NORMAL, Ill. – The Drake Bulldogs made 56 percent of their shots on Wednesday night inside CEFCU Arena, and despite 14 points from Darius Burford and 13 from Dalton Banks, ran away from Illinois State in a 77-56 final score.
Burford made half of his 10 shots from the field and all four of his free throw tries, while Banks was also 5-of-10 from the field while making 2-of-4 from long range. Myles Foster scored eight points with a team-high seven rebounds, as Jordan Davis dropped in seven points for the Redbirds.
Johnny Kinziger dished out a team-best four assists, as the Redbirds had an 11-to-8 assist-to-turnover ratio, the second consecutive game with a positive ratio, and the ninth time this season.
The Redbirds take to the road on Saturday, January 20 when the squad travels to Springfield, Missouri, to take on the Missouri State Bears in a 1 p.m. tip-off inside Great Southern Bank Arena.
Despite never taking a lead in the game, the Redbirds battled early, and trailed 10-7 after five minutes following a Burford jumper in the paint; however, the Redbirds could not string together scores, as Drake stretched its lead to as many as 21 in the opening half. Five straight points heading into the locker room for ISU cut the gap to 43-27 through the opening 20 minutes of action.
The Redbirds twice trimmed the margin to 10 points early in the second half, including as late as 14:57 on the clock when Luke Kasubke drained a three-pointer; however, Drake immediately answered with an 11-0 run, and cruised to the 21-point win.
Reigning MVC Player of the Year Tucker DeVries scored a game-high 25 points, while Atin Wright scored a dozen and Darnell Brodie had an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 0 Luke Kasubke, 3 Dalton Banks, 4 Myles Foster, 5 Jordan Davis, and 10 Darius Burford
- This is the first time this season that this lineup has been used and is the seventh different lineup that ISU has used in 2023-24
- The starting lineup jersey total of 22 is the second-lowest starting lineup jersey total in program history
- Drake won the opening tip
- The first Illinois State points of the game came from Dalton Banks with a three-pointer with 17:55 to play in the opening half
- It was his third time scoring ISU's first points of the game
- The first sub for Illinois State was Kendall Lewis with 15:04 to play in the first half
- Drake led 43-27 at halftime.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Luke Kasubke
- Started for the fourth time this season, and 17th time with Illinois State
- Dalton Banks
- Has started each of the team's 18 games this season
- Reached double-figure scoring at halftime, and it is his 11th double-figure scoring game of the season and 22nd of his career
- Myles Foster
- Started today for the 17th time this season
- Jordan Davis
- The game was his second start as a Redbird
- Darius Burford
- Started his 15th game this season and 42nd game as a Redbird
- Reached double-figure scoring for the 11th time this season and 61st of his career
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