Shockers slip past Redbirds 68-67

[February 19, 2013]  NORMAL -- Wichita State (22-5, 11-4 MVC) went on a 9-0 run in the final 40 seconds to edge Illinois State (16-11, 8-7 MVC) by a score of 68-67 Sunday night on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.

Tyler Brown led four Redbirds in double figures with 17 points to go along with 17 rebounds. Jackie Carmichael also had a solid game with 12 points and nine rebounds in the loss to the Shockers. Malcolm Armstead led the Shockers in scoring with 18 points.

Illinois State went 0 for 7 from the field to start the game, before the Redbirds scored the first field goal of the game on a runner by Johnny Hill at the 15:52 mark. Two free throws by Brown pulled the Redbirds within 5-4, and a Bryant Allen three-point play gave ISU its first lead of the game at 7-5 with 13:12 remaining in the first half.

Fourteen more unanswered points increased Illinois State's advantage to 19-5 with 7:20 remaining, marking the largest lead for Illinois State in the game at 14 points. During that stretch, the Redbirds held Wichita State to 0 for 9 from the field for 7:29. Wichita State answered with a 7-3 run to pull within 21-12 on a 3-pointer by Armstead at the 4:59 mark. Another 7-3 run by the Shockers allowed Wichita State to pull within 27-20 at halftime. WSU's 20 points were the fewest allowed in the first half by Illinois State this season.

After Wichita State pulled within 32-27 at the 16:02 mark, the Redbirds responded with a 6-0 run over the next 2:13. Brown put an exclamation mark on the stretch with a one-handed dunk to push Illinois State ahead 38-27. The two teams exchanged baskets until ISU went on a 6-3 run to increase its lead to 53-44 with 6:44 remaining. The Redbirds improved their advantage to 61-51 after free throws by Hill, Brown and Bryant Allen.

Wichita State answered with a 9-2 run to pull within 63-60 on a Cleanthony Early 3-pointer at the 2:10 mark. The Shockers then edged within two points at 67-65 after two free throws by Early and a Demetric Williams 3-pointer with 28 seconds left. A turnover by Hill gave Wichita State the ball, and Early drilled a 3-pointer with 4.8 seconds remaining to give the Shockers their first lead since early in the first half. After a timeout with four seconds left, Carmichael attempted a runner in the lane, which rimmed out, securing Wichita State's victory.

With just one regular-season home game remaining, Illinois State hits the road for two straight contests, including Wednesday night's Valley matchup at Evansville, followed by ISU's BracketBusters game at Utah State on Saturday. The Redbirds will return to Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena to celebrate Senior Night on Feb. 27 at 7:05 p.m. against Missouri State. Tickets are available by calling 309-438-8000.

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Box score

[Text from news release received from Illinois State University]