Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
NORMAL, Ill. -- Illinois State rode an early wave of hot shooting en route to a 78-50 victory over the visiting Indiana State Sycamores in front of 4,456 fans inside Redbird Arena.
The Sycamores dropped to 13-14, 7-8 MVC while Illinois State improved to 17-11, 11-4 MVC.
Khristian Smith reached double figures scoring for the Sycamores with 14 points and hit a pair of second half 3-pointers. Everett Clemons tied a career-high as he also scored 14 points. The Sycamores were limited to 7-of-31 shooting in the first half for a 22.6 percentage. Conversely, the Redbirds hit 18-of-32 (56.3 percent), including seven 3-pointers before the break. For the game, Indiana State was held to 16-of-63 from the field (25.4 percent).
Everett Clemons led the way for the Sycamores on the glass with nine boards. The Redbirds held a 46-35 edge on the glass.
The Redbirds scored the first five points of the game until Khristian Smith hit a long jumper just two minutes into the game to trim the Illinois State lead down to three points. The Redbirds stayed hot and scored the next eight points to race out to a 12-2 advantage with 16:18 on the clock as the Sycamores called timeout. Smith broke the string with a pair of charity tosses out of the break to get Indiana State within eight. The Redbirds continued their hot shooting and scored the next nine before Devonte Brown converted a pair of charity tosses at the 12:29 mark to trim the deficit to 21-6. Paige hit a jumper from the corner out of the second media timeout to get within 21-8.
An Everett Clemons jumper at the mid way point of the first half trimmed the lead down to 21-10, but the Redbirds had connected on six 3-pointers by the seven minute mark and led 29-10. Niels Bunschoten had a driving dunk with 4:30 remaining which got the Sycamores within 34-12. Brenton Scott then got on the board after an Illinois State turnover with a lay-up. Scott then added a second chance bucket on a foul line jumper as the clock ticked below the two minute mark which got the Sycamores within 38-18.
Bunschoten continued his solid opening half with a trifecta to make it a 5-0 run and cut the Illinois State lead down to 38-21. Scott converted a pair of charity tosses with 16.8 seconds on the clock to get within 42-23. Illinois State added a bucket with two seconds on the clock and they led 44-23 at the break. Scott paced the team with six points as the two teams went into the locker room.
Clemons scored first for the Sycamores after the half as he cashed in on a lay-up with 17:14 remaining which cut the Redbird lead back down to 21 points. Burnett drained a 3-pointer as the clock ticked under the 15 minute mark to get the Sycamores within 48-30. Smith added a 3-pointer just north of 13 minutes remaining which cut the deficit to 17 points at 50-33. Smith then came back with a dunk on the back door cut with 12:10 to go which made it 54-35 in favor of Illinois State.
Smith became the first Sycamore to reach double figures scoring with his second trifecta after halftime which further trimmed the lead down to 54-38 with 11:27 to go. He then continued his strong second half with a floater at the 9:15 mark which got the Sycamores within 55-40. MiKyle McIntosh then drained Illinois State's first 3-pointer of the second half for the 58-40 advantage.
Clemons became the second Sycamores to reach double figures scoring with a transition lay-up which cut the Redbird edge down to 70-44 with just under four minutes to go. Laquarious Paige added a steal and fast break lay-up in the final minute.
Paris Lee led the Redbirds with 18 points.
Indiana State returns home on Sunday, February 21 when they host Wichita State at 4 p.m. (ET).
