FARGO, N.D. – Behind a 20-point night from Johnny Kinziger with a career-high 17 more from Ty Pence, the Illinois State men's basketball team picked up a 77-68 road win against the North Dakota State Bison on Thursday evening.
Kinziger made 6-of-11 shots from the field and all six of his free throws for his 20 points, while ePence was 7-of-11 from the field while adding a career-high seven rebounds in the win. Chase Walker scored eight while pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds, while Dalton Banks had eight points, four rebounds and four assists.
The Redbirds return to action on Tuesday, November 12 when the squad hosts the Ohio Bobcats in a 7 p.m. tip-off inside CEFCU Arena.
Redshirt freshman Cam Barnes scored his first collegiate points, totaling eight on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting day from the field, making both of his long-range tries in the contest. Malachi Poindexter had seven points with two rebounds and two assists for ISU in the win.
The Redbirds committed just five turnovers in the game, tied for the fifth-fewest in a game in program history, while sporting an 11-to-5 assist-to-turnover ratio. ISU also out-rebounded NDSU 40-to-31 and scored 28 points in the paint.
The teams battled back and forth to start the game, as the opening period had two ties and four lead changes, the last of the lead changes coming at the halfway point of the period, as ISU erased a five-point deficit with an 8-0 run, capped by a Kinziger three-pointer. ISU stretched its lead to as many as 13 in the half, and the Birds led by 11 at 42-31 heading into the locker room at halftime.
The host Bison made a push to start the second half, and eventually took a one-point, 56-55 lead with 10:03 to play in the contest. After ISU pushed back ahead, NDSU clawed back to tie the game at 66 with 2:12 to play in the game; however, the Birds out-scored the Bison 11-2 over the final two minutes of the game to secure the nine-point win.
ISU made 28-of-59 shots in the game (47.5%), while converting on 40 percent (8-of-20) from long range and 13-of-14 (92.9%) from the free throw stripe. NDSU was 27-of-66 from the field (40.9%) while making 11-of-39 three-point attempts – the third-most three-point attempts against ISU in program history. The Bison also made 3-of-6 free throws, as the Redbirds were whistled for just 10 fouls in the game, tied for the 16th-fewest in a game in program history.
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
- The Bison won the opening tip
- The first points of the game came from Dalton Banks on a driving lay-up with 18:31 to play in the first half.
- The first sub off the bench for Illinois State was Caden Boser with 16:35 to play in the first half.
- Illinois State led 42-31 at halftime.
- The Redbirds improved to 2-0 all-time against North Dakota State
- The game was ISU's first-ever men's basketball game inside the state of North Dakota
- Illinois State's five turnovers are tied for the fifth-fewest in a game by a Redbird squad in program history
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Dalton Banks
- Scored eight points with four rebounds, four assists, and no turnovers.
- Through two games of the season he has a 10-to-2 assist-to-turnover ratio
- Johnny Kinziger
- Scored 20+ points for the first time this season, and fourth time in his career
- Made 6-of-6 from the free throw line, and is 12-of-13 (.923) from the charity stripe this season
- Ty Pence
- Scored a career-high 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, while making 3-of-3 free throws, bringing his season free throw total to 11-of-12.
- Pulled down seven rebounds for a second consecutive career-high, while also dishing out two assists
- Cameron Barnes
- Scored his first collegiate points, and totaled eight in the win, making all three of his field goal tries and both of his three-point attempts.
- Chase Walker
- Pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds (previous career-high was seven), while scoring eight points.
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