McLean County Times

A thrilling finish saw Chase Walker secure a victory for the Illinois State Redbirds over the Missouri State Bears with a decisive basket in the final seconds of their game on Saturday evening. The game concluded with a 70-68 scoreline in favor of the Redbirds.

Dalton Banks led all scorers with 16 points, complemented by eight assists and two steals. Johnny Kinziger added 14 points, while Jordan Davis contributed 13 points and secured seven rebounds, which was the highest on his team. Walker added seven points along with five assists.

The first half was tightly contested, featuring seven ties and four lead changes. A lay-in from Kinziger and a three-pointer from Davis allowed Illinois State to head into halftime with a narrow 35-32 lead.

In the second half, Illinois State quickly extended their advantage to an 11-point lead, marking their largest margin in the game. However, Missouri State responded strongly, tying the game at 58 following an 8-0 run and even taking a brief lead with just over four minutes remaining. Despite trailing again late in the game, ISU regained control thanks to crucial plays by Davis and Ty Pence before Walker's last-second heroics sealed their win.

Illinois State finished shooting at 51.9% from the field (27-of-52), including nine successful long-range shots out of 28 attempts and converting seven out of twelve free throws. Missouri State ended up shooting at 42.3% (22-of-52) overall, making seven out of twenty three-point attempts and excelling at free throws with seventeen successful tries out of twenty-two.

Missouri State's effort was highlighted by Vincent Brady II and Chase Martin each scoring fifteen points while Dez White contributed twelve.

The Redbirds are set to continue their road games as they face Southern Illinois Salukis next Tuesday night at Banterra Center.