McLean County Times

The Illinois State Redbirds secured a victory against Presbyterian with a score of 78-70, advancing to the semifinals of the Purple College Basketball Invitational in Daytona Beach. The game, held at the Ocean Center, saw significant contributions from Chase Walker and Ty Pence. Walker scored 20 points and collected nine rebounds, while Pence tied his career-high with 17 points.

This win marks Illinois State's first 20-win season since 2016-17. Walker's performance included shooting 8-of-11 from the field, while Pence added six rebounds to his tally. Dalton Banks and Johnny Kinziger each contributed ten points, with Jordan Davis adding eight.

Illinois State demonstrated strong defense despite a two-week break between games, holding Presbyterian scoreless for over five minutes at the start. The team maintained control after regaining the lead following an initial back-and-forth in the first half. Caden Boser's three-point play ensured a halftime lead of 33-30 for ISU.

In the second half, ISU extended its advantage to as much as 15 points with contributions from Davis and Boser through successful three-pointers. Despite a late effort by Presbyterian led by Kory Mincy’s 21 points and Kobe Stewart’s 15 points, Illinois State maintained their lead.

The Redbirds will face either Jacksonville or UIW in their next match on Tuesday evening in the semifinal round. The upcoming opponent will be decided when Jacksonville meets UIW on Monday afternoon.

Illinois State achieved a shooting percentage of 60% from the field during this game and excelled at free throws with an accuracy rate of nearly 86%. They also dominated in rebounds against Presbyterian by a margin of six.

Team notes highlighted that this was the fifth instance this season where ISU used their current starting lineup. Individual performances included Jack Daugherty moving into second place for freshman single-season three-pointers made, Dalton Banks achieving double figures for seven consecutive games along with contributing assists consistently, Johnny Kinziger tying his career-high steals count while maintaining consistent scoring across games, Ty Pence matching his career-best scoring record while maintaining strong rebounding performance, and Chase Walker nearing another double-double achievement.