By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL, Ill. – Three players – Elijah Clarance, William Tinsley, and Daouda N’Diaye – each recorded new career-highs with 15, 14, and 13 points, each, as the Illinois State Redbirds used overtime to topple the Southern Illinois Salukis by a 76-68 final score on Thursday evening.
How It Happened
Southern Illinois scored the first seven points of the game – the Salukis’ largest margin in the contest. The Redbirds fought back, and followed with a 21-6 run to push ahead by eight, halfway through the opening 20 minutes of action. Illinois States’ margin reached as high as 9 in the half following a lay-in by Clarance, and led by seven with 3:22 to play in the period before SIU closed the opening half on a 7-2 run, with the Redbirds taking a 38-36 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Redbirds increased their lead back to nine points with 12:19 to play after a pair of free throws from Clarance; however, the visitors chipped away at the Illinois State advantage, and eventually took a three-point, 59-56 lead with 4:48 to play in the game. The lead remained at three until Taylor Bruninga converted on an old-fashioned three-point play with 35 seconds left to tie the game at 64. The Redbirds forced a shot clock violation on Southern Illinois’ next possession, but could not get anything offensively on their try with 4.8 seconds left, sending the game to overtime.
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In the fourth overtime game this season for Illinois State, the Redbirds never trailed, as the team got a free throw from N’Diaye with four minutes to play, and a three-pointer from Matt Hein 44 seconds later to stretch the lead to four at 68-64. A Saluki lay-in closed the gap back to as few as two; however, the hosts ran off four straight points on a free throw from Clarance and three free tries from Hein to push ahead by six, and two free throws late in the game from Clarance sealed the game’s 76-68 final score.
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Key Moment
With 35 seconds left in regulation and trailing by three, Bruninga made a lay-in and made the ensuing free throw to tie the score and send the game to an extra period.
Inside the Box Score
- The Illinois State bench out-scored Southern Illinois’ 38-9 in the game, with two players (Clarance and Tinsley) scoring in double-figures, and another (Bruninga) scored nine points.
- Clarance scored a career-high 15 points, making 3-of-8 shots from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line. He also set career-highs with four assists and four rebounds.
- Tinsley made a career-high four three-point field goals (on seven tries) and 5-of-8 overall from the field for his career-high 14 points.
- N’Diaye scored 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line. He also pulled down eight rebounds and blocked three shots over 39 minutes of action.
- Milik Yarbrough scored 11 points and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. He also dished out a team-high five assists with a steal.
- Hein scored nine points on 2-of-5 shooting from long range with 3-of-3 from the free throw line.
- Bruninga scored nine points, making 2-of-4 from long range, and 3-of-6 overall with three rebounds.
- Illinois State out-rebounded Southern Illinois 46-to-31, as the +15 margin tied a season-high for the Redbirds.
- With the win, Illinois State moves into a two-way tie for second place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.
Stat of the Game
10: Illinois State has had 10 different players reach double-figures in a game this season. Only 14 programs across the country have more players that have scored in double-figures during the season.
What’s Next
Illinois State travels to Valparaiso, Indiana, to face off against the Crusaders on Sunday, February 11 in a 3 p.m. tip-off on ESPNU.
