Redbirds tie for second in MVC after falling at Wichita State

Posted on February 28, 2016
Redbirds
The Redbirds fell to Wichita State Saturday afternoon. (WJBC File Photo)

By ISU Sports Information

WICHITA, Kan. – Illinois State ended the regular season tied with Evansville for second place in the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball standings after dropping its regular-season finale at Wichita State, 74-58, Saturday afternoon at Charles Koch Arena, signifying ISU’s highest league finish since also earning second in 2007-08.

With Illinois State (18-13 overall) and Evansville both recording 12-6 MVC records and splitting the regular-season series against one another, the Redbirds’ seeding in next week’s Valley Tournament will be determined by Jim Sukup’s Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report released Sunday (Feb. 28) morning. The team with a higher RPI will receive the No. 2 seed, and the team with a lower RPI will earn the No. 3 seed. Evansville entered Saturday with an RPI of 81 and Illinois State had an RPI of 105. Wichita State (23-7, 16-2 MVC) had already clinched the MVC regular-season championship and the Valley tournament’s No. 1 seed.

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell led Illinois State with 15 points Saturday, including 12 in the second half. Meanwhile, MiKyle McIntosh scored 14 points, and Deontae Hawkins totaled eight points with a team-best seven rebounds. The Redbirds shot 19-for-50 (38 percent) from the field, and Wichita State shot 26-for-63 (41.3 percent). WSU outrebounded ISU, 40-33, and the Shockers forced 17 turnovers compared to six of their own.

Illinois State started the game with 3-pointers by Tony Wills and Hawkins to build a 6-3 lead. The Redbirds went on to make five of their first six trifectas en route to a 15-12 advantage on a McIntosh 3-pointer at the 14:55 mark. Wichita State answered by scoring eight-straight to take a 20-15 lead; however, ISU responded with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 20 points apiece. The Shockers then manufactured a 23-4 run over the next 7:11 to take a 43-24 lead on a Markis McDuffie jumper at the 2:57 mark. McIntosh’s layup with 2:04 remaining broke ISU’s four-and-a-half-minute scoring drought, and the Shockers led, 46-28, at halftime.

ISU started the second half with an 8-2 run to pull within 48-36 on a McIntosh 3-pointer at the 16:44 mark. ISU cut its deficit to 51-40 on a weaving Akoon-Purcell layup. Another Akoon-Purcell layup made the score, 54-42, with 12:45 remaining. But, that’s as close as the Redbirds could get, as Wichita State answered with a 15-2 run to take a 69-44 advantage on its way to the 74-58 victory.

With the regular season complete, Illinois State now readies for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, beginning for the Redbirds Friday, March 4 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Based on Sunday’s RPI tiebreaker, ISU will either play at 6 p.m. as the No. 2 seed or at 8:30 p.m. as the No. 3 seed.

All-session tournament tickets for all nine Valley Tournament games are on sale now for $155. The tickets can be purchased by visiting the ISU Athletics ticket office in Redbird Arena, or secured online via GoRedbirds.com/Tickets. Fans can also buy tickets over the phone by calling (309) 438-8000.

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…