KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: Redbirds Hold Off Trojans

Tyler Brown scored a game-high 23 points on Tuesday night to lead Illinois State (8-3) to a 72-65 victory over the UALR men's basketball team (3-10) at Redbird Arena. UALR rallied from an 18-point deficit to take a 46-44 lead with 13:33 left in the game, but the Redbirds outscored the Trojans 18-to-4 at the foul line over the final 20 minutes to thwart the comeback attempt.

Illinois State built a 20-4 lead at the start of the game and led by as many as 18 points after shooting 57.1 percent from the field over the first 20 minutes (8-of-16 from three-point range). UALR battled back by holding the Redbirds to a 5-of-19 effort from the floor in the second half (26.3 percent), but could not overcome the scoring disparity at the foul line. The Redbirds went 18-of-24 at the foul line in the second half, while UALR earned just six trips to the foul line – making four.

Sophomore Will Neighbour scored a season-high 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the loss, going 8-of-15 from the field and 3-for-5 from three-point range. Neighbour was one of three Trojans to score in double figures, as freshman Taggart Lockhart added a season-high 11 points and senior D'Andre Williams chipped in 10.

Brown was one of four Redbirds to score in double figures, finishing with 23 points by going 7-of-10 from the field, 3-for-6 from three-point range, and 6-of-6 at the foul line. Nick Moore went 3-for-5 from three-point range on his way to a 17-point effort, while John Wilkins and Jackie Carmichael chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Illinois State jumped all over the Trojans at the start of the game, scoring nine-unanswered points out of the gate as it built a 20-4 lead at the 13:28 mark of the first half. Moore fueled ISU's opening run by scoring 11 of the team's first 15 points off a 4-for-4 effort from the floor, including a 3-for-3 showing from three-point range. Moore's third three pointer gave the Redbirds a 15-2 lead with 15:38 left in the half, and Brown connected from beyond the arc moments later to put the home team on top 20-4 – capping off a stretch in which ISU made 8-of-10 from the field to open the game.

Down by 16, UALR scored six-unanswered points, with four from Neighbour, to make it a 10-point game, 20-10. Leading 24-11, Brown would score the Redbirds next eight points, with two three pointers, to give ISU its largest lead of the game, 32-14, with 8:44 left in the half.

Anthony Cousins connected from long range at the 3:25 mark, ISU's eighth three pointer of the first half, to give the Redbirds a 40-23 advantage. Facing a 17-point deficit, the Trojans rattled off a 10-0 run to draw within seven, thanks in part to a flagrant foul and two technical fouls against the Redbirds. After a three pointer by Neighbour, freshman Ben Dillard knocked down two free throws after ISU was whistled for a flagrant foul.

Leading 40-28, Jon Ekey scored on a drive to the hoop on the following possession, but the basket was whistled off as Ekey was called for a charge. Upset with the two calls that went against his squad, ISU head coach Tim Jankovich was whistled for two quick technical fouls at the 1:30 mark as he stated his case to the officials – the last of which ejected Jankovich from the game.

UALR was awarded four free throws off the technical fouls, and Williams capitalized by going 3-for-4 at the line. Dillard followed with two free throws moments later to cap off UALR's 10-0 run and bring the Trojans within seven, 40-33, with 1:18 left in the half. With its lead cut to seven, Moore made two foul shots with 23 seconds remaining to send ISU into the break with a 42-33 lead at the break.

ISU scored the first points of the second half off a putback by Carmichael, but UALR responded with a 13-0 run over the next 6:04 to erase its deficit and take the team's first lead of the night. Neighbour scored seven of the team's first nine points of the run, and Lockhart capped it off with a pair of baskets to put the Trojans on top, 46-44, with 13:33 remaining.

Trailing for the first time all game, Brown followed up Lockhart's last bucket by knocking down a pair of jumpers to spark an 8-0 run and put the Redbirds on top for good. UALR stayed within a possession of the Redbirds for most of the remainder of the game, but could not keep ISU off the foul line. A three pointer by Neighbour brought the Trojans within two, 60-58, with 5:54 on the clock, but ISU earned two trips to the foul line and knocked down all four shots to extend its lead back to six, 64-58.

A successful three-point conversion by senior Courtney Jackson brought the Trojans back within three, 64-61, at the 2:53 mark, but UALR would not get that close again for the rest of the game. UALR came up empty handed on its next three possessions after Jackson's three-point play, and the Redbirds went 6-of-6 at the foul line to put the game away.

UALR returns to action Dec. 29 when it opens Sun Belt Conference play at North Texas.