MORAGA, Calif. – Johnny Kinziger scored a game-high 30 points – including 21 in the second half and overtime – as the Illinois State Redbirds dropped the season opener to the Saint Mary's Gaels by a 90-85 final score.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Tied at four early, Illinois State ran off an 8-2 run to stretch to a 12-6 lead, five and a half minutes into the season. The host Gaels – who came into the game having won their last 26 home games – countered with a 9-2 run to take a 15-14 lead. In a half that had seven ties and nine lead changes, the margin was never more than three until ISU ran off a quick 8-0 run over a 51-second stretch, to put the Redbirds ahead 35-27 with 2:14 to play in the first half, before the Gaels closed the gap to six, as ISU led 39-33 at the break.

Saint Mary's came roaring out of the gate, scoring the first five points of the half; however, the Redbirds quickly regrouped to stretch ahead to a seven-point lead four and a half minutes into the second half. ISU extended its lead to eight following a six-point possession, on three-pointers from Malik Messina-Moore and Johnny Kinziger, and to double-digits with 12:34 to play in the game on a pair of Klabo free throws. The Gaels chipped away at the deficit, re-taking the lead for the first time in the second half on a lay-in with 3:30 to play in the game. A pair of Chase Walker free throws put the Birds back ahead at 74-73, which was matched by a pair of Saint Mary free throws with 1:58 to play to put the hosts back ahead. Johnny Kinziger drained a three-pointer with 43 seconds left, before the Gaels tied the game at 77 with 18 seconds to play in the game. ISU's attempt at the end of regulation was off the mark, sending the game to a season-opening overtime.

Two Kinziger free throws were countered by a lay-in by Saint Mary's, before the hosts scored nine of the next 10 points to extend to a six-point, 86-80 lead. Kinziger drew the Redbirds back within three with his career-best sixth three-pointer of the game with 1:44 remaining on the clock; however, that would be as close as the Redbirds would get as Saint Mary's scored final four six points of the contest to secure a 90-85 Gael win.

KEY STATISTICS

• The Redbirds opened with the starting lineup: 0 Noah Cleveland, 3 Mason Klabo, 5 Demarion Burch, 11 Johnny Kinziger, and 35 Chase Walker
• ISU debuted its new black uniforms
• The game was the first with the Illinois Farm Bureau jersey patch
• Saint Mary's won the opening tip
• The Gaels won the tip into overtime
• ISU's first points of the season came from Noah Cleveland on a dunk with 19:16 on the clock in the first half
• Seven players made their Illinois State debut: Noah Cleveland, Demarion Burch, Nick Allen, Malik Messina-Moore, Louie Semona III, Zaxton King, and Deng Garang
• Illinois State led at halftime by a 39-33 score
• The teams were tied at 77 at the end of regulation
• The game was ISU's first overtime game since January 10 last season
• The overtime game in the opener was Illinois State's first since the 1989-90 team fell to Green Bay in overtime to open the season
  • The Redbirds that season, coached by Bob Bender, finished 18-13 and won the MVC Tournament
• Malik Messina-Moore was the first Redbird this season to reach double-figures in the scoring column
  • He scored 16 points, including nine in the second half
  • It was his 55th career double-digit scoring game
  • He tied for the team lead with four assists
• Johnny Kinziger scored 30 points, his 70th career double-digit scoring game, his 13th career game with 20+ points, and second career 30-point game
  • He has climbed to 1,233 career points, into 27th place in school history, passing Mike VandeGarde (1,225 points, 1990-94)
  • 14 of Kinziger's points came in the second half, and seven in overtime
  • His six three-pointers are a career high, and his 10 three-point attempts tied his career-high
  • He tied for the team lead with four assists
• Mason Klabo scored 12 points, his sixth career game with double digits in the scoring column
• Noah Cleveland and Nick Allen each pulled down a team-best five rebounds
• Illinois State made 48.3 percent of its shots in the game (28-of-58), was 13-of-27 from long range (48.1 percent), and was 16-of-23 from the charity stripe (69.6 percent)

NEXT UP

The Redbirds host Central State on Thursday, November 5 in the home opener for the Redbirds with a 7 p.m. tip-off inside CEFCU Arena.