NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State men's basketball team put five players in double-digit scoring, including a career-high 23 points from Dalton Banks – while the team made 61.2 percent of its field goal tries, 52.6 percent of its three-point attempts, and 93.8 percent from the charity stripe, as the Redbirds out-lasted Mid-American Conference preseason favorite Ohio by an 85-75 inside CEFCU Arena on Tuesday evening.
The ISU percentages are the first time in the NCAA this season – and just the 29th time in the NCAA since 2001-02 – that a team has put up all three numbers or better in a single game, with the last time it happened came in February of last season.
Banks made 8-of-14 of his tries in the game, his only three-point attempt and all six free throw tries en route to his career-high scoring night. Caden Boser scored 16 points off the bench, making all six of his field goal attempts – including going 4-of-4 from long range – while Chase Walker scored 13 points to tie his career-high. Johnny Kinziger and Ty Pence each scored 10 points in the win. Banks and Jordan Davis shared team-high honors with five rebounds, while Kinziger dished out seven assists for a new career-high.
The Redbirds return to play on Sunday, November 17 when the squad hosts the Trinity Christian Trolls in a 4:30 p.m. tip-off in the second game of a women's/men's double header on the day.
The two teams traded baskets to open the game, with Kinziger making a lay-up and Ohio converting a three-pointer; however, that would be the Bobcats' only lead of the half as the Birds answered with six consecutive points. ISU's lead grew to as many as 10 points on a Banks lay-in. Ohio closed the gap to a single point; however, the Redbirds extended the lead again, taking a 40-37 lead into the locker room at halftime.
A fast second-half start for the Bobcats – including an 11-0 run – put the visitors ahead by six. The margin remained six with 13:13 before ISU ran off runs of seven, nine, and five consecutive points to retake the lead. The Redbird advantage reached as many as 16 following a Davis three-pointer with 2:28 to play in the game, as ISU cruised to the 10-point win.
Ohio was led by AJ Brown who scored 20 points, while AJ Clayton and Elmore James each scored a dozen and Aidan Hadaway added 11.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 3 Dalton Banks, 4 Landon Wolf, 11 Johnny Kinziger, 22 Ty Pence, and 35 Chase Walker
- It was the second consecutive game the Redbirds have used this lineup.
- The Bobcats won the opening tip
- The first points of the game came from Johnny Kinziger on a driving lay-up with 19:15 to play in the first half.
- The first subs off the bench for Illinois State were Caden Boser and Malachi Poindexter with 15:31 to play in the first half.
- Illinois State led 40-37 at halftime
- ISU made 30-of-49 shots in the game for a percentage of 61.2, which is the 20th-best field goal percentage total in the NCAA this season.
- The field goal percentage is the highest for a Redbird team since the team made 70.2 percent of its shots against Evansville on January 21, 2022.
- The last time a school had a field goal percentage of 61.2 or better, a three-point percentage of 52.6 or better, and a free throw percentage of 93.8 or better was in February of last season, and has happened now just 29 times in the NCAA since 2001-02.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Dalton Banks
- Reached double-figure scoring for the first time this season and the 26th time in his career
- Topped his previous career-high of 19 points, set at UIC on November 30 last season
- Johnny Kinziger
- Scored in double-figures for the second time this season, and 15th time in his career
- Set a new career-high with seven assists
- Ty Pence
- Scored in double-figures for the third time this season and in his career
- Caden Boser
- Scored in double-figures for the first time this season, and 46th time in his collegiate career
- His 16 points are a new season-high, and he is 5-of-8 from long range on the season through three games.
- Chase Walker
- Reached double-figures in the scoring column for the second time this season and third time in his career
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