NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Illinois State Redbirds closed the game on an 18-5 run; however, the hot shooting of the Belmont Bruins was too much to overcome in a 90-75 MVC loss on Saturday afternoon.
Darius Burford scored a team-high 15 points in the losing effort, while Malachi Poindexter and Jayden Johnson each scored 13 points, which is a new career-high for Johnson. Kendall Lewis pulled down a team-best five rebounds, while Burford's five assists tied for the game-high.
Belmont scored the first five points of the game and never trailed in the contest. Illinois State cut the deficit to just two points on three separate occasions; however, following a jumper from Seneca Knight that closed the gap to 13-11 with 12:29 to play in the game, the hosts ran off 15 consecutive points to stretch the lead to 17. ISU fought back and cut the deficit to nine and trailed by 11 heading into the locker room at halftime.
ISU scored first to start the second half, closing the gap to single-digits, before the hosts stretched the lead to as many as 25 with 7:12 to play in the game. From there ISU went on a run, scoring 13 to close the gap to a dozen with 3:23 to play in regulation, before the hosts regrouped for the 15-point Bruin victory.
The Bruins' Evan Brauns scored a game-high 18 points with a dozen rebounds, while Ben Sheppard scored 17 points in the game.
The Redbirds come back on Wednesday to host I-74 rival Bradley in a 7 p.m. tip-off inside CEFCU Arena.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State is now 10-15 (5-9 MVC) on the season while Belmont is 17-8 (10-4 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 third time this lineup has been used this season.
- Tonight's game is the fourth time these two teams have met on the basketball court
- The all-time series between the two teams is tied 2-2, with each team being undefeated on their own home court.
- Illinois State won the opening tip.
- The first Illinois State points of the game came with 18:16 to play in the first half on a Seneca Knight three-pointer.
- Illinois State's first sub was Darius Burford with 16:22 to play in the first half.
- Belmont led 44-33 at halftime.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Malachi Poindexter
- Reached double-figure scoring for the 10th time this season.
- Darius Burford
- Scored in double-figures for the 16th time this season, and 43rd time in his career
- Jayden Johnson
- Scored a career-high 13 points for the Redbirds, topping his previous career-high of nine set against Evansville on January 21, 2022.
- His three three-point baskets tied a career-high
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