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The 42-point win marked the largest margin of victory for ISU,
since it defeated Chicago State by 44 points during the 2011-12
season. The Redbird defense forced 22 turnovers, which the
offense turned into 30 points on the scoreboard, and ISU added
50 points in the paint against the Hawks.
McCloud was 5-for-6 from the field on the night, with all of his
shots coming from three-point range, to lead five Redbirds in
double-figures with his 18 points. Daishon Knight added 16
points, Bobby Hunter chipped in 14, John Jones finished with 12
points and seven rebounds and MiKyle McIntosh recorded 10 points
and seven boards for the Redbirds.
With the game tied at 4-4 early, the Redbirds ripped off a quick
11-0 run capped off on a pair of Hunter three-pointers, to give
the Redbirds a 15-4 advantage five minutes into the contest. The
Hawks cut the Redbird lead back to single digits at 21-13,
before the Redbirds went on a 16-0 run over the next 2:37 to
take a 24-point lead at 37-13 with 8:29 left in the first half
of play. McCloud sparked the run with a trio of three-point
baskets for the Redbirds, who began the game 5-for-9 from beyond
the arc.
The shooting barrage continued for the Redbirds, who widened the
lead out to 28 points at 47-19 on a jumper by Paris Lee. A
jumper in the lane by McIntosh extended the ISU lead to 30
points at 51-21 with 2:32 left in the half. ISU tacked on eight
more points during the rest of the half to take a 59-23 lead at
the break. The 59 points scored by the Redbirds were the most in
Redbird Arena history in the first half of play. ISU shot a
blistering 69.7 percent from the field (23-for-33) and shot 50
percent from three-point range (5-for-10).
ISU maintained its offensive outburst in the second half,
extending the lead to as many as 47 points at 73-26 at the 16:25
mark after a tip-in by Knight. McCloud later connected on his
fourth three-pointer of the game to set a career-high and make
the score 76-34 with just over 13 minutes remaining in the game.
McCloud’s fifth three-point basket of the game with just over
two minutes remaining in the half gave the Redbirds a 97-54 lead
and ISU ran out the clock on the final possession to come away
with the 42-point victory over the Hawks.
Illinois State will open Missouri Valley Conference action
Wednesday on New Year’s Eve against Indiana State, with tipoff
set for 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Comcast
SportsNet Chicago and streamed live on ESPN3.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics,
tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird
merchandise, photos and more.
[Michael Williams, Illinois State
University]
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