By WJBC Staff
NORMAL – Deontae Hawkins sank two free throws with 3.9 seconds remaining and a desperation three-point attempt from Loyola Chicago’s Ben Richardson rimmed out at the buzzer as the Illinois State men’s basketball team survived a scare from the visiting Ramblers Sunday at Redbird Arena. Illinois State won by a 65-63 score to extend its Redbird Arena winning streak to 20 games.
Hawkins paced the Redbirds with a double-double, as his 16 points and 11 rebounds both led the team. MiKyle McIntosh added 13 points. Paris Lee and Tony Wills chipped in nine points each, and Lee led all players with nine assists.
Illinois State (23-5, 15-1 MVC) shot 47.2 percent from the field (25-of-53), 36.4 percent from behind the three-point line (8-of-22) and 70 percent (7-of-10) from the foul line. Loyola (17-12, 7-9) shot 40.7 percent from the field (22-of-54), 30 percent (6-of-20) from beyond the arc and 76.5 percent (13-of-17) from the charity stripe.
PODCAST: Listen here to the post-game interview with Redbird coach Dan Muller.
PODCAST: Listen here to the post-game interview with Redbird Phil Fayne.
Hawkins scored Illinois State’s first six points to build a 6-2 Redbird advantage. A Daouda “David” Ndiaye jumper pushed ISU ahead, 8-2, before Loyola responded with a 9-4 run to pull within 12-11 at the 11:49 mark. McIntosh stopped the run by netting two free throws.
The teams then exchanged baskets until Wills hit back-to-back 3-pointers to lift Illinois State ahead, 22-16, at the 8:53 mark. Loyola proceeded to tie the game, 22-22, before the Redbirds scored eight-unanswered points to build a 30-22 lead with four minutes left in the first half. The teams once again exchanged baskets for the next three minutes, and a pair of McIntosh free throws with two seconds remaining secured a 38-31 Illinois State halftime advantage.
The Redbirds started the second half with a 6-2 run, capped by an Ndiaye alley-oop dunk from Lee to build a 44-33 lead at the 16:11 mark. Loyola responded by manufacturing a 5-0 run to pull within 44-38. However, Illinois State answered with a 7-2 run, capped by a Lee 3-pointer, to give ISU a 51-40 advantage with 10:17 remaining.
The Ramblers then outscored ISU, 15-4, over the next four minutes to tie the game, 55-55, on a Milton Doyle layup at the 5:48 mark. After McIntosh netted a jumper, Donte Ingram netted a 3-pointer to give Loyola its first lead of the game, 58-57, with 4:53 to play. McIntosh quickly regained ISU’s lead by scoring back-to-back 3-pointers, but a 5-0 Loyola run tied the game 63-63.
Loyola’s Clayton Custer missed a three-point attempt with 36 seconds remaining and Lee collected the rebound. On the Redbirds’ ensuing possession, Hawkins got the ball in the paint and was fouled with just under four seconds remaining. After his two makes, Loyola had to resort to Richardson’s three-point heave from just past midcourt.
With two regular-season games remaining, the Redbirds return to Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena for a Senior Day showdown versus Southern Illinois Wednesday at 6 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to watch on-court Senior Day recognition beginning at approximately 5:45 p.m.
