Illinois State Redbirds vs Missouri State Bears
Illinois State defeats Missouri State 70-54 in Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
ST. LOUIS -- — Johnny Kinziger had 13 points in Illinois State's 70-54 victory against Missouri State on Thursday in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
Illinois State (19-13) plays No. 4 seed Belmont on Friday in the quarterfinals.
Kinziger added six rebounds for the Redbirds. Dalton Banks added 12 points while going 5 of 9 from the floor, including 1 for 4 from 3-point range, and 1 for 3 from the line while he also had eight assists. Chase Walker shot 4 of 10 from the field and 3 for 5 from the line to finish with 11 points.
The Bears (9-23) were led in scoring by Vincent Brady II and Michael Osei-Bonsu with 10 points apiece.
Illinois State took the lead with 9:33 left in the first half and did not give it up. Kinziger led his team in scoring with 13 points in the first half to help put them up 38-23 at the break. Illinois State extended its lead to 56-35 during the second half, fueled by an 8-0 scoring run. Malachi Poindexter scored a team-high 11 points in the second half.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Game Information
St. Louis, MO
Referee:Kelly Self
Referee:Gene Grimshaw
Referee:Ervin Wilson
2025-26 Standings
| Conference USAConference USA | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 16-2 | - | 24-5 |
| Sam Houston | 13-5 | 3 | 21-8 |
| Western Kentucky | 11-7 | 5 | 18-11 |
| Kennesaw State | 10-8 | 6 | 18-11 |
| Louisiana Tech | 9-9 | 7 | 16-13 |
| Middle Tennessee | 9-9 | 7 | 15-14 |
| Jacksonville State | 9-9 | 7 | 14-15 |
| Florida International | 7-11 | 9 | 14-15 |
| Missouri State | 7-11 | 9 | 13-16 |
| New Mexico State | 6-12 | 10 | 13-15 |
| UTEP | 6-12 | 10 | 10-19 |
| Delaware | 5-13 | 11 | 9-20 |
| Missouri Valley ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 16-4 | - | 26-5 |
| Bradley | 13-7 | 3 | 20-11 |
| Illinois State | 12-8 | 4 | 20-11 |
| Murray State | 12-8 | 4 | 20-11 |
| UIC | 12-8 | 4 | 17-14 |
| Northern Iowa | 11-9 | 5 | 19-12 |
| Valparaiso | 11-9 | 5 | 17-14 |
| Southern Illinois | 10-10 | 6 | 16-16 |
| Drake | 6-14 | 10 | 13-19 |
| Indiana State | 4-16 | 12 | 11-20 |
| Evansville | 3-17 | 13 | 7-24 |
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