NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State sophomore forward Chase Walker had a game-high 24 points and seven assists, helping the Illinois State Redbirds to an 86-78 win on Saturday afternoon, on a day that the Redbird Athletic Department honored recent Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee Doug Collins during halftime.
Walker made nine of his 11 attempts from the field in the game, and his only three-point try en route this his 24 points, the third-highest point total of his young career. Dalton Banks scored 17 points for ISU, as Johnny Kinziger scored 15 and Malachi Poindexter 11. Ty Pence was near the double-figure plateau with seven points in the win.
Walker's seven assists are a new career-high, while Kinziger had six assists and Jordan Davis a career-high four, as the Redbirds had 22 assists for the game on 33 made field goals, the third time this season that an ISU squad has given out 20+ assists in a game. The team also had just five turnovers over the 40 minutes, and over the last 40 minutes the Redbirds have just nine combined turnovers.
After its two-game homestand, the Redbirds travel for two consecutive road games, opening on February 5 at UIC with a 7 p.m. tip-off.
The Redbirds started strong out of the gate, scoring the first eight points of the contest on three-pointers by Landon Wolf and Kinziger, and a lay-up by Walker, and ISU never trailed in the contest. Valparaiso fought back, and eventually tied the game at 29 and 34; however, could not take the lead in the half, as the Redbirds closed strong, taking a seven-point, 45-38 lead into the locker room at halftime.
In the second half the Redbirds stretched the lead to 11 on two occasions, the last with 13:57 to play in the game, before the visitors ran off 10 straight points to close the gap to just a single point. ISU responded with a free throw by Walker and a three-pointer from Poindexter, and the Birds gently increased their lead back to 10 with 3:19 to play and iced the game late with four straight free throws to give ISU the eight-point win.
ISU went 33-of-58 from the field (56.9%), 11-of-27 (40.7%) from long range, while converting on 75 percent (9-of-12) of its tries from the free throw line. With the .500/.400/.750 shooting split night, ISU has nine such games this season, the most among schools in the NCAA, and the most in a season in school history. Valparaiso made 48.3 percent (28-of-58) from the field, 37 percent (10-of-27) from beyond the arc, and a near-perfect 12-of-13 (92.3%) from the charity stripe.
The Beacons got 20 points from All Wright, while Cooper Schwieger scored 14 and Isaiah Shaw 10.
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 fourth time this season ISU has used this starting lineup
- The Redbirds won the opening tip
- The first points of the game came from Landon Wolf on a three-pointer with 19:42 to play in the first half
- It was the first time this season scored ISU's first points of the game
- The first subs for Illinois State were Caden Boser, Ty Pence, and Malachi Poindexter with 13:53 to play in the first half
- Illinois State led 45-38 at halftime
- For the ninth time this season, Illinois State has had shooting splits of .500/.400/.750 for a game on FG/3FG/FT, which continues to be the most in a season in school history, and the most among NCAA Division I schools
- For the fourth time this season – and the second consecutive game – the Redbirds committed five turnovers or fewer in a game, including tonight's total of five against 22 assists
- The game was the 11th time this season that ISU has had single-digit turnovers for a game, the second-highest number in program history (behind only last seasons' total of 12)
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Jack Daugherty
- With his one made three pointer, ha moved into a tie of eighth place in school history for season three-point field goals by a freshman, alongside current teammate Johnny Kinziger, who made 40 in 2023-24
- Malachi Poindexter
- Scored in double-figures for the fifth time this season and 32nd in his career
- His three three-point field goals are tied for his season-high
- Dalton Banks
- Scored in double-figures for the 12th time this season
- Jordan Davis
- Has dished out a career-high four assists
- Johnny Kinziger
- Reached double-figure scoring for the seventh consecutive game, and 19th time this season
- Chase Walker
- Dished out a career-high seven assists
- Scored in double-figures for the second straight game and 17thtime this season
- Scored 20+ points for the second consecutive game and sixth time this season
- Over his last two games is averaging 23 points, five rebounds and five assists while shooting 18-of-23 from the field, a percentage of 78.3
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