NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State men's basketball team overcame a 13-point first-half deficit, coming back to top the Missouri State Bears by a 74-68 final score on Saturday evening inside CEFCU Arena.
Johnny Kinziger scored an ISU-high 19 points – all in the second half – as he made 7-of-9 shots from the field in the final 20 minutes. Landon Wolf recorded his first collegiate double-double with a season-high 17 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in the win. Two others – Chase Walker (14) and Dalton Banks (13) – scored in double-figures in the win.
Wolf's 11 rebounds were a game-high, while Banks and Ty Pence each grabbed six boards with ISU out-rebounding Missouri State 33-to-25. Banks' five assists were a game-high, with Walker tying a career-high with three assists. Banks and Wolf each had two steals to tie for the game high.
The Redbirds remain at home for their next game on Tuesday, January 21 when ISU hosts the Indiana State Sycamores in a 7 p.m. tip-off inside CEFCU Arena.
Illinois State and Missouri State traded baskets to start the contest, before MSU's Dez White caught fire, making three three-pointers in three consecutive possessions, as the visitors ran off to a 22-9 lead with 8:28 to play in the opening period. The Redbirds fought back and used a 7-0 run on three-pointers by Wolf and Malachi Poindexter and a free throw from Pence, as the Birds trailed by six at 31-25 heading into the locker room at halftime.
ISU scored the first five points of the second half and trailing by five with 18:06 to play in the game the Redbirds ran off 11 consecutive points – including a two-possession stretch where Banks and Kinziger made three-pointers to flip the lead in the game. After the 11-0 run ISU never trailed again, as the hosts pushed their lead to as many as 11 points. Twice the Bears climbed back to close the gap to single digits; however, could not finish the rest of the way down the stretch in the six-point Redbird win.
ISU made 24 of its 52 shots from the field (46.2 percent), while converting on 10-of-27 (37.0%) from long range and 16-of-21 (76.2%) from the charity stripe. Missouri State was 20-of-43 (46.5%) from the field, 11-of-25 (44.0%) from beyond the arc and 17-of-24 (70.8%) from the free throw line.
White scored a game-high 24 points, making 8-of-12 shots from the field and 7-of-11 from long range, while Vincent Brady II scored 13 points with a team-high four assists.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 1, Malachi Poindexter, 3 Dalton Banks, 4 Landon Wolf, 11 Johnny Kinziger, and 35 Chase Walker
- It was the first time this season ISU has used this starting lineup, and the seventh different starting lineup used this season by ISU
- The Bears won the opening tip
- The first points of the game came from Chase Walker on a three-pointer with 17:50 to play in the first half
- It was the eighth time he scored ISU's first points of the game this season, the most on the team
- The first sub for Illinois State was Ty Pence with 15:23 to play in the first half
- Missouri State led 31-25 at the half
- Illinois State trailed by as many as 13 points in the game, the largest margin that the Redbirds have rallied from this season, and the largest since January 30 when ISU overcame a 15-point deficit at Murray State
- The Redbirds out-rebounded Missouri State 33-to-25, the 11th game that ISU has out-rebounded their opponent this season
- ISU had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio for the 12th time this season, and for the fourth consecutive game
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Dalton Banks
- Scored in double-figures for the second consecutive game, and 10th time this season
- Led ISU in assists for the 11th time this year
- Grabbed two steals to tie for the team lead
- It is the 12th time this season Banks has had or tied for the team lead in steals
- Landon Wolf
- Set a career-high with 11 rebounds
- Scored in double-figures for the second straight game, and the seventh time this season
- His 17 points are a season-high
- With his 17 points and 11 rebounds, he recorded his first collegiate double-double
- His three three-point makes tie a season-high, set in four other previous games
- Tied for the team lead with two steals, the seventh time he has had or tied for the team lead in steals
- Johnny Kinziger
- Reached double-figure scoring for the third straight game and 15th time this year
- He scored all 19 of his points in the second half, making 7-of-9 field goals in the half
- Chase Walker
- Scored in double-figures for the third consecutive game, and 14th time this season
- Tied his career-high with three assists
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