-point attempts.
Anthony Barnard scored a team-high 14 points for the Pride, as Sangolay Njie scored 13 and Gregory Boyle 11.
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