 Illinois State shot 51 percent from the floor, including 12-of-23
shooting from beyond the 3-point arc in the win. The Redbirds added
11 assists on 24 baskets, forced 14 turnovers and tied a season high
with eight blocks. Hunter and Zeisloft paced four Redbirds in double
figures, with Reggie Lynch and Zach Lofton each adding 10 points.
Drake was limited to just 34 percent shooting, including 5 of 21
from 3-point range. Trevor Berkeley led the Bulldogs with 13 points
and Chris Caird added 10, while Jacob Enevold secured 11 rebounds.
Richard Carter, who came into the game averaging over 17 points per
game, finished with five points on just 1-of-6 shooting.
There were five lead changes in the opening five minutes of the
first half. Drake opened the game on a 4-0 run, before Daishon
Knight fed Jamaal Samuel for a layup to put Illinois State on the
board and Zeisloft hit a 3-pointer to put Illinois State on top 5-4.
Following a Drake basket, Hunter's pull-up jumper for 3 extended the
Illinois State advantage to two at 8-6. Both teams exchanged
baskets, with Lynch and Hunter building the Illinois State lead to
12-9.
Aaron Hawley's 3 out of a media timeout tied the game at 12 with
14 minutes to go in the opening half, but Lynch banked a layup to
put Illinois State back on top. The Redbirds would not trail again
the rest of the way. On the ensuing possession, Lynch blocked Seth
VanDeest, which set up a Hunter four-point play. Hunter was fouled
while making a 3 and made the free throw to give Illinois State an
18-12 advantage. The block from Lynch was the 53rd of his freshman
season, giving the Edina, Minn., native sole possession of first
place in Illinois State history for most blocks by a freshman.
[to top of second column] |
Following a Jordan Daniels 3-point basket, Illinois State went on
a 7-0 run, scoring on a pair of layups from Lynch and a 3-pointer
from Zeisloft to lead 32-21. Drake responded with an 8-2 run,
scoring on baskets from Caird, Enevold and Berkeley, making it 34-29
Illinois State with 3:21 to go in the first half. Zeisloft added a 3
before the break to send Illinois State into halftime leading 43-35.
Illinois State stormed out of the half on a 6-0 run, capped by a
Zeisloft 3-point basket. It built the ISU advantage to 49-35 and
forced a Drake timeout. It took more than five minutes for Drake to
get on the scoreboard, finally tallying a point on Berkeley's free
throw at the 14:30 mark of the second half. Lofton drained a 3-point
basket on Illinois State's next possession, stretching the Redbird
advantage to 52-37. After a pair of Drake free throws, Zeisloft made
a 3-pointer, giving him 15 points, a new career-best.
Drake tallied its first field goal of the second half at the
10:37 mark on a Berkeley lay-in. After Lofton made a pair of free
throws, Blake Danielak hit a 3-point basket, making it 59-45
Illinois State at the midway point of the second half. The Redbirds
then went on an 11-3 run, highlighted by Lee's 3-point basket,
making it 70-48 Redbirds. On the scoring drive, Hunter made a
3-point basket, giving the Reno, Nev., native a new career-high for
points in a game.
Aaron Hawley's 10-footer snapped a 13-3 Illinois State run, but
Knight answered with a 3-point basket, making it 72-51 Illinois
State with five minutes left.
Illinois State continues its two-game Valley homestand Wednesday,
when the Redbirds host Northern Iowa. Tipoff is slated for 7:05 p.m.
at Redbird Arena.
[Text from
news release received from
Illinois State University] |
