ST LOUIS – The Illinois State men's basketball team dropped its 2026 Arch Madness opener on Friday evening in the final quarterfinal game of the day at the tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers started hot, making their first four shots of the game, extending out to an early 10-2 lead before ISU scored the next six points on back-to-back Mason Klabo three-pointers. Northern Iowa extended the lead to as many as 10 points, before the Birds clawed back and trailed 35-27 at halftime.
UNI scored the first five points of the second half to extend out to a 13-point lead, and ISU played catch-up the rest of the way in the loss.
KEY STATISTICS / NOTES
- The Redbirds opened with the starting lineup of 3 Mason Klabo, 4 Landon Wolf, 11 Johnny Kinziger, 14 Boden Skunberg, and 35 Chase Walker
- This is ISU's sixth game with this starting lineup
- ISU wore its throwback white uniform
- Northern Iowa won the opening tip
- ISU's first points of the game came from Landon Wolf on a lay-up with 18:18 on the first half clock
- This game was the second time that he scored the Redbirds' first points this season
- Northern Iowa led 35-to-27 at halftime
- With four steals, Johnny Kinziger tied his career-high, and had multiple steals in a game for the 10th time this season
- He also gave out a team-high three steals, which gives him 101 for the season, tying his season-high total
- Chase Walker tied a career-high with two blocked shots
- He scored 11 points, his 20th game this season in double-digit scoring
- Ty Pence pulled down a team-leading six rebounds, the sixth time this season he has led the team in rebounds
