NORMAL, Ill. – Behind 20+-point scoring efforts from Dalton Banks (21) and Johnny Kinziger (20), the Illinois State men's basketball team picked up an 85-81 win over MVC foe Indiana State on Tuesday night inside CEFCU Arena.
Banks' 21 points are the second-most of his career – behind only the 23 points he scored against Ohio earlier this season – while Kinziger recorded his fourth 20-point scoring game of the year. Chase Walker was close behind the ISU duo with 17 points. Four others – Caden Boser (seven), Jordan Davis (six), Malachi Poindexter (six), and Ty Pence (six) – had at least five points in the winning effort.
Davis pulled down a career- and game-high 12 rebounds for the Birds. Kinziger's six assists in the game tied for the game-high and are one off his season-high, while Banks had four assists. Pence's three steals were a career-high, while Walker's two steals tied his career-high. The Redbird defense was also able to lock down the MVC's second-leading scorer, Semage Teel, who came into the game averaging 17.1 points per game but was held to seven in the Illinois State win.
After its current two-game homestand, the Redbirds make the short trek to Peoria, Illinois, on Saturday, January 25 for a 1 p.m. tip-off against the Bradley Braves.
There were six tie scores and 16 lead changes in a back-and-forth first half, with the Sycamores striking first with a three-pointer on the first possession, before the Redbirds fought back with six straight to re-take the lead. A Caden Boser three-pointer – where he scored his 1,000th collegiate point – gave Illinois State a four-point lead, the largest margin by either team over the opening 20 minutes of action, and the teams were knotted at 40 heading into the locker room at halftime.
The Redbirds started the second half with three-pointers on the first two possessions, and the hosts never gave up the lead for the remainder of the game. Illinois State's lead grew to as many as 13, including with 5:29 to play in the game before the feisty Sycamore squad chipped away at the deficit, twice drawing within a single possession; however, each time the comeback attempt was thwarted by free throws in the four-point Redbird victory.
For the 11th time this season the Redbirds made over half of their shot attempts, converting on 30-of-58 from the field, a percentage of 51.7. Illinois State was also 11-of-25 (44.0%) from long range and 14-of-18 (77.8 percent) from the charity stripe. Those percentages marked the eighth time this season that the Redbirds have had shooting splits of .500/.400/.750 from FG/3FG/FT, tied for the most in the country, and double the previous single-season Redbird program-high.
The Sycamores were led by Aaron Gray who scored 19 points for the visitors, while Camp Wagner scored 17, and Bruno Alocen and Jaden Daughtry each scored 10 points in the loss. Gray and Markus Harding each pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, while Teel dished out six assists.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 3 Dalton Banks, 4 Landon Wolf, 5 Jordan Davis, 11 Johnny Kinziger, and 35 Chase Walker
- It was the first time this season ISU has used this starting lineup, and the eighth different starting lineup used this season by ISU
- The Sycamores won the opening tip
- The first points of the game came from Chase Walker on a lay-up with 18:25 to play in the first half
- It was the ninth time he scored ISU's first points of the game this season, the most on the team
- The first sub for Illinois State was Caden Boser with 16:42 to play in the first half
- The teams were tied at 40 after the first 20 minutes
- It was the first time this season that the Redbirds went into the locker room tied with their opponent, and just the fourth time under head coach Ryan Pedon
- Illinois State had two players score 20+ points for the second time this season, with ISU's win over Saint Louis (Chase Walker 27, Johnny Kinziger 20) being the other
- The Redbirds improved to 69-64 all-time against the Sycamores, and have won two consecutive games in the all-time series between the schools
- ISU had its eighth game this season with shooting splits of at least .500/.400/.750 from FG/3FG/FT, which is more than double the previous season-high in Redbird history, and is tied for the most in the NCAA this season
- The game was the 16th this season for ISU in which it has had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Dalton Banks
- Scored in double-figures for the third consecutive game, and 11th time this season
- Reached 20+ points for the second time in his career
- Both his seven free throws made and his eight free throw attempts are season-highs
- Led the team in scoring for the third time this season
- Jordan Davis
- Has pulled down six or more rebounds in each of his last four games played
- His 12 rebounds were a career-high
- He has led ISU in rebounding three times this season, and six times on his career
- Johnny Kinziger
- Reached double-figure scoring for the fourth consecutive game and 16th time this season
- Scored 20+ points for the fourth time this season and seventh time as a Redbird
- Led ISU in assists for the eighth time this season
- Ty Pence
- His three steals are a career-high
- Caden Boser
- Scored his 1,000th career-point on a three-point basket with 14:17 remaining in the first half
- Chase Walker
- Scored in double-figures for the fourth consecutive game and 15th time this season
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