ESTERO, Fla. – Using three players in double-figure scoring, including a season-high 17 from Darius Burford, the Illinois State Redbirds erased a 16-point halftime lead against the High Point Panthers, eventually taking a one-point lead in the second half before falling 74-72 in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Burford made 8-of-14 shots from the field for his 17 points, while Johnny Kinziger scored a career-high 14 points and Malachi Poindexter added a dozen. Two other Redbirds – Dalton Banks and Kendall Lewis – each finished a point shy of the double-figure plateau. Brandon Lieb pulled down a team-best seven rebounds for ISU in the loss.
The Redbirds will face off against the Wright State Raiders tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. CT for third place in the tournament.
ISU came out strong out of the gates, scoring nine of the first 11 points of the game, including three-pointers from Lieb and Banks, to put the 'Birds ahead 9-2. ISU held its lead until the Panthers ran off an 11-0 run to lead 18-11, as the Panthers would not give up their lead in the opening 20 minutes and took a 37-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.
High Point extended its lead to as many as 16 in the second half, with 15:35 to play; however, the Redbirds fought back and used a 13-0 run to cut a 15-point deficit to just two with 10:57 to play in the game. Another run, this one 7-0, helped propel the Redbirds back into the lead by a 72-71 score; however, a High Point free throw and then an awkward running-jumper in the paint from Duke Miles provided the final three points of the contest, and securing the 74-72 win for HPU.
Abdoulaye Thiam scored a game-high 22 points for High Point, making 4-of-7 three-pointers in the contest, while Trae Benham scored 12 to go with 10 rebounds. Miles and Kezza Giffa each scored 11 for the Panthers, with Giffa giving out six assists.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 1 Malachi Poindexter, 3 Dalton Banks, 4 Myles Foster, 10 Darius Burford, 12 Brandon Lieb
- This is the third consecutive game this group has been in the starting lineup together.
- The starting lineup jersey total (30) is the sixth-lowest by a Redbird team since 1991-92
- The Redbirds won the opening tip
- The first points of the game came from Malachi Poindexter on a jumper with 19:13 to play in the first half.
- The first sub for Illinois State was Kendall Lewis with 15:45 to play in the first half.
- High Point led 37-30 at halftime.
- This was the first all-time meeting between the two schools.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Malachi Poindexter
- Scored 12 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field.
- The double-digit effort was his third of the season and 16th of his collegiate career.
- Darius Burford
- Scored in double-figures for the second time this season with 17 points.
- It is his 51st career double-figure scoring game
- Had season-highs with eight made field goals and 14 field goal attempts.
- Johnny Kinziger
- Scored in double-figures for his third consecutive game.
- Scored a career-high 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 shooting from long range.
- Brandon Lieb
- Pulled down seven rebounds, the third time this season he has pulled down 7+ rebounds in a game.
- Kendall Lewis
- Scored nine points for the third consecutive game.
- Tied a season-high with five made free throws (on five attempts).
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