NORMAL, Ill. – Using a game-high 22 points from Darius Burford and 18 points and nine rebounds from Kendall Lewis, the Illinois State Redbirds head into the Holiday break with an 8-4 record after picking up a 21-point, 85-64 win over the Southeast Missouri Redhawks on Thursday evening.
For Burford it was his second consecutive 20+ scoring output after hitting for 28 a game earlier against North Dakota State, while Lewis' 18 points were a season-high as he missed a double-double by a single rebound. Freshman Johnny Kinziger scored nine points off the bench, while Dalto Banks had a balanced eight points, seven rebounds, and five assists in the ISU win.
The Redbirds made 49.1 percent of their shots in the game (27-of-55), and 34.8 percent from beyond the arc (8-of-23). ISU out-rebounded SEMO 38-to-30 and made 23-of-30 (76.7) free throws. Illinois State had 15 assists against just 10 turnovers, the second straight game and the fifth time in 12 total games that the Redbirds have had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio for a contest.
The 'Birds take an eight-day break between games, before suiting up for the final time in 2023 against Kentucky in a 6 p.m. (CT) tip-off inside Rupp Arena against the ninth-ranked Wildcats.
The visitors came out strong to open the game and used a 6-0 run to lead by as many as six points at 18-12 with 10:27 to play in the opening half. The final 10-plus minutes of the second half were all Illinois State, as the hosts ran off runs of 10, six, seven, and seven points, out-scoring the Redhawks 30-8 over the final 11 minutes to take a 14-point, 42-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
In the second half the Redbirds kept extending their lead, pushing ahead by as many as 26 points before emptying the bench in the 21-point win, one where all 13 active players saw action, and 11 reached the scoring column.
Adam Larson scored a team-high 16 points for SEMO, while Braxton Stacker added 11.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 1 Malachi Poindexter, 3 Dalton Banks, 4 Myles Foster, 10 Darius Burford, 22 Kendall Lewis
- This is the sixth consecutive game that this lineup has been used this season.
- SEMO won the opening tip
- The first Illinois State points of the game came from Kendall Lewis with a lay-up with 19:14 to play in the first half
- The first sub for Illinois State was Brandon Lieb with 17:04 to play in the first half.
- Illinois State led 42-28 at halftime
- Illinois State leads the all-time series 7-1 between the two schools
- ISU's seven wins against NCAA Division I opponents are tied for the most by the program before Christmas since 2012
- Illinois State also had seven NCAA Division I wins before Christmas in 2014.
- Illinois State's 26-point second-half lead was the largest lead that the Redbirds have had this season
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Malachi Poindexter
- His three assists are a new season-high
- Was 2-for-2 at the free throw line, and has now made 20 consecutive charity stripe attempts, with the last miss coming on Nov. 11 at Saint Louis
- Dalton Banks
- Pulled down a season-high seven rebounds, one off his career-high
- Led the Redbirds in assists for the ninth time this season
- Has had a blocked shot in each of his last four games
- Darius Burford
- Reached double-figure scoring for the sixth consecutive game and eighth time this season.
- Scored 20+ points for the second consecutive game
- Set a new season-high with three made three-point baskets
- His three assists tied a season-high
- Kendall Lewis
- Scored in double-figures for the third time this season and 45th time in his career
- His 18 points are a season-high
- Was perfect from the field (6-of-6) for the second time this season
- His five offensive rebounds are a season-high
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