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 The Redbirds (10-7, 2-3 MVC) overcame a 10-point deficit with
8:23 left in regulation by manufacturing a 15-1 run to take a 56-52
lead at the 4:15 mark.
After Indiana State (9-8, 5-0 MVC) forced overtime, Daishon Knight
netted a jumper which pushed Illinois State ahead, 70-69, with 21
seconds remaining. Despite a near-steal by Paris Lee, Bennett
managed to score the game-winner, and Indiana State remained
undefeated in league play.
Knight scored a game-high 21 points, including seven of the
Redbirds’ eight points in overtime. He was joined in double figures
by DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell who tallied all 11 of his points in the
second half. Jake Kitchell led three Sycamores in double figures
with 15 points plus seven rebounds.
Illinois State combined to shoot 36.5 percent from the field, and
Indiana State shot 38.3 percent. The Redbirds once again owned the
game’s rebounding advantage, 46-28.
 In a back-and-forth first half which saw 11 lead changes and four
ties, Illinois State used a 9-3 run, sparked by a Reggie Lynch dunk
at the 8:24 mark, to take a 28-25 advantage on a pair of Knight free
throws with 4:01 left to play. Indiana State scored the final four
points of the opening stanza to earn a 31-30 halftime advantage.
The Redbirds trailed at intermission for just the third time this
season, and Illinois State shot 40.0 percent from the field compared
to 41.7 percent by the Sycamores.
Indiana State’s Justin Gant netted the Sycamores’ first two points
of the second half, extending their lead to 33-30. However, Illinois
State responded with six-straight points to take a 36-33 advantage
on two Lee free throws.
The Sycamores answered with a 15-2 run from 13:06 until 8:23, as a
Brenton Scott 3-pointer pushed Indiana State ahead, 51-41. The
Redbirds then netted seven-unanswered to trim Indiana State’s lead
to 51-48 on a Knight 3-pointer from the corner.
[to top of second column] |
An Akoon-Purcell 3-pointer pulled Illinois State within 52-51. He
then netted a fastbreak layup to propel the Redbirds ahead, 53-52.
Bobby Hunter extended that advantage with another 3-pointer as the
Redbirds used a 15-1 run to build a 56-52 lead. A 5-0 Sycamore run
allowed Indiana State to regain a one-point advantage at the 2:56
mark. With the game tied, 60-60, the two teams exchanged free throws
to send the game into overtime, tied at 62 apiece.
Illinois State and Indiana State again found themselves knotted up,
67-67, with 41 seconds to play in overtime, as Knight scored a layup
despite being fouled. He then converted the three-point play to lift
the Redbirds ahead by one.
Khristian Smith responded with a jumper at the 29-second mark, and
Knight answered by netting a jumper with 21 seconds remaining.
Indiana State then had the ball, trailing, 70-69, and a near-steal
by Lee forced the Sycamores to call a timeout at the nine-second
mark. The Redbird defense nearly forced another turnover in the
final seconds, but Indiana State held on, and Bennett managed to
score the game-winning layup.
Illinois State finished the contest with Akoon-Purcell, Lynch and
MiKyle McIntosh on the bench after each fouling out.
Following two-straight road contests, Illinois State returns to Doug
Collins Court at Redbird Arena to host I-74 Rival Bradley Saturday
at 4 p.m. for this year’s Retro Game. Tickets are still available by
navigating to GoRedbirds.com or by visiting or calling the Illinois
State Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 438-8000.
The 12th-annual Taste of Redbirds will take place from 1:30 until
3:30 p.m. inside Horton Field House prior to Saturday afternoon’s
game. Details are available on GoRedbirds.com.
[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. |
