CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – A career-high 19-point, eight-rebound effort for Liam McChesney was not enough to overcome a strong second half from the UNI Panthers, as the Illinois State Redbirds dropped a 79-64 road battle on Saturday afternoon.
McChesney made 5-of-7 shots from the field, 2-of-3 from long range, and 7-of-8 free throws to get to his 19 points, as he also led the team with two blocked shots and eight rebounds. Antonio Reeves and Mark Freeman each scored 13 points for ISU in the loss, while Kendall Lewis added eight points. Josiah Strong dished out four assists for the game-high, with Freeman close behind with three as Reeves led the team with three steals.
The Redbirds take back to the court on Wednesday, February 2, to take on the Loyola Ramblers in a 7 p.m. tip-off at Gentile Arena in Chicago.
The Redbirds and Panthers went back-and-forth in the first half with six ties and five lead changes, as ISU scored the first four points of the game. The Redbird lead grew to as many as six at 9-3 after a McChesney three-pointer with 15:15 to play in the first half. The Panthers came roaring back with nine straight points to take their first lead of the game. UNI stretched its lead to as many as five points after a pair of free throws, which was answered by seven consecutive ISU points, as the Panthers led 30-28 at halftime.
The back-and-forth continued into the second half, as the first three and a half minutes of the half saw three ties and four lead changes, the last tie coming with 16:52 to play in the game. With UNI leading by four with 14:20 to play in the contest, the hosts ran off 15 consecutive points over a four-minute span to push ahead to a 19-point lead halfway through the second period. The Redbirds would get only as close as 15 points, including at the final buzzer for the 79-64 UNI win.
ISU made 19 of its 49 shots from the field – a percentage of 38.8 – and 29.8 percent from long range (8-of-27). UNI made 49.1 percent of its shots (26-of-53) from the field, and 8-of-25 (32.0%) from beyond the arc.
AJ Green scored a game-high 24 points for the Panthers, making 6-of-10 shots from long range and all six of his free throw attempts while Noah Carter scored 21 points with three assists and two steals.
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