NORMAL, Ill. – It was the Illinois State seniors – Malachi Poindexter, Dalton Banks, Jordan Davis, and Caden Boser – that provided the big plays for the Redbirds in their 62-53 senior day win over Evansville on Sunday afternoon in the 2024-25 regular-season finale inside CEFCU Arena.
Banks scored a team-high 13 points, including the 1000th of his career in the first half, while adding six rebounds, two assists, and a season-high five steals. Poindexter added 11 points, while Johnny Kinziger scored eight, and Boser seven. Ty Pence pulled down a career-high nine rebounds for the Birds, who out-rebounded Evansville 33-to-32 in the game.
With the win, the Redbirds nearly assuredly secure themselves the fifth seed for the upcoming MVC tournament (barring a significant NET change for either Illinois State or UIC), and will face Missouri State on Thursday, March 6 at 2:30 p.m. in the Enterprise Center.
The Redbirds came out of the gate strong, and held a three-point, 15-12 lead over Evansville with 10:28 to play before the hosts ran off 15 consecutive points, holding the Aces without a point for nearly seven minutes, stretching the lead to 18 with 3:21 to play in the half. Banks scored twice in the final two minutes, including his second basket for his career milestone; however, the Aces closed the half on a run, cutting the gap to 11 at 34-23 heading into the locker room at halftime.
The second half opened with UE scoring the first eight points, and twice took a one-point lead including as late as 11:41 to play in the game. With the two teams tied at 45, ISU scored 10 of the next 13 points to lead by seven, and ISU closed the game on a 7-0 run to secure the nine-point win.
Holding Evansville to 53 points, it is the fewest points allowed in a win by ISU since November 20, 2023 when the Birds held Long Beach State to 52 points. ISU made 35 percent of its shots in the game (21-of-60), which is the lowest field goal percentage in an ISU win since November 9, 2021 when ISU made 33.9 percent of its shots in the season-opener against UNCW. The Redbirds' .207 three-point field goal percentage is the lowest in a win since February 8, 2020 when the team made 4-of-20 against Indiana State.
Evansville was led by Tanner Cuff who scored 15 points, with Connor Turnbull scoring 14 and Gabriel Pozzato 13.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Illinois State used the starting lineup of 0 Jack Daugherty, 3 Dalton Banks, 5 Jordan Davis, 11 Johnny Kinziger, and 35 Chase Walker
- It is the second time this season that ISU has used this starting lineup combination
- Evansville won the opening tip
- Dalton Banks scored the first basket for the Redbirds on a lay-up with 18:46 to play in the first half
- It was his fourth time this season scoring the first points of the game for ISU
- Illinois State led 34-23 at halftime
- ISU's .350 field goal percentage is the program's lowest in a win since November 9, 2021 when the team made 33.9 percent in the season-opener against UNCW
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Jack Daugherty
- With his three-point make, he moved into a tie with Nic Moore (2011-12) into third place in the school single-season record book in three-pointers made. His 56 is two behind Gregg Alexander (2001-02), and 12 behind Tarise Bryson (1998-99)
- Malachi Poindexter
- Reached double-digit scoring for the second straight game, and eighth time this year
- Cade Norris
- Dalton Banks
- Scored his 1,000th career point with 1:08 to play in the first half
- Reached double-digit scoring for the fourth straight game, the 16th time this season, and 41st of his career
- With five steals, he now has 55 on this season, which is tied for the eighth-most in a season in school history, knotted with Boo Richardson from the 2007-08 season
- He is the first player with 50 or more steals in a season since Paris Lee had 65 during the 2016-17 season
- Ty Pence
- His nine rebounds are a new career-high
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