NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Illinois State Redbirds saw six players reach double-figure scoring, including a team-high 17 points from Caden Boser off the bench; however, Carter Whitt made a fallaway jumper as time expired, and the Belmont Bruins topped ISU 99-97 in overtime in the MVC opener for each squad
Illinois State's 18 made three-pointers are the second-highest single-game total in school history, behind only the 20 the team connected on against Trinity Christian earlier this season. The 18 is also a visiting team record at the Curb Center – Belmont's home court – and is the second-most in a MVC game in conference history.
Boser scored a team-best 17 points while Johnny Kinziger and Chase Walker each scored 16, Ty Pence 15, Landon Wolf 14, and Dalton Banks 13. Pence pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, while Wolf and Walker each grabbed six and Banks and Kinziger had five apiece, as ISU out-rebounded the Bruins 37-to-32.
Banks dished out a career-high nine assists while Kinziger had five helpers, while Pence and Jordan Davis each had two steals in the contest.
The Redbirds have a quick turnaround and host the Pacific Tigers on Saturday at 6 p.m. inside CEFCU Arena.
Over the first 20 minutes of play, the lead in the game changed hands 11 times and was tied four other times, as the Redbirds and Bruins battled back and forth early. The first-half Redbird lead grew to as many as five following a Banks three-pointer with 8:14 to play in the first half, giving the Birds a 29-24 lead. Belmont answered back with an 11-0 run, taking a six-point lead, and never trailed again over the opening 20 minutes, as the hosts led 54-45 after the first 20 minutes.
The Redbirds chipped away at the deficit to begin the second half, using runs of 4-0, 5-0, and 5-0 to get within five, and then a 9-0 run – behind three-pointers from Banks, Pence, and Wolf – pushed the visitors back ahead on the scoreboard. The second-half lead changed hands five more times, as there were five second-half ties, the last coming with 17 seconds left when Banks' three-pointer sent the game into an extra period, ISU's first overtime game since February 1, 2023 against UIC.
There were five more lead changes and four more ties in the overtime period, as ISU led by two with 34 seconds to play; however, a Jonathan Pierre jumper with 21 seconds, and then Whitt's game-winner as time expired gave the hosts the two-point win.
The Redbirds – whose 97 points are the most by a visiting team in Curb Center history – made 35-of-65 shots from the field in the game for a percentage of .538. The Birds also made 54.5 percent of their three-point tries (18-of-33) and went 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. Belmont was 39-of-75 from the field (52.0 percent), 11-of-26 (42.3 percent) from long range, and 10-of-16 from the free throw line.
Belmont was led by Isaiah Walker who scored a game-high 24 points, while Pierre scored 19 with nine rebounds. Tyler Lundblade scored 15 points with Brody Peebles scoring 14 and Whitt adding 10 points with nine assists and eight rebounds.
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 seventh consecutive game the Redbirds have used this lineup.
- The Redbirds won the opening tip
- The first points of the game came from Ty Pence on a three-pointer with 19:42 to play in the first half.
- The first sub off the bench for Illinois State was Caden Boser with 18:34 to play in the first half.
- Belmont led 54-45 at halftime
- Illinois State's 18 three-pointers made is the second-most in a game in program history – behind only the 20 the team hit on November 17 against Trinity Christian.
- The three-point total is also tied for the second-most in a MVC game in conference history
- The 18 three-pointers are the most by an opponent in Curb Events Center history
- The Redbirds had six players reach double-figure scoring – the second time this season that ISU has had a game with six players in double-figures.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Dalton Banks
- Dished out a career-high nine assists, breaking his previous career-best of seven
- Scored in double-figures for the sixth time this season and 31st time in his career
- Led the Redbirds in assists for the seventh time in 2024-25
- Landon Wolf
- Tied a season-high with 14 points and three three-pointers made
- His 14 points are the fourth time this season that he had scored in double-digits, and the 18th time in his career
- His six rebounds set a season-high, and tied his career-high
- Johnny Kinziger
- Scored in double-figures for the seventh consecutive game this season, and 20th time in his career
- His four made three-pointers set a season-high, and tied his career-high
- Ty Pence
- Reached double-figures in the scoring column for the sixth time this season
- Tied a career-high with three assists
- Tied a career-high with two steals
- Caden Boser
- Scored a season-high 17 points, the second time this season he has reached double-figures in the scoring column
- Made his first two free throw tries of the season
- Chase Walker
- Reached double-figure scoring for the sixth consecutive game
- His 16 points are tied for the second-most in his career
- Set a new career-high with eight field goal makes and 10 field goal attempts
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