NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State fought back against a cold shooting night inside CEFCU Arena, forcing overtime in a 63-59 MVC contest on Saturday afternoon, despite 15 points from Mason Klabo and 13 from Ty Pence.
HOW IT HAPPENED
An 8-0 Redbird run in the first half turned a seven-point, 7-2 deficit into a three-point 10-7 lead. In a streaky first half, UIC responded with eight consecutive points to run its lead to five. The Flame advantage reached as many as six, before ISU fought back behind an 8-2 run to tie the game at 19 with 6:08 to play in the half. The largest lead either team would get over the final six minutes would be three points, as the visiting UIC squad took a three-point, 28-25 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Redbirds scored 14 of the first 18 points of the second half, turning the three-point halftime deficit into a seven-point, 39-32 lead with 13:46 left in the game. UIC fought back to push ahead to a four-point lead, and the visitors would not give up the lead again in the game, despite ISU knotting the score at 49 and 51, the final score sending the teams into an extra five-minute period.
In overtime, ISU scored first on a pair of Chase Walker free throws; however, the Flames answered back with eight straight, securing the overtime MVC win.
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 12th game with this lineup, and this group is now 8-4 this season
- ISU wore its throwback white uniform for the eighth time this season      Â
- Illinois State won the opening tip
- ISU's first points of the game came from Ty Pence on a lay-up with 19:44 on the first half clock
- The overtime game was ISU's first this season, and the first since December 4, 2024, at Belmont, and the first at home since January 11, 2023, against Missouri State
- Illinois State's first sub was Landon Wolf with 16:03 to play in the first half
- UIC led 28-25 at halftime
- It was the fifth time this season that ISU has trailed at halftime, and the Birds are now 2-3 this season when going into the break with a deficit
- In his first game back after missing two games due to illness, Mason Klabo scored 15 points, his third double-digit scoring game of the season
- Ty Pence scored 13 points for his eighth game this season with double-digit points, and the 20th of his college career
- With 10 rebounds, Chase Walker recorded a season-high, and his sixth game this season with 7+ rebounds
- Johnny Kinziger scored 11 points, giving him 994 for his Redbird career, as he moved into a tie for 47th in school history
- The game was his 14th double-digit scoring game of the season, and 56th of his career
NEXT UP
ISU takes to the road on Wednesday, January 14 when the squad faces off against the Indiana State Sycamores in a 6 p.m. (CT) tip-off inside of the Hulman Center.
