Redbirds Top Drake, Secure First MVC Win of 2014-15

[January 08, 2015]  NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State men’s basketball team snapped a two-game skid and won its first Missouri Valley Conference game of the season Wednesday as the Redbirds downed visiting Drake, 81-45, at Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.

Illinois State (9-6, 1-2 MVC) used a pair of first-half runs to build an early lead and maintained a comfortable advantage throughout the second half. Daishon Knight led the Redbirds with a game-high 15 points, while Tony Wills and Paris Lee joined him in double figures, with 10 and 12 points, respectively.

Nine Redbirds scored six points or more, including Mark Hall, who tallied a career-high six points. MiKyle McIntosh scored eight points and added a game-high nine rebounds. Will Ransom chipped in six points and a career-high seven rebounds, while Wills dished out a career-high six assists to lead all players Wednesday.

Drake (3-12, 0-3 MVC) took a four-point lead at 8-4 after the lead changed hands twice early in the game, but Illinois State used a 12-0 run early in the half to take control. The run featured six points from Wills as the Redbirds kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard for over four minutes, building a 16-8 lead just under six minutes into the game.

Illinois State continued to increase its lead, using a 13-0 binge starting just under the 11-minute mark. The run started with baskets from Wills and John Jones. Lee followed with a 3-pointer before Justin McCloud canned a pair of threes on back-to-back possessions. Drake endured a scoring drought of nearly seven minutes during Illinois State’s run.

A 3-pointer from Knight with just over a minute to play gave the Redbirds a 22-point lead. Lee answered a Drake basket with a layup with three seconds remaining in the half, giving the Redbirds a 45-23 halftime advantage.

The Redbirds shot 61.5 percent (16-of-26) from the field and 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from beyond the three-point line in the first half. They shot 87.5 percent (7-of-8) from the foul line.

After some even play early in the second half, the Redbirds built a commanding lead thanks to a 24-2 run that gave the Redbirds a 44-point lead at 75-31. Seven Redbirds scored during the stretch, which spanned more than eight minutes.

The 44-point lead was the Redbirds’ largest against a Division I opponent this season.

Illinois State finished the game shooting 56.6 percent (30-of-53) from the field, 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from the arc and 66.7 percent (12-of-18) from the charity stripe.

The Redbirds return to action Sunday when they travel to Springfield, Missouri, for an MVC clash with Missouri State. The 2 p.m. contest will be broadcast live on ESPN3.

[Matt Wing, Illinois State University]

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