NORMAL, Ill. – Despite 16 points off the bench from Malachi Poindexter, the Illinois State men's basketball team fell in its first of two rivalry games against the Bradley Braves by a 73-60 final score on Saturday afternoon.
Poindexter made 4-of-5 three-point shots en route to scoring 16 points, while also dishing out a season-high-tying three assists. Myles Foster made half of his eight field goal tries and both of his free throws for 10 points, with three rebounds.
Johnny Kinziger narrowly missed double-figures with eight points to go with a pair of assists. Kendall Lewis scored seven points with a game-high seven rebounds in the loss. Chase Walker picked up a career-high three steals, while Dalton Banks led the team with six assists.
ISU returns to the court on Wednesday, February 7, when the Redbirds host the UIC Flames in a 7 p.m. tip-off inside CEFCU Arena.
The teams battled early and were tied at six following a Walker lay-in; however, Bradley ran off a 17-4 run to stretch to a 13-point lead. The Redbirds fought back to within six before the visitors closed the half on a 14-1 run to take a 39-20 lead into the locker room at halftime.
In the second half the Bradley lead reached as many as 25; however, the Redbirds showed no quit, as the team as ISU fought back to close the gap to just 13 at the final buzzer, giving the game its 73-60 final score.
Bradley was led by Malevy Leons who scored a game-high 23 points, with Darius Hannah scoring 18 as Connor Hickman and Demarion Burch each adding 10 points.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 2 Ty Pence, 3 Dalton Banks, 4 Myles Foster, 10 Darius Burford, and 22 Kendall Lewis
- This is the first time this season that this lineup has been used to open a game
- It is the ninth different starting lineup for the Redbirds this season, 15th-most starting lineup combinations across Division I basketball
- Bradley won the opening tip
- The first Illinois State points of the game came from Myles Foster with a lay-in with 16:41 to play in the first half
- Foster has scored the first points of the game nine times for the Redbirds this season
- The first sub for Illinois State was Luke Kasubke with 16:03 to play in the first half
- Bradley led 20-39 at halftime
- Illinois State had a positive assist-to-turnover margin in a game for the ninth time this season (in 23 games)
- That is tied (also 2008-09) for the most positive such numbers by a Redbird team since 1988-89
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Malachi Poindexter
- Reached double-figure scoring for the eighth time this season and 21st time in his career
- His four three-point field goals tie a career-high
- His team-high scoring effort is the third time this season he has led the team in points
- Ty Pence
- Recorded his first collegiate start
- Dalton Banks
- Has started all 23 games for the Redbirds this season, and 38 games during his career
- Led ISU in assists for the 14th time this season
- Myles Foster
- Has started 22 of the team's 23 games this season, and has 56 career starts in 109 games played
- Scored in double-figures for the 14th time this season and 41st time in his career
- Darius Burford
- Started his 20th game of the season, and 90th game of his collegiate career
- Kendall Lewis
- Started his 17th game of the season, and 101st of his collegiate career
- Led the Redbirds in rebounding for the sixth time this season
- Chase Walker
- Grabbed a career-high three steals
- Is now tied for the 23rd-most by a Redbird freshman in program history
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
