Redbirds close nonconference play with 83-57 win over Austin Peay

[December 26, 2012]  NORMAL -- Jackie Carmichael's 25th career double-double, with 18 points and 12 rebounds, led Illinois State (9-3) to an 83-57 victory over Austin Peay (4-8) in front of 5,119 fans on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena on Saturday afternoon. Illinois State closes nonconference play with a four-game winning streak and a 6-1 mark at Redbird Arena.

Carmichael's double-double was his fourth of the season and second in as many games. Three other Redbirds contributed double-digit performances, as Tyler Brown with 16 points, John Wilkins with 14 and Jon Ekey with 11 paced an Illinois State offense that shot 50 percent (34 for 68) from the floor. Johnny Hill and Kaza Keane each contributed six assists, as ISU tallied 18 assists as a team. Illinois State forced 18 turnovers, including a career-best six steals from Brown. Anthony Campbell led Austin Peay with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting.

Austin Peay opened the game on an 8-4 run, led by a pair of 3-point baskets from Campbell. Bryant Allen's 3 with 16:20 to go made it a one-point game. After forcing a turnover, Illinois State took the lead on Keane's dish to Ekey, who dunked it for a 9-8 lead.

Travis Beltran's layup gave the Governors a 12-11 lead with 14:20 to play in the first half. The Redbirds responded with a 3-point basket from Nick Zeisloft, sparking the Redbirds to a 7-0 run. Zeisloft finished with six points on 2-of-4 shooting. Baskets from Carmichael and Keane extended the Redbird lead to 18-12, while the defense kept Austin Peay 0 for 5 from the field during the stretch.

Austin Peay regained the lead with an 8-0 run, capped by a pair of 3-point baskets from Campbell. Allen stopped the run with a 3-point shot from the left wing for ISU, tying the game at 23 with eight minutes to play in the first half. With the game tied at 26, Illinois State went on a 10-0 run, highlighted by three straight dunks from Brown, Wilkins and Carmichael. The Redbird defense kept the Governors scoreless for 3:59 during that stretch.

Ekey and Zeisloft exchanged 3s to build the Redbird lead to 14 points, 42-28, with one minute to go in the opening half. Ekey's dunk with time expiring closed the first half with a 44-28 ISU lead. The Redbirds capped the first half on a 21-5 run and shot 46 percent from the floor as a team. The Redbird defense forced 12 opening-half turnovers, including three steals from Hill.

Leading 44-28 at the break, Brown netted a fadeaway jumper to open second-half scoring. Back-to-back blocks from Wilkins kept Austin Peay off the board, and Ekey added a 10-foot jumper from the right wing, giving ISU a 12-0 run going back to the end of the first half and extending the Redbird lead to 48-28 with 17:43 to play. Austin Peay snapped a drought of 6:42 without a basket on Campbell's jumper with 15:54 to go.

The Redbirds erased a three-minute drought without a field goal on Tyler Brown's tip-in with 10:14 to play. It increased the ISU lead to 58-37. Austin Peay responded with an 8-0 run, capped by Campbell's 3-pointer with 7:46 left and Illinois State leading 58-45, which would be as close as the Governors would get. Ekey's block stunted Austin Peay's next possession, and the junior forward hit a turnaround jumper in the paint to build the ISU lead to 15 points, at 60-45. It sparked an 8-0 ISU run that put the game away with under five minutes to play.

The Redbirds will open Missouri Valley Conference play at Indiana State on Sunday, Dec. 30, with a noon (CST) tip against the Sycamores, before returning to Redbird Arena to host Creighton on Jan. 2. Tickets for all remaining Redbird home basketball games can be obtained by calling 309-438-8000.

[Text from news release received from Illinois State University]