By ISU Sports Information
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – For the first time since 1998 and the sixth time in Illinois State men’s basketball history, the Redbirds are Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champions. ISU beat Northern Iowa, 63-42, Saturday afternoon at the McLeod Center to secure a share of the title.
The Redbirds concluded the regular season with records of 25-5 overall and 17-1 in the MVC to clinch Illinois State’s most-ever regular-season and conference victories, surpassing previous program bests of 24 regular-season wins and 16 league triumphs. Saturday’s victory also marked the program’s 1,600th overall and the team’s first at Northern Iowa since 2004.
Ahead by five points over UNI at halftime, Illinois State saw its lead diminish to four points with 9:42 remaining. However, Keyshawn Evans stopped an 8-2 Northern Iowa run by burying a 3-pointer which sparked a 21-4 Redbird run to seal the MVC title-clinching victory. Evans finished the game with 14 points on 4-for-6 three-point shooting. MiKyle McIntosh scored 15 points to lead ISU offensively, while Paris Lee collected a game-high eight rebounds, netted 14 points, dished four assists and forced two steals.
On Northern Iowa’s Senior Day, senior Jordan Ashton led UNI with 13 points. The Redbirds shot 25-for-46 (54.3 percent) from the field and held the Panthers to 16-for-45 (35.6 percent). Illinois State outrebounded Northern Iowa, 32-24, and ISU recorded more steals and assists, and fewer turnovers, than UNI.
Northern Iowa jumped out to a 10-4 advantage before Evans drained a 3-pointer followed by four-straight McIntosh points to lift Illinois State ahead, 11-10, on a fastbreak, one-handed McIntosh dunk at the 14:41 mark. The teams proceeded to exchange baskets for the next four minutes before the Redbirds went on a 10-3 run and increased their advantage to 23-17 on a McIntosh 3-pointer with 6:26 remaining.
Back-to-back UNI 3-pointers then tied the game, 23-23. Illinois State responded by ending the half with a 7-2 run, as Evans netted a last-second trifecta to give ISU a 30-25 halftime advantage. McIntosh led all first-half scorers with 11 points, on 5-for-6 shooting. The Redbirds shot 12-for-26 (46.2 percent) from the field, while the Panthers shot 10-for-25 (40.0 percent).
Illinois State opened the second half with a 6-2 run – including four points by Phil Fayne – to take a 36-27 lead at the 17:19 mark. After Northern Iowa pulled within six points, Lee netted a 3-pointer and DJ Clayton made a free throw which pushed ISU ahead by 10 points, 40-30, with 13:05 remaining. Northern Iowa responded by manufacturing an 8-2 run to cut the Redbird advantage to 42-38 on a Hunter Rhodes 3-pointer at the 9:42 mark.
Evans stopped the run by burying a 3-pointer from the left wing which sparked a 21-4 run and included eight points by Evans, as Illinois State took a 63-42 lead – which proved to be the final score – on a deep Deontae Hawkins trifecta.
The Redbirds share the 2016-17 Missouri Valley Conference title with Wichita State, after the Shockers also finished 17-1 in the MVC. However, Illinois State will likely earn the No. 1 seed in the State Farm MVC Tournament. ISU and WSU split the regular-season series, which forces overall RPI to break the tie for tournament seeding purposes. Saturday, Illinois State’s RPI was 33 and Wichita State’s RPI was 42. Sunday morning’s RPI will be utilized by the league office to officially break any ties not settled by head-to-head results.
With the regular season complete, Illinois State now prepares for Arch Madness, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. ISU begins play in the MVC Tournament quarterfinal round Friday. The No. 1 seed plays Friday, March 3 at 12 p.m. versus the winner of the No. 8 seed versus No. 9 seed game.
All-session tickets to the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament are on sale now through the Illinois State Athletics ticket office by either calling (309) 438-8000, or by visiting GoRedbirds.com/Tickets. Details about ISU at the MVC Tournament can be found at GoRedbirds.com/ArchMadness.
