Men's Basketball Bill Salyer

Redbirds Fall to Top Seed in NIT Semifinals

INDIANAPOLIS – Facing off in the NIT semifinal for the first time in program history, the Illinois State Redbirds fell to the tournament's top overall seed, the Auburn Tigers, by a 88-66 score on Thursday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED

In a hot-shooting first half between ISU and Auburn, the two teams traded the lead eight times over the first six and a half minutes of the game. Auburn stretched out to a seven-point lead near the halfway point of the period, extending their lead to as many as 15 points, with the Redbirds trailing 51-38 heading into the locker room at halftime. Over the first 20 minutes, Auburn made 21-of-32 shots from the field – 65.6 percent – while the Redbirds converted on 16-of-28 shots from the field (57.1 percent).

Auburn came out of the second half, scoring 10 of the first 13 points in the period, extending the lead to 20 at 61-41. The grew to as large as 24, as the Tigers – the top overall seed in the NIT – prevailed in the semifinal.

KEY STATISTICS / NOTES

  • The Redbirds opened with the starting lineup of 3 Mason Klabo, 4 Landon Wolf, 11 Johnny Kinziger, 14 Boden Skunberg, and 35 Chase Walker
    • This is ISU's 10th game with this starting lineup
  • ISU wore its throwback red uniform
  • Illinois State won the opening tip
  • The Redbirds fall to 10-10 all-time against schools in the SEC, and 14-14 in NIT play
  • The loss in the semifinals is the furthest in the NIT that ISU had reached in program history
  • ISU's first points of the game came from Mason Klabo with a three-pointer at 18:28 on the first half clock
    • This game was the fourth time that he scored the Redbirds' first points this season – three times on a three-point basket
  • Auburn led 51-to-38 at halftime
  • Ty'Reek Coleman scored 17 points, and ended the season with 350 the third-most by a freshman in a season in school history, passing Dan Muller (1994-95, 335) and Nic Moore (2011-12, 349)
    • The double-figure scoring game was his 14th double-digit scoring game of the season
  • Chase Walker scored 13 points, his 24th game this season scoring in double-digits, and his eighth consecutive game
    • He scored in double-digits in each of the four NIT games
  • Ty Pence scored 13 points, his third consecutive game scoring in double-digits, and his 16th this season
    • Pence made three three-point baskets, tying his career-high, the seventh time he has made three in a game over his career
  • Brandon Lieb had two blocked shots, the eighth time this season he has had multiple blocked shots in a game
  • Boden Skunberg dished out a season-high-tying four assists, the fourth time this season he led ISU in assists
  • The Redbirds made 10 three-point baskets, the 12th time this season that ISU has made 10 or more three-pointers in a game
  • This season Illinois State was 3-3 in NET Quad 1 contests, the first time the program has had more than one Quad 1 win since the NET's inception in 2018-19