Hibernation: Redbirds move on in Arch Madness with win over Missouri State Bears
Written by Jaden Cohn on March 6, 2025
St. Louis, MO. — Illinois State men’s basketball overpowered the Missouri State Bears 70-54 on Thursday afternoon to advance to the second round of the Arch Madness Tournament, held inside the Enterprise Center.
It was a historic day for Head Coach Ryan Pedon as he notched his first tournament win in his three-year tenure at ISU. The team won their first tournament game since the 2022 season.
“It was a great win for us today,” Pedon said. “We knew going in it was going to be a dog fight. I was really pleased today with the variety of guys who stepped up for us today…to have five guys in double figures is a big reason why we won the game today.”
It was the sophomore stand-out show as Chase Walker and Johnny Kinziger picked up right where they left off during the regular season. Kinziger had 13 points on shooting three-of-five behind the arc. Meanwhile, Walker knocked on the door of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Dalton Banks acted as the bank teller for the Redbirds, dishing out eight assists for the game’s high. Additionally, the graduate student had a dozen points.
“We talked about it before we left for Saint Louis, don’t get on the bus unless you’re willing to win a championship,” Banks said.
Banks’ wisdom inspired the Redbirds as multiple players contributed off the bench. Malachi Poindexter finished with 10, Landon Wolf added 10 and Ty Pence had nine.
Cameron Barnes saw an increase in playing time, at 13:06 minutes. He played a crucial role on defense, causing many stops and turnovers.
“It hasn’t always been easy for him along the road this year,” Pedon said. “Never once had we given up on him, never thought less of him, we just kept pushing up. What enabled him to that tonight, was his attitude, his coachability and his mindset.”
No. 5-seeded ISU will take on No. 4-seed Belmont University on March 8 at 2:30 p.m. at the Enterprise Center.
“We have to be better tomorrow, Belmont is a prolific offensive team,” Pedon said. “It’s going to be about competitive will for 40 minutes and who can execute their gameplan.”
