McLean County Times

Illinois State University Redbirds began the new year with a victory over Murray State Racers, winning 74-68. The Redbirds maintained their lead throughout the game, with Malachi Poindexter, Johnny Kinziger, and Caden Boser each scoring 17 points.

Boser achieved his points by shooting 7-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Kinziger made six of his eleven shots and matched a game-high with four assists. Poindexter contributed by hitting five of nine shots and all five free throws.

Ty Pence matched his career-high in rebounds with eight while adding seven points to the scoreboard. Jordan Davis set a personal record with two blocked shots during the match.

The Redbirds will next face Southern Illinois Salukis at CEFCU Arena on January 5 at 3 p.m.

ISU opened the game strongly with Dalton Banks scoring first, followed by one of Boser's three successful three-pointers. Their advantage grew to double digits within five minutes, peaking at a 15-point lead before halftime when they led 33-25.

In the second half, ISU's lead extended to as many as 13 points thanks to Cameron Barnes' lay-up. Although Murray State reduced their deficit to just one point multiple times, ISU consistently responded and sealed their win through effective free throw shooting towards the end.

ISU successfully shot 53.1 percent from the field and hit eight out of twenty attempts from long range. They also excelled in free throws, making fourteen out of sixteen tries. Conversely, Murray State was held to shooting 41.7 percent from the field and made only eight out of twenty-three attempts from beyond the arc.

JaCobi Wood led Murray State scorers with a game-high of 21 points, followed by Kylen Milton with eighteen points and AJ Ferguson contributing fifteen. Milton also secured eight rebounds for his team while Wood provided four assists.