Redbird men’s basketball struggles in final minutes to fall to Southern Illinois

Posted on January 13, 2018
Illinois State’s Keyshawn Evans scored 11 points in the 74-70 loss. (Photo courtesy GoRedbirds.com)

By ISU Sports Information

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois used a 20-2 run to turn a 14-point second-half Illinois State lead into a four-point Saluki advantage, and the hosts never trailed after taking the lead in the four-point, 74-70 SIU win.

How It Happened

Illinois State jumped ahead by 13 at 19-6 early in the game, and never trailed in the opening half. The host Salukis fought back, and eventually closed to within as few as six, including at the halftime horn, with the Redbirds taking a 30-27 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The second half began with Illinois State pushing its lead to double-digits eight minutes into the second stanza on a Keyshawn Evans three-point basket, and the second-half lead grew to as many as 14 at 61-47 following a Milik Yarbrough dunk. Southern Illinois started chipping away at the deficit, and scored nine straight points to climb to within five before Phil Fayne stopped the run with a dunk with 5:19 to play. After its 9-0 run was snapped, Southern Illinois followed with an 11-0 run to take a four-point lead with 2:56 to play in the game. Illinois State climbed back within one, but could not get any closer in the four-point loss.

Key Moment

Fayne’s dunk with 5:19 to play snapped a Southern Illinois 9-0 run, and gave the junior his 20th point of the contest.

Inside the Box Score

  • Fayne made 11-of-12 shots from the field, scoring 24 points with 10 rebounds and a career-high four assists.
  • Evans scored 11 points, making 4-of-6 from the field and 3-of-5 from long range in 30 minutes of action
  • Yarbrough scored six points with a team-high five assists while adding five rebounds.
  • Matt Hein hit 3-of-5 from long range, scoring nine points.
  • Illinois State and Southern Illinois each had 27 rebounds.
  • The Redbirds led for 34:56 of game-play time, and didn’t surrender its lead until 3:20 to play in the contest.

Stat of the Game

.569: Illinois State made 29-of-51 shots in the game, for its second-highest field goal percentage of the season.

What’s Next
The Redbirds return home on Wednesday, Jan. 17 when the squad hosts the Bradley Braves in a 6 p.m. tip-off at Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.

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