Eldridge, Redbirds Sweep Shockers, Win Ninth Straight

[January 17, 2008]  NORMAL -- Sophomore Osiris Eldridge scored a game-high 21 points by hitting 7-of-15 shots from the floor as the Illinois State men's basketball team defeated the Wichita State Shockers 72-51 in front of 6,723 fans in a Missouri Valley Conference tilt Wednesday night on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. With the victory, the Redbirds clinched their ninth straight win for the first time since the 1982-83 campaign and swept the Shockers for the first time since the 2000-01 season.

The Redbirds (14-3 overall, 6-0 MVC) remained undefeated in conference play and had three players in double figures, as senior Anthony Slack and junior Brandon Sampay each added 13 points. Sampay was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor to record a new career high, while Slack hit 4-of-5 shots from the field and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.

Seniors Levi Dyer and Dom Johnson also reached milestones during the game. Dyer hit the 200-rebound plateau for his career with three boards, while Johnson grabbed two caroms for the 100th rebound of his career.

Wichita State was led by Ramon Clemente, who scored a team-high 12 points, while pulling down a game-high seven rebounds.

Both Illinois State and Wichita State began the game making early mistakes, with each team turning the ball over. But the Redbirds were able to remain calm and took the lead by going on an 11-1 run, paced by Eldridge's seven points. The Redbird defense caused problems for the Shocker offense, as ISU forced seven turnovers in the game's first seven minutes. The Shockers were able to climb back into the game, courtesy of a 10-2 run, capitalized by a 3 from PJ Couisnard at the 7:22 mark, forcing an ISU timeout.

The Redbirds picked up their intensity again, going on a 10-2 spurt of their own to pull ahead 25-13 with 3:53 left in the half. Senior Boo Richardson led the 'Birds during the run, scoring five points and dishing out two assists. Illinois State continued to pull away from the Shockers at the end of the half, as ISU outscored WSU 9-5 in the final 2 1/2 minutes. Richardson put the exclamation point on the Redbirds' first half, sprinting down the court after a WSU miss and nailing a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from just past half court.

The Redbirds showed their defensive tenacity throughout the first period, forcing a total of 15 Shocker turnovers, which translated into 13 points. The Redbirds were also a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe.

Illinois State continued to pick up the tempo to start out the second half, applying full-court pressure on each Wichita State possession. The Redbirds widened their lead to 16 points, 47-31, after Eldridge hit a fadeaway 3 with Couisnard in his face at the 12:37 mark in the second half. Eldridge added to his barrage of 3s, hitting two more treys in a 1:14 span, and sophomore Sead Odzic hit his first 3 as a Redbird to give Illinois State a 60-38 advantage at the third media timeout.

After Couisnard fouled out with 6:57 remaining, the Redbirds never looked back by going on a 11-7 scoring spurt, highlighted by an alley-oop slam by Slack on a pass from Dyer.

The Redbirds will hit the road for the first of a two-game swing beginning at Drake on Saturday in a Missouri Valley Conference matchup. Tipoff from the Knapp Center is slated for 7:05 p.m.

[Text from file received from John A. Sandberg, Illinois State University]