Murray State Shoots Past Redbirds on the Road

[December 22, 2014]  MURRAY, KY. – In a game that featured 12 lead changes, Daishon Knight’s 26-point performance was not enough, as Illinois State fell to Murray State, 89-77, Saturday afternoon at CFSB Center.

The Redbirds (6-4) suffered their first road loss of the season, and Murray State (8-4) snapped ISU’s three-game winning streak. Illinois State shot 41.3 percent from the field, but the Racers shot 57.4 percent. ISU was outrebounded for the first time this year, with Murray State earning a 35-30 advantage on the glass.

Knight matched a career high with his 26 points on 8-for-20 shooting. Teammate Tony Wills contributed a career-best 14 points on 5-for-5 shooting, going 1-for-1 from beyond the arc and 3-for-3 at the free throw line. Bobby Hunter and Paris Lee rounded out four Redbirds in double-figures with 10 points each.

In a first half that included 11 lead changes and five ties, Murray State led by as many as six points with 8:55 remaining in the opening stanza. Later, with MSU leading, 35-33, at the 2:23 mark, Knight drained a 3-pointer which sparked a 9-2 Redbird run. Knight scored all nine of ISU’s points during the stretch, including two 3-pointers and a three-point play to push ISU ahead at halftime, 42-37.

Knight led all first-half scorers with 16 points, while John Jones netted a season-high, with all eight of his points in the first half.

Murray State started the second half on a 14-4 run to take a 51-46 lead. Lee stopped the streak by converting a three-point play which pulled ISU within 51-49. After the Racers later established an eight-point advantage, a Justin McCloud 3-pointer followed by a Wills three-point play trimmed Murray State’s lead to 63-59 with 9:20 remaining.

However, the Racers went on to establish a double-digit advantage at the 2:21 mark, which they did not relinquish. Led by Jarvis Williams’ 21 points, Murray State featured four players in double-figures, including two with 20 or more.

After playing three out of their last four games on the road, Illinois State returns to Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena to begin a three-game homestand, starting with a non-conference matchup against IPFW Monday at 6 p.m. Tickets are available by visiting or calling the Illinois State Athletics Ticket Office at [phone], or by ordering them 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.