 Bobby Hunter led five Redbird players in double figures with 14
points, with John Jones right behind with 12 points. Zach Lofton
chipped in 11 points, Paris Lee added 10 points, and Michael
Middlebrooks recorded his first double-double at ISU with 10 points
and 15 rebounds against the Dragons. Chris Fouch led all scorers
with 26 points and was one of four Drexel players in double figures.
Drexel jumped out to an 8-4 lead, thanks to a 4-for-7 effort from
the field over the first 4 1/2 minutes of action. The Dragons would
extend that lead to 14-9 by the second media timeout, before Lofton
connected from 3-point range to cut the lead to 14-12 with just over
11 minutes left in the first half.
The Redbirds would take the lead at 15-14 soon after, when Lee
nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner and John Jones added a pair
of free throws to cap off an 8-0 run for ISU. The lead would last
for a minute, until Tavon Allen tied the game at 17-17 with a
3-pointer. Drexel would take the lead at 19-17 on a layup by Frantz
Massenat just under a minute later.
Illinois State would rally back with a layup by Hunter and a pair
of free throws from Lofton to regain the lead at 21-19, after
Drexel’s Damion Lee was called for a technical foul. After Drexel
tied the game for the fourth time at 21-21, a tip-in by Nick
Zeisloft gave the Redbirds the lead at 23-21 with 5:19 remaining in
the first half. The lead would grow to 27-23 a minute later, when
Daishon Knight hit his first 3-pointer of the game. Drexel would end
the half on a 7-0 run, after a jumper by Allen and five straight
points from Chris Fouch, to take a 34-30 lead into the locker room
at halftime.
[to top of second column] |
The Dragons did not cool down after the break, starting the
second half on a 7-2 run to extend their lead to 41-32 a minute
and a half in. Illinois State would answer with a quick 5-0 run,
capped off by a jumper from Lee, to cut the lead to four points
at 41-37 at the 16:44 mark. Drexel then went on a 12-5 run to
widen the lead to 53-42, after Fouch connected from 3-point
range with just over 11 minutes left on the clock. The teams
traded baskets and Drexel maintained a double-digit lead until
Lee connected from 3-point range to cut into the Dragons’ lead
at 60-53 with 6:10 left in the game.
The lead stayed at seven points for Drexel at 64-57 after
Middlebrooks scored on a tip-in two minutes later, but the Dragons
made a 5-0 run to widen the lead back out to 12 points at 70-58 with
under two minutes left in the game. Four straight points from Hunter
in a 35-second stretch cut the lead to single digits again at 70-62.
Hunter added two free throws to cut it to six points at 70-64, but
that would be as close as the Redbirds would get, and Drexel held on
over the final minute for the win.
The Redbirds return to action Sunday, when they travel to
Evanston to face off against Big Ten Conference foe Northwestern.
Tipoff at Welsh-Ryan Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
___
ISU-Drexel box score (PDF)
ISU
game
notes (PDF)
[Text from
news release received from
Illinois State University] |
