NORMAL, Ill. – Johnny Kinziger's step-back three-point shot with 14 seconds on the clock gave the Redbirds the final distance in an 81-78 thrilling ISU win over Belmont on Wednesday night inside CEFCU Arena.
Both Kinziger and Chase Walker scored 22 points for the Redbirds, while Landon Wolf added 11. Jack Daugherty scored seven points, while Jordan Davis added six. Walker led the team with six rebounds, as Wolf had five in the win.
Dalton Banks led the Redbirds with six assists, while helping to hold Belmont leading scorer Carter Whitt – 13.7 points per game coming into the contest – to just six points over the 40 minutes. As a team the Redbirds had 15 assists for the game, while committing just four turnovers, the second-fewest in a game in program history.
The Redbirds remain at home for their next game, a February 1 battle with the Valparaiso Beacons at 4 p.m., as ISU will honor ISU basketball legend Doug Collins for his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame during halftime of the game.
The Redbirds came out firing and scored on their first two possessions of the game on a jumper from Walker and a lay-in from Wolf, and the Redbirds would hold onto the lead for the majority of the half. The Redbird lead grew to as many as seven, while Belmont twice tied the score before pushing ahead on a Brody Peebles three-pointer with 2:16 remaining in the half that gave the Bruins a 31-29 lead. ISU closed the half strong, scoring the final six points, taking a four-point, 35-31 lead into the locker room at halftime.
ISU carried that momentum into the second half, scoring the first nine points of the final period, extending the lead to 13 with 18:00 to play in the game. Belmont fought back; however, never completely, and closed the gap to as few as one, and eventually tying the game on a three-point basket with 42 seconds remaining in the contest. Cue Kinziger's heroics, as the Redbirds held the Bruins empty on two desperation attempts to close regulation.
For the 12th time this season the Redbirds made over half of their field goal attempts, converting on 33-of-64 from the field, while also making 10 three-pointers, a fraction off of the team's season average of 10.33 per contest. Belmont was 28-of-64 from the field (43.8%), converted on 12-of-27 (44.4%) from long range and was 10-of-13 from the charity stripe.
The visitors were led by Jonathan Pierre's game-high 27 points, as he made 9-of-18 shots from the field and 5-of-11 from long range. Sam Orme scored 20 points off the bench for the Bruins, as he was 4-of-6 from deep and 7-of-1 overall, with Isaiah Walker adding 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
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 third time this season ISU has used this starting lineup
- The Redbirds won the opening tip
- The first points of the game came from Chase Walker on a jumper with 19:30 to play in the first half
- It was the 10th 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 16:25 to play in the first half
- Illinois State led 35-31 at halftime
- ISU's four turnovers are tied for the second-fewest in a game in program history, behind only the three turnovers the team committed against Creighton on January 13, 2012
- The total is also tied for the 12th-fewest in a game in the NCAA this season
- The game was the third time this season that ISU has had two players score 20+ points in the same game
- ISU improved to 4-0 all-time against Belmont in Normal, and evened the series overall at 4-4
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Jack Daugherty
- His four rebounds are tied for the second-most in a game in his career
- Dalton Banks
- Helped hold Belmont leading scorer Carter Whitt to just six points in the game on 3-of-12 shooting
- Led the Redbirds in assists for the 13th time this season, and for the 10th time led or tied for the team lead in steals
- Over his last four games he has had nine steals
- Landon Wolf
- Scored in double-figures for the eighth time this season and 22nd time in his career
- Johnny Kinziger
- Scored in double-figures for the sixth consecutive game and 18th time this season
- Scored 20+ points for the fifth time this season
- His 22 points are a season-high
- The five made three-pointers and 11 attempted three-pointers are career-highs
- Cameron Barnes
- His four points are tied for the second-most of his Redbird career, and his three rebounds was one off his career-high
- Chase Walker
- Scored double-figure points for the 16th time this season and 17th time in his career
- His three assists tied his career-high
- Scored 20+ points for the fifth time this season
- Led the Redbirds in rebounding for the ninth time
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