NORMAL, Ill.  – Trailing by as many as nine in the first half, the Illinois State Redbirds out-scored Missouri State by four in the second half before pushing further away in overtime for a 76-66 Redbird win on Wednesday evening.
Seneca Knight scored a season-high 22 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 12-of-13 from the charity stripe, while Malachi Poindexter scored 16 points – 14 in the first half – as Kendall Lewis (12), Luke Kasubke (11), and Darius Burford (10) all reached double-figures in the scoring column, giving the Redbirds its first game with five double-figure scorers since December 15, 2020.
Knight pulled down a team-leading nine rebounds, while Lewis added eight. Six different players had an assist in the contest, while four others – Lewis, Kasubke, Poindexter, and Burford – each had two steals in the win.
The Redbirds take to the road on Saturday, January 14 when the program heads to Carbondale to take on the Southern Illinois Salukis in a 7 p.m. tip-off inside the Banterra Center.
Missouri State scored the first five points of the game, and never trailed in the first half, using a 4-of-6 start from long range, leading by as many as nine in the first half with 1:56 to play in the period before the 'Birds closed strong, using two Poindexter three-pointers to trim the deficit to four heading into the locker room at halftime at 34-30.
An ISU 8-1 run to start the second half pushed the hosts ahead for the first time in the game as the Redbirds stretched their advantage to as many as seven with 6:24 to play in regulation. The Bears fought back and led by two with 28 seconds to play in regulation before Kasubke found Lewis with for a lay-in with six seconds to play, sending the teams to a five-minute extra period.
The visitors led by three at 64-61 to open the overtime period; however, Illinois State rallied by scoring the next dozen points, icing the game by making all 10 free throw tries in overtime to secure the 10-point, 76-66 win.
The Redbirds were 29-of-32 from the charity stripe in the win, pushing the team's season free throw percentage to 80.9 (254-of-314). The 'Birds were also 20-of-50 from the field in the game, and 7-of-24 (29.2%) from long range. Missouri State made 21-of-62 shots (33.9%) from the game and 8-of-34 (23.5%) from beyond the arc.
Chance Moore scored a team-high 17 points, while Dalen Ridgnal scored 14 and Jonathan Mogbo and Dononvan Clay a dozen points each. Mogbo pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds while also leading the team by blocking two shots, grabbing to steals and tying for the team lead with three assists.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State is now 8-10 (3-4 MVC) on the season while Missouri State is 8-9 (4-3 MVC).
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 0 Luke Kasubke, 1 Malachi Poindexter, 10 Darius Burford, 22 Kendall Lewis, and 23 Harouna Sissoko
- This is the first time that this lineup has been used this season.
- Today's game is the 82nd time these two teams have met on the basketball court
- Illinois State leads the all-time series 47-35
- Redbirds lead the series in Normal by a 30-9 overall mark
- Illinois State won the opening tip.
- The first Illinois State points of the game came with 18:19 to play in the first half on a turn-around jumper by Malachi Poindexter.
- Illinois State's first subs was Seneca Knight and Liam McChesney with 15:43 to play in the first half.
- Missouri State led 34-30 at halftime.
- Kendall Lewis made a lay-up with six seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime
- The game is Illinois State's second overtime game this season, both in MVC play
- This is the second consecutive overtime meeting between these two programs in games played inside CEFCU / Redbird Arena (both won by Illinois State)
- Five different Redbirds scored in double-figures, the first time ISU has had five scorers in double-figures since December 15, 2020 when DJ Horne, Josiah Strong, Dedric Boyd, Dusan Mahorcic and Antonio Reeves all scored in double-figures against Chicago State
- The last time Illinois State won an overtime game by 10+ points was on December 16, 2018 with an 88-77 win over Cleveland State
- The Redbirds out-scored Cleveland State 13-2 in the extra period in 2018.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Luke Kasubke
- Reached double-figure scoring for the fifth time this season, and fifth time in his career.
- Malachi Poindexter
- Reached double-figure scoring for the second consecutive game, and sixth time this season.
- His three-point makes (4) is a career-high
- Seneca Knight
- Scored in double-figures for the second straight game, ninth time this season, and 53rd time in his career
- Reached 20 points for the second time this season and 16th time in his career
- Darius Burford
- Reached double-figure scoring for the third consecutive game, 11th time this season, and 38th of his career
- Kendall Lewis
- Scored in double-figures for the 10th time this season and 34th time in his career
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