TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Illinois State men's basketball team picked up its first win over a ranked opponent since February 6, 2016, as the Redbirds toppled newly-ranked Indiana State 80-67 on Tuesday night in the Hulman Center.
ISU freshman Johnny Kinziger scored a career-high 31 points in the win, the second-most points scored by a freshman in school history, while Myles Foster scored 19 with 12 rebounds and Luke Kasubke 10 points off the bench.
Kendall Lewis pulled down 13 rebounds while scoring six points, as the Redbirds out-rebounded Indiana State 38-to-34. Foster had a team-best three assists for ISU, who made 51.8 percent of their shots from the field – the second straight game that ISU has made at least 50 percent of their shots in a game.
The Redbirds win their 13th game over an AP Top-25 team in the program's history and improve to 2-0 against Indiana State when the Sycamores are nationally ranked – ISU won 81-76 on January 21, 1978 when the Sycamores were ranked fourth in the country.
Illinois State returns to action on Sunday, February 18 when the team hosts Evansville in a 2 p.m. tip-off on senior day for the Redbirds.
The Redbirds never trailed in the first half, scoring the game's first six points on baskets from Foster, and two from Kinziger. ISU's first-half lead grew to as many as 14 following a Kinziger lay-in; however, the Sycamores fought back to climb within five with 1:22 to play in the half. Following a Chase Walker three-point play, the Redbirds took a six-point, 35-29 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Kinziger and Foster were once again the catalysts to start the half, as the pair each had a basket to open the second half as the 'Birds stretched their lead to 10 at 39-29. Indiana State fought back, and took a one-point, 49-48 lead on an Isaiah Swope lay-up with 9:33 to play in the game. The Redbirds struck back a minute and 45 seconds later with a 6-0 run off three pointers by Kinziger and Kasubke, and Illinois State never trailed again.
Illinois State ran off nine straight to lead by 10 with 3:49 to play in the game, and ISU iced the game with free throws late, as Kasubke put the exclamation point on the victory with a three-pointer with 20 seconds left in the contest.
Julian Larry scored a team-high 20 points for Indiana State, while Isaiah Swope scored 18 and Ryan Conwell 10.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 1 Malachi Poindexter, 3 Dalton Banks, 4 Myles Foster, 11 Johnny Kinziger, and 22 Kendall Lewis
- This is the third consecutive game that this lineup has been used to open a game
- Illinois State won the opening tip
- The first Illinois State points of the game came from Myles Foster with a lay-up with 19:39 to play in the first half
- Foster has scored the first points of the game 10 times for the Redbirds this season
- The first subs for Illinois State were Luke Kasubke and Chase Walker with 10:24 to play in the first half
- Illinois State led 35-29 at halftime
- Illinois State improved to 9-0 when leading at halftime
- The win is Illinois State's first over an AP Top-25 team since February 6, 2016 against Wichita State
- The win was the 13th in program history over an AP Top-25 ranked team
- Illinois State improved to 2-0 when playing Indiana State when they were nationally ranked
- The win is Illinois State's first in Terre Haute since the 2016-17 season
- The Redbirds out-rebounded their opponent for the 17th time this season
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Luke Kasubke
- Scored in double-figures for the fifth time this season and 14th time in his career
- Malachi Poindexter
- Made his 19th start of the season and 44th start of his collegiate career
- Dalton Banks
- Has started all 26 games for the Redbirds this season, and 41 games during his career
- Myles Foster
- Has started 25 of the team's 26 games this season, and has 59 career starts in 112 games played
- Scored in double-figures for the eighth consecutive game, and the 17th time this season
- Recorded his sixth double-double of the season and eighth of his career
- Pulled down double-digit rebounds for the seventh time this season
- Johnny Kinziger
- Made his third collegiate start
- Scored in double-figures for the second straight game, and eighth time during his freshman season
- Scored a career-high 31 points
- The point total is tied for the second-most by a Redbird freshman in program history
- Tied with Fred Marberry against Millikin on December 28, 1953, and behind only Tony Cadle's 41 points against Illinois Wesleyan on February 20, 1957
- Set career-highs in field goal makes, field goal attempts, free throw makes, and free throw attempts
- Kendall Lewis
- Started his 20th game of the season, and 104th of his collegiate career
- Pulled down double-digit rebounds for the fourth time this season
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