The Illinois State Redbirds (8-11, 3-5 MVC) and the Northern Iowa Panthers (9-9, 5-3 MVC) will face off in Cedar Falls, IA at McLeod Center for an MVC matchup. The Redbirds have won two of their last five games and are coming off a loss while the Panthers have won four of their last five and are also coming off a loss.
The Illinois State Redbirds have won just two of their last five games. They were sporting a two-game win streak until suffering a 69-57 loss against the Southern Illinois Salukis on Saturday. The Redbirds enter this matchup looking to avoid a second loss in a row and a second loss against the Panthers this season. In their last contest against each other, the Redbirds took a 66-60 defeat against the Panthers where they shot 37% from the field, 34.6% from beyond the arc, and 84.6% from free throw range. In addition, they recorded 35 rebounds, 12 assists, four steals, and five blocks while turning the ball over 20 times. Liam McChesney (22 PTS, 4 REB, 4 BLK, 62.4% FG) was the scoring leader for Illinois State.
Finish strong Luke ?? pic.twitter.com/K89ILfUVAt
— Illinois State Men's Basketball (@Redbird_MBB) January 15, 2023
This season, the Redbirds' scoring offense is averaging 66.4 points per game while shooting 42.9% from the floor, 80.1% from free throw range, and 33.6% from beyond the arc. In addition, the Redbirds are averaging 33.8 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 5.9 steals, and 3.7 blocks while turning the ball over 14.7 times per contest. They yield an assist/turnover ratio of .73 (339th). Defensively, they are surrendering 68.2 points per game. Leading the offense is Darius Burford who is averaging 10.9 points per game while also contributing 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Kendall Lewis is leading on the boards with 6.6 rebounds per game while earning 10.6 points and 1.7 steals. Seneca Knight is another trusted scorer, averaging 10.6 points while recording 6.3 rebounds.