NORMAL, Ill. — Illinois State secured an 82-71 win over Bradley, fueled by a strong performance from Jack Daugherty, who scored 25 points coming off the bench.
Daugherty also contributed six rebounds for the Redbirds, who improved to 16-12 overall and 8-9 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Johnny Kinziger added another 19 points for Illinois State, showcasing his versatility by converting 4 of 11 field goal attempts, including 2 of 8 from beyond the arc. He also excelled at the free-throw line, making 9 of 10 shots, while collecting nine rebounds. Chase Walker joined the mix with an efficient 13 points on 6 of 9 shooting.
On the other side, Duke Deen led the Braves with 16 points along with four assists. His teammate, Zek Montgomery, also matched that point total of 16. Darius Hannah contributed significantly as well, with a solid 15 points and three blocks for Bradley, which fell to 21-7 overall and 12-5 in conference play.
The turning point for Illinois State came with 5:23 left in the first half, when they took the lead and maintained it through the rest of the game. Walker emerged as the scoring leader for his team in the first half, netting 10 points and helping the Redbirds to a 35-27 advantage at halftime. Daugherty was instrumental in the second half, pouring in 16 points to help solidify the 11-point victory.