Illinois State Redbirds vs Southern Illinois Salukis
Illinois St. beats S. Illinois 63-50 to advance to MVC final
ST. LOUIS -- MiKyle McIntosh scored 15 points and No. 1 seed Illinois State never trailed in a 63-50 win over fourth-seeded Southern Illinois on Saturday to advance to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament final.
Paris Lee added 12 points, including 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, and Phil Fayne grabbed 11 rebounds for the Redbirds, who will play second-seeded Wichita State on Sunday for the championship.
Illinois State (27-5) rolled to a 43-20 halftime lead. A 3-pointer from Tony Wills early in the second half gave the Redbirds their largest advantage of the game, 52-22, before Southern Illinois used a 16-2 run to trim the gap back to 13 late in the game.
Sean Lloyd led Southern Illinois (17-16) with 12 points and Mike Rodriguez had 11.
The victory extended Illinois State's record for most wins in a season.
Game Information
St. Louis, MO
Referee:Kelly Self
Referee:Randy Heimerman
Referee:John Higgins
2025-26 Standings
| Missouri Valley ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 16-4 | - | 26-6 |
| Bradley | 13-7 | 3 | 21-13 |
| Illinois State | 12-8 | 4 | 23-13 |
| Murray State | 12-8 | 4 | 20-13 |
| UIC | 12-8 | 4 | 19-16 |
| Northern Iowa | 11-9 | 5 | 23-13 |
| Valparaiso | 11-9 | 5 | 18-15 |
| Southern Illinois | 10-10 | 6 | 16-16 |
| Drake | 6-14 | 10 | 14-20 |
| Indiana State | 4-16 | 12 | 11-21 |
| Evansville | 3-17 | 13 | 7-25 |
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