Redbirds move to 10-0 in MVC for first time in school history

Posted on January 29, 2017
Dan Muller cheers on his Birds as they are 10-0 in Valley Hoops for the first time in school history. (Photo: WJBC/File)
Dan Muller cheers on his Birds as they are 10-0 in Valley Hoops for the first time in school history. (Photo: WJBC/File)

By:WJBC Staff

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Illinois State led for all but 22 seconds in a 69-59 victory at Evansville to win 11-straight games and improve to 10-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference for the first time in program history Sunday afternoon at the Ford Center.

The Redbirds (18-4, 10-0 MVC) surpassed their previous program-best start to an MVC season, which was 9-0 before suffering a loss during the 1982-83 season. Illinois State also won its sixth-consecutive road game, which marked ISU’s longest single-season road winning streak since earning six-straight road victories during the 1960-61 campaign.

Phil Fayne recorded his first-career double-double to lead three Redbirds in double-figure scoring with 16 points plus 10 rebounds. Paris Lee added 15 points with three assists, and Deontae Hawkins and Keyshawn Evans each scored 11 points. Daouda “David” Ndiaye blocked a career-high six shots to aid ISU’s defensive effort. Jaylon Brown led Evansville (10-13, 1-9 MVC) with 17 points. Illinois State shot 22-for-45 (48.9 percent) from the field, while the Purple Aces shot 22-for-57 (38.6 percent).

After both teams started the game with 3-pointers, the Redbirds scored 11-straight points to take a 14-3 lead on a Fayne layup at the 11:18 mark. ISU held UE without a field goal from 19:00 until 12:55. Illinois State increased its lead to 20-6 with a Fayne dunk. The Purple Aces responded by manufacturing an 11-0 run – holding ISU without a field goal from 11:17 until 7:12 – which cut the Redbird advantage to 20-17 with 7:27 remaining. Fayne stopped the drought with a jumper which sparked an 8-3 run to push ISU ahead, 28-20.

An 8-1 Evansville run pulled UE within 29-28 at the 2:24 mark. DJ Clayton then scored four-straight points in the final two minutes, and Illinois State led, 33-30 at halftime. Fayne led all first-half scorers with nine points.

The Purple Aces started the second half with a 6-2 run to take their first and only lead of the game, 36-35, on a Brown layup at the 18:38 mark. However, Illinois State outscored Evansville, 13-2, over the next four minutes to build a 48-38 advantage with 14:13 remaining. Hawkins netted six-straight points during the scoring barrage before UE answered with a 6-2 run to pull within 50-44.

After ISU built a 55-46 lead, the Purple Aces scored five-straight to make it a 55-51 game. Tony Wills and Hawkins then made back-to-back 3-pointers on the other end to extend Illinois State’s advantage to 61-51 with 4:55 remaining. UE outscored ISU, 8-4, over the next 2:43 to pull within 65-59 at the 1:11 mark. But, that was as close as Evansville got, as Clayton and Lee each went 2-for-2 at the free throw line in the final minute to secure the victory and the regular-season series sweep over the Purple Aces.

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