NORMAL, Ill. – With 10 different players scoring at least three points, the Illinois State Redbirds ran away in a 20-point, 85-65 win over the Indiana State Sycamores on Sunday afternoon. With the win ISU improved to 10-3 on the season, it's best 13-game start since the 2009-10 season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Indiana State jumped out to a 6-0 lead behind a pair of three-pointers from Ian Scott, and the visitors held their lead through the first five and a half minutes of the game. The Redbirds took the lead for good during a 7-0 run, turning a two-point deficit into a five-point advantage. ISU followed their 7-0 run with a 9-0 run, stretching the lead to double-digits, as the Birds took a 17-point, 42-25 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Redbirds kept their foot on the gas pedal, extending the lead to many as 32 points before cruising to the 20-point victory.
KEY STATISTICS / NOTES
- The Redbirds opened with the starting lineup of 10 Ty'Reek Coleman, 11 Johnny Kinziger, 14 Boden Skunberg, 22 Ty Pence, and 35 Chase Walker
- This is ISU's eighth game with this lineup, and this group is now 6-2 on the season
- ISU remained undefeated in their throwback white uniforms, going to 17-0 all-time and 6-0 this season
- Indiana State won the opening tip
- ISU's first points of the game came from Ty Pence on a dunk with 18:11 on the first-half clock
- Illinois State's first sub was Brandon Lieb with 17:48 to play in the first half
- Illinois State led 42-25 at halftime
- The Redbirds improved to 70-65 all-time against Indiana State
- The game was the fourth time in the last five games that the Redbirds have made over half of their shots in a game
- Illinois State committed just four turnovers in the game, tied for the third-fewest turnovers in a game in program history, while dishing out 16 assists
- The Redbirds' turnover total is tied for the 27th-fewest in NCAA Division I this season
- The two offensive rebounds allowed are tied for the second-fewest in a game in program history
- The offensive rebounding total is tied for the 14th-fewest in a game in Division I
- Illinois State out-rebounded Indiana State 37-to-28, the 11th time this season that ISU has out-rebounded its opponent
- Chase Walker scored 18 points, his fourth consecutive game scoring in double-digits, and the 35th time of his career
- Ty Pence reached double-digit points for the sixth time in the last eight games, as he poured in 15 points
- With 10 points, Johnny Kinziger reached double-figure scoring for the 11th time this season
- Brandon Lieb tied his career-high with four assists
NEXT UP
After a break for the Holiday, the Redbirds return to action on December 29 when the Redbirds travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on the Drake Bulldogs in an 8 p.m. tip-off.
