LEXINGTON, Ky. – Despite a 20-point, 15-rebound double-double from Myles Foster, the Illinois State men's basketball team fell at eighth-ranked Kentucky on Friday evening by a 96-70 final score in front of 20,659 fans.
Foster's 20 points are a season-high while his 15 rebounds tied a career-best. He made 8-of-11 shots from the field, his only three-point try, and three of five free throws. Malachi Poindexter and Darius Burford each scored 13 points, with Dalton Banks scoring 11 points and dishing out a career-high-tying seven assists.
The Redbirds out-rebounded the Wildcats 45-to-40 in the game, while ISU's 24 offensive rebounds marking the eight-most in a game in program history. The Redbirds also had 13 assists against just eight turnovers, the third consecutive game that ISU has had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio, and the sixth time this season.
The Redbirds open the new year and resume MVC play on Tuesday, January 2 when the squad travels to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on the Drake Bulldogs in an 8 p.m. tip-off.
ISU started the game strong, pushing ahead to a four-point, 13-9 lead after three-pointers by Foster and Banks. Kentucky would run off nine straight points to take a five-point lead, and the Wildcats would not trail again in the contest, and took a 15-point, 45-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Kentucky had runs of eight and seven points in the second half, leading by as many as 28 before the Redbirds scored 10 of the next 11 points in the game to climb back within 19 at 75-57. ISU would not get any closer, as the Wildcats secured the 26-point victory.
The Wildcats were led by 27 points from Antonio Reeves, while Rob Dillingham had 16 points and seven assists and D.J. Wagner 14 points.
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 seventh consecutive game that this lineup has been used this season.
- Illinois State won the opening tip
- The first Illinois State points of the game came from Kendall Lewis with a three-point-play with 19:47 to play in the first half
- The first subs for Illinois State were Brandon Lieb and Jordan Davis with 14:47 to play in the first half.
- Kentucky led 45-30 at halftime
- The game was Illinois State's first against a ranked opponent since December 29, 2021 at Wisconsin
- The Redbirds fall to 1-2 all-time against teams ranked eighth in the national poll
- Illinois State falls to 8-5 on the season
- The Redbirds had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio (13-to-8) for the sixth time this season and for the third consecutive game
- Illinois State's 24 offensive rebounds are tied for the eighth-most in a game in program history.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Malachi Poindexter
- Scored in double-figures for the fifth time this season and 18th time in his career
- Dalton Banks
- Scored in double-figures for the ninth time this season and 20th time in his career
- Tied his career-high with seven assists
- Myles Foster
- Reached double-figure scoring in the first half, his seventh double-figure scoring game this season and 34th of his career
- Pulled down 15 rebounds for his second double-double of the season
- Tied his career-high with 15 rebounds
- His 20 points are a new season-high, and the fifth time in his career he has reached the plateau
- Darius Burford
- Scored in double-figures for the seventh consecutive game
- Has scored in double-figures nine times this season, and 59 times in his career
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