By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL – Behind a 20-point, seven-rebound, five-assist effort from Milik Yarbrough, the Illinois State Redbirds (6-6) were able to hold off a feisty UIC squad on Tuesday evening by a 71-70 final score.
PODCAST: Listen to post-game interviews with ISU Coach Dan Muller, student athlete William Tinsley:
How It Happened:
Illinois State jumped ahead quickly to a 4-2 lead, and led 7-6 before UIC pushed ahead, and led for nearly the rest of the first half. Trailing by four at 29-25, Illinois State scored the final eight points of the first half, turning the four point deficit into a four point advantage at the halftime break.
The Redbirds scored first coming out of the break at halftime to secure the 10-0 run, and led by six – tied for the largest margin by either team in the game. The Flames fought back, using an 11-1 run to take a four-point lead, four minutes into the second half. The lead changed hands eight times, and the second half saw six total tie scores in the back-and-forth battle. Illinois State trailed by three at 62-59 with 4:46 to play before the hosts ran off a 9-1 run to take the lead for good, and held on late for the one-point win.
Key Moment:
With 3:46 left in the game, Yarbrough was fouled while making a lay-in for the second consecutive possession, and the free throw gave the Redbirds a 64-62 lead, one they would not give up for the remainder of the game.
Inside the Box Score:
The team’s 12 steals are a new season-high for Illinois State.
Yarbrough scored a team-high 20 points, his third consecutive game with 20+ points. Yarbrough also led the team with five assists on the evening, while tying a career-high with two blocked shots.
Will Tinsley tied a career-high with 10 rebounds, and set a new career-high with four steals. He also scored seven points in 34 minutes of action.
Phil Fayne scored 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting, and he also pulled down six rebounds and blocked two shots.
Keyshawn Evans scored 13 points, while dishing out four assists.
The Redbirds had 13 assists against just seven turnovers, while forcing UIC into 20 turnovers, 12 of those coming as steals on the other end.
Stat of the Game:
49: The combined scoring totals of Yarbrough, Fayne, and Evans, just shy of what the trio had been averaging. Coming into the game, the three had a combined scoring average of 51.8, which was ninth-best in the country.
What’s Next
Illinois State opens up Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday, Dec. 23, when the squad travels to Evansville, Indiana, to take on the Aces of Evansville in a 1 p.m. tip-off.
