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 Northern Iowa (23-2, 12-1 MVC) shot 53.7 percent from the field,
and Illinois State (15-10, 7-6 MVC) finished with a 41.4 percent
shooting clip. The Redbirds outrebounded UNI, 33-30, marking ISU’s
seventh-consecutive game in which Illinois State earned the
rebounding edge, a feat ISU last accomplished in 2008-09.
Daishon Knight led Illinois State with 16 points on 7-for-15
shooting, and Deontae Hawkins collected a game-high 11 rebounds.
Paris Lee also set the ISU single-season steals record, earning his
third steal of the game and 62nd of the season at the 12:41 mark.
Lee passed the previous record of 61, established by Todd Starks in
1986-87.
Tuttle scored a game-high 23 points for Northern Iowa while also
earning five rebounds and five assists.
After Knight started the game by netting a 3-pointer, UNI scored
eight-unanswered to take an 8-3 advantage. ISU then tied the game,
10-10, on another 3-pointer by Knight, with 16:10 remaining. The
Redbirds again tied the game, 13-13, on a MiKyle McIntosh
three-point play.
However, UNI responded, taking a 26-15 lead following a 10-3 run.
The Panthers extended their advantage to 39-22 at the 4:01 mark by
netting seven-unanswered points. Illinois State pulled within 48-33
on a Hawkins 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining in the first half,
but Tuttle scored a jumper at the 26-second mark, extending UNI’s
halftime advantage to 50-33.
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Illinois State cut its deficit to 54-41 following a 6-2 run,
including two Knight layups and one Knight jumper. UNI answered with
a 6-3 run to reestablish a 16-point lead. Lee broke the ISU
single-season steals record, forcing Wyatt Lohaus to turn the ball
over at midcourt with 12:41 remaining. Lee then scored a 3-pointer
immediately following the steal, trimming UNI's lead to 67-48.
A 3-pointer by Bobby Hunter capped a 7-2 Redbird run, pulling
Illinois State within, 76-58, at the 7:22 mark. UNI proceeded to
build and maintain a 20-plus point advantage for the final six
minutes, until DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell hit a 3-pointer with 35
seconds left, making the final score, 83-64.
Next up, the Redbirds face their second-consecutive
nationally-ranked opponent when Illinois State hosts No. 13 Wichita
State, Saturday at 5 p.m. on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
Tickets are still available on GoRedbirds.com, or by visiting or
calling the ISU Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 438-8000.
[John Twork, Illinois State
University]
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source
for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund
gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
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