ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Illinois State men's basketball trimmed a 21-point deficit to just six; however, could not carry the full amount, falling to the Northern Iowa Panthers on Thursday afternoon by a 75-62 final score.
Seneca Knight scored 19 points to lead ISU, while Kendall Lewis scored 18 and Darius Burford 14. Lewis pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season, as the Redbirds out-rebounded Northern Iowa 33-to-31. Malachi Poindexter dished out a career-high six assists as Lewis dished out a career-high four.
The Redbirds and Panthers battled early, with the Redbirds leading by four early and led by two with 11:35 to play in the first half before UNI ran off a 14-2 run to lead by 10. The first-half Redbird deficit reached as many as 16 when Northern Iowa took a 44-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Panther lead ballooned to as many as 21 in the first minute of the second half, and the team led by 20 with 15:29 to play in the game before ISU ran off a 16-2 run to trim the margin to six points seven minutes later. Six would be as close as the 'Birds would come in the 13-point season-ending loss.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State is now 11-21 on the season while Northern Iowa is 14-17.
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 1 Malachi Poindexter, 3 Seneca Knight, 10 Darius Burford, 22 Kendall Lewis, and 23 Harouna Sissoko
- This is the third time this lineup has been used this season
- Tonight's game is the 90th time these two teams have met on the basketball court
- The all-time series is tied 45-45
- The all-time series in neutral games is tied 7-7
- Illinois State won the opening tip.
- The first Illinois State points of the game came with 18:56 to play in the first half on a Kendall Lewis three-pointer
- Illinois State's first subs were Liam McChesney and Luke Kasubke with 15:30 to play in the first half
- Northern Iowa led 44-28 at the half
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Malachi Poindexter
- Dished out a career-high six assists
- Seneca Knight
- For the fifth time in his last six games he has scored in double-figures
- He has 19 double-figure scoring games this season and 63 over his career
- Darius Burford
- Had his ninth consecutive game scoring in double-digits, and the 23rd of the season.
- Kendall Lewis
- Reached double-figure scoring for the sixth time in his last seven games
- He has 19 games this season where he has scored in double-figures, and 43 during his career
- Tied a career-high with four assists
- The double-digit rebounding game was his 10th of the season
- Recorded his ninth double-double of the year, and is tied for the 17th-most in a season in school history
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