Illinois State Redbirds vs Evansville Purple Aces
| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
EVAN | 37 | 30 | 67 |
ILST | 31 | 40 | 71 |
Illinois State beats Evansville 71-67 to advance in MVC
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Deontae Hawkins made four 3-pointers and scored 17 to points to help fourth-seeded Illinois State defeat fifth-seeded Evansville 71-67 on Friday in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinals.
Up next on Saturday for the Redbirds (20-11) is top-seeded and No. 8-ranked Wichita State, which defeated Southern Illinois 56-45 earlier Friday.
D.J. Balentine scored 17 points to lead Evansville (19-12).
Evansville shot 59 percent in taking a 37-31 halftime lead but went 2 of 12 over the first 10 minutes of the second half while the Redbirds went on a 19-7 run to lead 50-44.
A three-point play by Egidijus Mockevicius gave Evansville a one-point lead before a basket by Reggie Lynch and a Hawkins 3-pointer put ISU up for good at 66-62 with 2:18 left.
Evansville was within two with 16 seconds remaining but the Redbirds' Paris Lee made two free throws and Evansville missed its final two shots.
Game Information
St. Louis, MO
Referee:Mike Stuart
Referee:Kelly Self
Referee:Mark Whitehead
2025-26 Standings
| Missouri 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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