The Redbirds picked up their eighth win over the season with a 99-57 win over Quincy. (goredbirds.com)
By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL, Ill. – A career-high 18 points from Justin McCloud led a balanced and potent Illinois State offensive attack Monday night against Quincy, as the Redbirds (8-4) shot 60.9 percent from the field in a 99-57 win over the Hawks (6-6) in front of 4,093 fans at Redbird Arena.
The 42-point win marked the largest margin of victory for ISU, since it defeated Chicago State by 44 points during the 2011-12 season. The Redbird defense forced 22 turnovers, which the offense turned into 30 points on the scoreboard, and ISU added 50 points in the paint against the Hawks.
McCloud was 5-for-6 from the field on the night, with all of his shots coming from three-point range, to lead five Redbirds in double-figures with his 18 points. Daishon Knight added 16 points, Bobby Hunter chipped in 14, John Jones finished with 12 points and seven rebounds and MiKyle McIntosh recorded 10 points and seven boards for the Redbirds.
With the game tied at 4-4 early, the Redbirds ripped off a quick 11-0 run capped off on a pair of Hunter three-pointers, to give the Redbirds a 15-4 advantage five minutes into the contest. The Hawks cut the Redbird lead back to single digits at 21-13, before the Redbirds went on a 16-0 run over the next 2:37 to take a 24-point lead at 37-13 with 8:29 left in the first half of play. McCloud sparked the run with a trio of three-point baskets for the Redbirds, who began the game 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.
The shooting barrage continued for the Redbirds, who widened the lead out to 28 points at 47-19 on a jumper by Paris Lee. A jumper in the lane by McIntosh extended the ISU lead to 30 points at 51-21 with 2:32 left in the half. ISU tacked on eight more points during the rest of the half to take a 59-23 lead at the break. The 59 points scored by the Redbirds were the most in Redbird Arena history in the first half of play. ISU shot a blistering 69.7 percent from the field (23-for-33) and shot 50 percent from three-point range (5-for-10).
ISU maintained its offensive outburst in the second half, extending the lead to as many as 47 points at 73-26 at the 16:25 mark after a tip-in by Knight. McCloud later connected on his fourth three-pointer of the game to set a career-high and make the score 76-34 with just over 13 minutes remaining in the game. McCloud’s fifth three-point basket of the game with just over two minutes remaining in the half gave the Redbirds a 97-54 lead and ISU ran out the clock on the final possession to come away with the 42-point victory over the Hawks.
Illinois State will open Missouri Valley Conference action Wednesday on New Year’s Eve against Indiana State, with tipoff set for 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Comcast SportsNet Chicago and streamed live on ESPN3.
Interviews with John Jones and head coach Dan Muller can be found here.
