By Austin Duncan
NORMAL, Ill- The Illinois State Redbirds men’s basketball team never trailed en route to a 78-50 victory over Missouri Valley Conference rival Indiana State in front of 4,456 at Redbird Arena.
Illinois State started out hot connecting on five of its first six 3-pointers, propelling the Redbirds to an early 21-4 lead over the Sycamores.
Indiana State answered with a 7-0 run that was halted by Illinois State’s Paris Lee, who completed the three point play to expand ISU’s lead.
The Sycamore’s would get as close as 11 in the first half but Redbirds would lead by as many as 24 on a 3-pointer by Deontae Hawkins with 5:36 remaining in the half.
Illinois State led 44-23 at halftime credit to Lee’s layup with three seconds remaining.
The Redbirds’ Devaughn Akoon-Purcell scored the first points of the second half on a running jump shot at the 18:12 mark.
Indiana State’s Khristian Smith connected on a shot with 9:24 to play to cut the Redbird lead to 15. A 3-pointer by MiKyle McIntosh and a layup by Paris Lee would put the Redbirds back up by 20.
The Sycamores would not get closer than those 15 points.
With the game in control for Illinois State Dan Muller went to the end of his bench, and put in junior guard, walk-on, Javaka Thompson. Thompson collected the first points of his career with 2:34 to play to expand his team’s lead to 72-52.
In the second half Illinois State secured its largest lead of the season of 28 points.
Paris Lee led the Redbirds balanced scoring attack with a team-high 18 points. MiKyle McIntosh added 14 points, Devaughn Akoon-Purcell and Deontae Hawkins added 12 and 10 respectively. Every Redbird who was available to play entered the game and scored. Thompson finished with three points.
Quintin Brewer and Hawkins collected team-high eight rebounds while McIntosh and Nick Banyard added seven each.
The Redbirds shot 50-percent from the field while holding Indiana State to just 25-percent.
The Sycamores were led by Khristian Smith and Everett Clemons who scored 14 points. Clemons also finished with nine rebounds.
Indiana State won the first meeting between the two in Terre Haute.
Illinois State improves to 17-11 on the season and an 11-4 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Redbirds have won seven of its last eight, and hold a five-game winning streak. The Redbirds sit alone in second place in the MVC.
Indiana State falls to 13-14 on the season and 7-9 in conference play.
The Redbirds return to action Saturday as it travels to Northern Iowa, who is coming off a 59-56 loss at Loyola. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Listen to postgame comments from head coach Dan Muller here.
Listen to postgame comments from Tony Wills here.
