VALPARAISO, Ind. – Behind 24 points from Antonio Reeves and 23 points from Sy Chatman, the Illinois State Redbirds were able to overcome a nine-point first half deficit, before falling in overtime by an 81-76 final score to the Valparaiso Beacons on Sunday afternoon.
Reeves went 10-of-24 from the field and 2-of-8 from long range for his 24 points, while Chatman was 9-of-16 from the field and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. Josiah Strong was also in double-figures with 15 points, while Kendall Lewis just missed the double-figure plateau with eight points. Lewis and Emon Washington each pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds, while Chatman and Strong grabbed six apiece, as ISU out-rebounded Valparaiso 46-to-33 in the contest.
The Redbirds return to action on Wednesday, January 5, when the team hosts the Loyola Ramblers in an 8 p.m. tip-off at Redbird Arena.
ISU never led over the first 20 minutes of the game, as the host Beacons pushed ahead to lead by as many as nine at 20-11. The Redbirds responded with a 14-7 run to cut the margin to two, and it was at two before Valpo closed the half on an 8-2 run to take an eight-point, 39-31 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Beacons pushed ahead once again by nine in the second half and led by nine with 9:56 to play in the contest before the 'Birds started chipping away at the deficit and used a 4-0 run over the final 40 seconds of the game to send the game to overtime – Illinois State's fourth overtime game this season.
In the extra stanza, ISU scored first with a Chatman lay-in to give the Redbirds their first lead of the game, and an Antonio Reeves lay-in with 2:43 to play put the 'Birds back ahead by two. Valpo ran off five straight points, before another Reeves lay-in pushed the margin back to one; however, Valparaiso made all four of its free throw attempts down the stretch – and all 16 for the game – to hold on to the four-point MVC win.
Ben Krikke scored a team-high 18 points for the Beacons, while Trevor Anderson scored 14, Eron Gordon 13, and 12 each from Kobe King and Sheldon Edwards.
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