NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State offense struggled on Tuesday night, as ISU made just 31.7 percent of its shots from the field, despite a trio of players in double-figure points in a 54-50 loss to the Southern Illinois Salukis.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After the Salukis opened the game with a mid-range jumper, ISU followed with eight consecutive points, to stretch to an 8-2 lead. From there the Redbird offense went cold, making just one of its next 16 shots, as the visitors – who also had their struggles from the field – used an 8-0 run of their own to take a 10-8 lead five minutes into the half. The SIU lead grew to as many as six points with 3:02 to play in the half, before the Birds closed the first half on a 9-1 run, including a four-point play for Landon Wolf with 1.6 seconds left to send ISU into the locker room with a 24-22 lead.
The second half started as a near-mirror-image of the first, as both teams struggled to find its scoring touch in the period. With the Redbirds leading by four at 41-37, SIU ran off seven consecutive points to take a lead that the visitors would not give up for the remainder of the game. ISU closed back within four points late in the contest but could not overcome the full deficit.
KEY STATISTICS / NOTES
- The Redbirds opened with the starting lineup of 3 Mason Klabo, 4 Landon Wolf, 10 Ty'Reek Coleman, 22 Ty Pence, and 35 Chase Walker
- This is ISU's second consecutive game with this starting lineup
- ISU wore its throwback white uniform for the 10th time this season
- Illinois State won the opening tip
- ISU's first points of the game came from Ty'Reek Coleman on a lay-up with 18:46 on the first half clock
- He has scored the Redbirds' first points of the game four times this season
- Illinois State led 24-22 at halftime
- Landon Wolf scored 11 points, his fourth double-digit scoring game this season and 28th of his career, with 11 of those coming in the first half
- His 11 field goal attempts are his season-high
- Chase Walker scored nine points in the second half, and had 12 for the game for ISU
- It is his 15th game scoring in double-digits this season
- By scoring 10 points, Johnny Kinziger climbed from 44th to a tie of 40th in career points at ISU
- It was his team-leading 18th game scoring in double-figures this season, and 60th of his career
- Kinziger led the team with four assists, three steals, and tied for the team lead with five rebounds
- Brandon Lieb and Ty'Reek Coleman each pulled down five rebounds to tie for the team lead, as Lieb's two blocked shots were the team lead.
NEXT UP
The Redbirds remain in Normal and will host the Drake Bulldogs on Friday evening in a 7 p.m. tip-off inside CEFCU Arena.
