NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Illinois State senior Jordan Davis had a career night with 18 points, nine rebounds, and three steals off the bench, but the Redbirds could not overcome the strong Belmont squad on Wednesday evening, falling 67-60 inside the Curb Event Center.
Davis' points (18), rebounds (nine), and steals (3) all marked career-highs, as he made five field goals (four of them from distance) and 4-of-5 free throws. Kendall Lewis scored 13 points with three rebounds and an assist, while Myles Foster scored a dozen points while adding nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots.
The Redbirds out-rebounded Belmont 36-to-31 – the 12th game this season that ISU has out-rebounded its opponent, while holding Belmont to 67 points, its second-lowest point total of the season.
The loss drops ISU to an even 8-8 on the season with a 2-3 mark in MVC play. The Redbirds take the court again on Sunday, January 14 when the squad hosts the Valparaiso Crusaders in a 2 p.m. tip-off inside CEFCU Arena.
The Redbirds scored first on a Kendall Lewis lay-in; and trailed by two on a Luke Kasubke lay-up; however, Belmont used an 8-0 run to stretch its lead to double-digits at 14-4. ISU kept chipping away at the deficit, knotting the score twice, including at the halftime buzzer when Davis picked up an offensive rebound and put it back in to send the teams into the locker room knotted at 34.
The Redbirds came out of halftime strong, scoring 10 of the first 11 points to stretch themselves to a nine-point, 44-35 lead following Davis' fourth three-pointer of the game. Belmont fought back, and used a 14-0 run to turn a six-point ISU lead into an eight-point Bruin advantage. The 'Birds fought back to within three with just under a minute to play; however, Belmont iced the game at the free throw line down the stretch in the seven-point ISU loss.
Malik Dia, the reigning MVC Newcomer of the Week, scored a team-high 17 points, while Cade Tyson scored 16. Dia and Keishawn Davidson each pulled down six rebounds to lead the team, while Davidson dished out seven assists.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 0 Luke Kasubke, 1 Malachi Poindexter, 3 Dalton Banks, 4 Myles Foster, 22 Kendall Lewis
- This is the first time this season that this lineup has been used
- The lineup has the sixth-lowest jersey total (30) in program history
- Illinois State won the opening tip
- The first Illinois State points of the game came from Kendall Lewis with a lay-up with 19:09 to play in the opening half
- The first sub for Illinois State was Ty Pence with 16:40 to play in the first half
- The teams were tied at 34 at halftime.
- It was the first time the Redbirds have been tied with their opponent at halftime this season
- The Redbirds out-rebounded Belmont, the 12th time this season that ISU has out-rebounded its opponent
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Ty Pence
- Scored a career-high four points, making 2-of-3 shots from the field
- Dalton Banks
- Has started each of the team's 16 games
- Tied a season-high with seven rebounds
- Myles Foster
- Tonight's game was his 15th start in the 16 team games
- Scored in double-figures for the ninth time this season and 36th time in his career
- Pulled down 8+ rebounds for the ninth time this season and 23rd in his career.
- Jordan Davis
- Reached double-figure scoring for the first time this season and sixth time in his career
- His point total is a new career-high
- Picked up a career-high three steals
- Set a career-high with nine rebounds
- Kendall Lewis
- Started his 11th game of the season in 15 games played
- Has scored in double-figures in two straight games, for the fifth time this season, and 47th in his career
- Chase Walker
- Played for the first time in the 2023-24 season.
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