NORMAL, Ill. – Despite out-scoring the MVC-leading Indiana State Sycamores by nine points in the second half, an 18-point halftime hole proved too deep to fully climb out for the Illinois State Redbirds in a 76-67 loss on Wednesday evening.
Darius Burford scored a season-high 22 points for the Redbirds, while four others: Liam McChesney (9), Malachi Poindexter (9), Seneca Knight (8), and Luke Kasubke (7); all scored seven or more points in the loss. McChesney's five rebounds led the Redbirds, while Kendall Lewis and Poindexter each dished out three assists.
Knight tied a career-high with two blocked shots, while Lewis, Kasubke, Poindexter, and Burford each grabbed a team-high-tying two steals.
The Redbirds return to action on Saturday, January 7 when the team travels to Evansville, Indiana, to take on the Evansville Aces in a 1 p.m. tip-off at the Ford Center.
ISU and Indiana State traded baskets to start the game before the Sycamores ran off 11 straight points, as the visitors never trailed in the contest. Indiana State's lead grew to as many as 21 in the opening 20 minutes and settled at 18 heading into the locker room at halftime.
The Redbirds started chipping away at the deficit and used an 8-0 run to trim a 14-point deficit to just six and closed to within as few as five points with 35 seconds to play; however, Indiana State iced the game by making its last six free throws of the game in the nine-point loss.
Julian Larry and Cameron Henry each scored 18 points for the Sycamores while Robbie Avila scored 14 and Jayson Kent a dozen.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State is now 6-10 (1-4 MVC) on the season while Indiana State is 12-4 (5-0 MVC).
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 0 Luke Kasubke, 1 Malachi Poindexter, 10 Darius Burford, 13 Liam McChesney, and 22 Kendall Lewis.
- This is the first time that this lineup has been used this season, and the eighth different starting lineup for the squad this year.
- Today's game is the 130th time these two teams have met on the basketball court
- Illinois State leads the all-time series 67-63
- Indiana State won the opening tip.
- The first Illinois State points of the game came with 18:57 to play in the first half on a hook shot by Liam McChesney
- Illinois State's first sub was Alex Kotov with 16:43 to play in the first half.
- Indiana State led 47-29 at halftime
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Seneca Knight
- Set a season-high and tied a career-high with two blocked shots
- Darius Burford
- Scored in double-figures for the ninth time this season, and 36th time in his collegiate career.
- Reached the 20-point mark for the third time this season and 12th time in his career
- His 22 points are a new season-high
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