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Men set
new Redbird Arena record, defeat IPFW
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[DEC. 7, 2005]
NORMAL -- Senior forward Neil Plank, who finished
with 10 points, led the Illinois State men's basketball team to a
win over IPFW Tuesday night, holding the Mastodons to just 36
points, a new Redbird Arena low.
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With the 65-36 win, the Redbirds improve to 5-1 on the season, their
best home start since 2000-01, with all five wins coming at Redbird
Arena. Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne falls to 2-5
on the year. Greg Dilligard's opening dunk set the tone in the
first half, as Illinois State went on to rattle off seven answered
points, not allowing an IPFW basket until the 15:33 mark. Following
a Dana Ford 3-pointer that put the 'Birds up 18-8, Plank and Eric
Vianney went on to drain consecutive 3-pointers to put ISU up 30-13
at the half.
The Redbirds held IPFW to 30 percent shooting in the first half,
as the visitors made only six of their 20 first-half attempts,
another Redbird Arena season low. Illinois State tallied 11 points
off 13 first-half turnovers by the Mastodons.
IPFW scored as many points in the first six minutes of the second
half as they did in all of the first period, cutting the Redbird
lead to nine at 35-26. The Mastodons notched three straight 3-point
buckets on the run. IPFW forward Justin Hawkins had two of those
three treys.
[to top of second column]
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 Another Dilligard dunk with 11:45 left in the game extended the
Illinois State lead to 43-29. Dilligard finished with eight points,
seven rebounds and two blocks, putting him in sole possession of
sixth place in school history with 75 career blocks. Vianney added
to the lead, putting the 'Birds up by 26 with two 3-pointers in the
final three minutes, finishing with a career-high nine points on the
night.
Illinois State shot 47.8 percent, including an impressive 57.1
percent from behind the 3-point line, completing eight of 14
attempts.
The Redbirds host the final game in their five-game homestand
Saturday, when the Eagles of Georgia Southern visit Redbird Arena
for a 7:05 p.m. matchup.
[Illinois
State University news release from Kristen E. Greenstreet,
media relations graduate assistant]
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