Illinois State Drops 3rd Straight; Will Look to Bounce Back at Home Against Rival Bradley
Written by Kole Schipper on January 15, 2026
Image Courtesy of Illinois State Athletics
NORMAL, Ill.- The Illinois State men’s basketball team came up just short Wednesday night, falling 94–89 on the road to Indiana State in a hard-fought Missouri Valley Conference battle at the Hulman Center.
The Redbirds trailed by nine at the break but showed plenty of fight in the second half, trimming what had grown to a double-digit deficit and making it a one-possession game late. Illinois State simply couldn’t get over the final hump as the Sycamores made timely plays down the stretch.
Chase Walker led the way for the Redbirds, finishing with a game-high 21 points, battling inside all night and anchoring Illinois State’s offense. Ty’Reek Coleman followed with 18 points, providing a spark on both ends of the floor, while Boden Skunberg chipped in 12 as ISU worked to close the gap in the final minutes.
Indiana State built its advantage behind balanced scoring, knocking down shots consistently and capitalizing during an 8–0 second half run that pushed the lead to 14 with about 12 minutes remaining. Illinois State responded with strong defensive pressure and key baskets, but the Sycamores held on at the free-throw line in the closing seconds.
With the loss, the Redbirds drop to 12–6 overall, 4–3 in MVC play, and on a 3-game losing streak, while Indiana State improves to 9–9 on the season.
Illinois State will be back in action on Saturday, January 17th, at CEFCU Arena where they will take on rival Bradley with tip-off set for 1 pm.
If you cannot make Saturday’s contest tune into live coverage of the game on wznd.com with Connor Allyn and Nate Cihak.
For all things Redbird men’s basketball, be sure to tune in to wznd.com.
