NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State Redbirds jumped out to a 11-point halftime lead and held on despite a furious comeback by the UIC Flames, as the 'Birds never trailed in a 68-62 overtime win at CEFCU Arena on Wednesday evening.
Darius Burford scored a team-high 18 points off the bench for Illinois State, while Luke Kasubke scored 14, Kendall Lewis 12, and Seneca Knight 11 as Malachi Poindexter finished a point away from being the fifth Redbird in double-figure points. Lewis pulled down 11 rebounds for his third consecutive double-double. Poindexter gave out five assists in the game, while Kasubke and Liam McChesney each dished out three helpers in the win.
ISU scored the first 13 points of the game, capping the streak on a Harouna Sissoko hook shot in the paint. The Redbird advantage dipped to as few as six points over the opening 20 minutes before the 'Birds closed the half with an 11-6 run to lead 33-22 at the break at halftime.
The Redbirds extended the lead to as many as 13 in the second half following a Luke Kasubke three-pointer, before the feisty visiting squad fought back and used an 8-0 run to trim the margin to five. The Flames kept the pressure on, and eventually tied the game at 50. Despite the tie score, the Redbirds never trailed in the game, as the contest was also tied at 52 and 54 – the final regulation score by each team sending the contest to an extra five-minute period.
In overtime the Redbirds scored the first six points, and after UIC closed the gap to three with 2:38 to play, Kasubke drained his third and final three-pointer in the game to push IS ahead once again by six, as the 'Birds iced the game by making 5-of-7 free throws down the stretch in the six-point victory.
UIC was led by a season-high 29 points from Tre Anderson, while Jace Carter added 19 for the Flames.
The Redbirds out-rebounded UIC 36-26, the third straight game that ISU has out-rebounded its opponent and made 46.2 percent of its shots (24-of-52), 7-of-21 from long range (33.3%), and just 13-of-20 from the charity stripe, just the eighth time this season in 24 total games that the team has made less than 80 percent of its free tries.
ISU returns to action on Saturday, February 4 when the squad travels to Nashville to take on the Belmont Bruins in a 4 p.m. tip-off inside the Curb Event Center.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State is now 10-14 (5-8 MVC) on the season while UIC is 9-15 (1-12 MVC).
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 0 Luke Kasubke, 1 Malachi Poindexter, 3 Seneca Knight, 13 Liam McChesney, and 22 Kendall Lewis
- This is the second time this lineup has been used this season.
- Tonight's game is the 27th time these two teams have met on the basketball court
- Illinois State leads the all-time series 19-8, and 14-2 in Normal.
- Illinois State won the opening tip.
- The first Illinois State points of the game came with 19:45 to play in the first half on a Kendall Lewis lay-up.
- Illinois State's first sub was Harouna Sissoko with 15:25 to play in the first half.
- Illinois State led 33-22 at halftime
- The 22 points at the half are the second-fewest first-half points allowed in a game this season (second only to the 18 points allowed to Eastern Illinois on November 10)
- The game is Illinois State's fourth overtime game this season – all in MVC play.
- Illinois State won the overtime tip
- Seneca Knight scored first in the overtime period
- Illinois State evens its record to 2-2 in overtime games.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Luke Kasubke
- Scored in double-figures for the third consecutive game and the ninth time this season
- Seneca Knight
- The reigning MVC Newcomer of the Week scored in double figures for the third consecutive game and the seventh time in his last eight games.
- Darius Burford
- Scored in double-figures for his 15th time this season, and the seventh time in his last eight games
- Kendall Lewis
- Pulled down 10 or more rebounds for the third consecutive game, the seventh time this season and the 10th time in his care
- Scored 10 points for his third consecutive double-double
- Malcolm Miller
- Made his first appearance of the season for the Redbirds.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
