NORMAL, Ill. – Graduate student Boden Skunberg scored a game-high 20 points – the second consecutive game he has scored 20+ points in – as the Illinois State men's basketball team held on late for a 59-54 win over the Northern Iowa Panthers, as the Redbirds improve to 6-3 in MVC play and 14-6 overall.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a highly-defensive opening 20 minutes, the two teams went back-and-forth with five tie scores and three lead changes for the first seven and a half minutes of the game. ISU's offense caught traction and used a 7-0 run to turn a 14-14 tie score into a 21-14 advantage, as the Birds took a 24-16 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Redbirds used an 11-0 run in the second half to stretch the margin to its high-mark of 13 at 35-22; however, the Panthers started to claw their way back, getting within as few as three at 57-54. The Redbirds iced the game at the free throw line, making all 11 of their tries in the second half to secure the three-point win over Northern Iowa.
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 15th game with this lineup, and this group is 10-4 this season
- ISU wore its throwback red uniform for the seventh time this season, and the first time at home (the game is a Redout)
- Northern Iowa won the opening tip
- ISU's first points of the game came from Ty Pence on a put-back lay-up with 19:06 on the first half clock
- He has scored the Redbirds' first points of the game six times this season
- Illinois State's first sub was Mason Klabo with 16:37 to play in the first half
- Illinois State led 24-16 at halftime
- The Redbirds held an opponent to fewer than 20 points in a half for the third time this season, with the most recent coming on January 1 against Evansville (second half)
- The 16 first-half points are tied for the 18th-fewest in a game in program history, and tied for the ninth-fewest in CEFCU Arena / Redbird Arena history
- The Redbirds had an 11-0 run in the second half, the teams' 10th-longest scoring streak of the season
- Boden Skunberg was the first Redbird in double-figure scoring, as he scored 20 points in the game, his 12th double-figure scoring game this season, and 69th of his career
- He reached 20+ points in a game for the second consecutive game, and the third time this season
- His six three-pointers made in a game are a season-high, and one away from his career-high
- His eight rebounds are his second-highest game total this season, and the fifth time this season he has pulled 7+ rebounds in a game
- Illinois State made 16-of-18 shots from the charity stripe, and was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line in the second half
NEXT UP
ISU hits the road for its next two games, starting on Sunday, January 25 at Belmont in a 2 p.m. tip-off.
