Box Score NORMAL, Ill. - 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 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.
