McLean County Times

The Illinois State Redbirds have secured their place in the College Basketball Invitational Championship Game following a 78-73 victory over the UIW Cardinals. The match took place on Tuesday evening in Daytona Beach, Florida, with the Redbirds scoring 10 of the final 13 points to clinch the win.

Chase Walker led the team with 27 points, hitting 10-of-16 field goals and grabbing eight rebounds. Ty Pence achieved his first collegiate double-double, contributing 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Johnny Kinziger added 13 points, making up part of the sophomore trio that scored a total of 55 out of ISU's 78 points.

Dalton Banks provided a game-high five assists and increased his season steal count to 62, placing him third in school history for single-season steals. ISU maintained a positive assist-to-turnover ratio with 12 assists against ten turnovers and had an even rebounding margin with UIW.

The Redbirds will conclude their season by facing either Cleveland State or Florida Gulf Coast in Wednesday's championship game. The outcome will be determined by the winner of their match played immediately after ISU's game.

UIW started strong, leading for over nine minutes until Walker's free throw gave ISU its first lead at around the ten-minute mark. Despite this initial setback, UIW regained control before halftime, leaving ISU trailing at 34-31.

The second half saw frequent ties and lead changes until two late free throws from ISU secured their victory margin. With just over a minute left on the clock and trailing by two points, Walker made critical plays that put ISU ahead permanently. Additional free throws from Walker, Kinziger, and Banks solidified the win.

ISU converted on nearly half of their shots from the field while holding UIW below a forty percent shooting rate. Dylan Hayman led UIW with 24 points, supported by Jalin Anderson's sixteen and Jordan Pyke's thirteen.

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