Illinois State Drops to 14-7 Amidst Gauntlet Week of MVC Play

Image Courtesy of Illinois State Athletics

NORMAL, Ill.-Illinois State’s road swing hit a snag Saturday afternoon as the Redbirds dropped an 80–69 decision to Belmont in Nashville. The game was moved up more than a day because of an incoming winter storm, but the change did little to slow a Bruins team that controlled much of the afternoon.

Belmont set the tone early with efficient offense and strong ball movement, building a first-half lead that forced Illinois State to play from behind. The Redbirds stayed competitive and went into the locker room trailing 44–36, but the early deficit proved difficult to erase on the road.

Illinois State briefly flipped the momentum early in the second half, surging ahead 48–47 for its first lead since the opening minutes. That advantage was short-lived, however, as Belmont responded with a decisive run that pushed the margin back to double digits. The Redbirds continued to battle but were unable to string together enough stops or scoring spurts to fully close the gap.

Belmont was led by Eoin Dillon, who scored 16 points off the bench and sparked the Bruins with timely perimeter shooting. Jabez Jenkins added 14 points, and Tyler Lundblade finished with 11 as Belmont leaned on balanced scoring throughout the game.

For Illinois State, Johnny Kinziger led the way with 13 points and five assists. Chase Walker posted 12 points and eight rebounds, while Ty Pence also finished with 12 points and six boards. Despite solid individual performances, turnovers and a lack of sustained offensive rhythm hurt the Redbirds in key stretches.

The loss drops Illinois State to 14–7 overall and 6–4 in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Redbirds will look to bounce back quickly as they continue conference action with a road matchup against Murray State on Wednesday.

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