Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Tournament Recap

2010 MVC Tournament: Illinois State vs Indiana State Basketball Recap

(3) Illinois State 69, (6) Indiana State 65

The 3-6 quarterfinal at the Missouri Valley Tournament usually proves to be a hard-fought battle, and the 2010 edition of this particular tournament tussle was no exception. The third-seeded Redbirds from Illinois State could never land a true knockout blow, but they did outscore the sixth-seeded squad from Indiana State.

Coach Kevin McKenna had Indiana State prepared. The Sycamores - who, by finishing sixth in the Valley and not seventh, were able to avoid having to play a first-round game on Thursday night - looked fit and fresh at the outset. By matching and even slightly exceeding Illinois State's intensity, the team from Terre Haute, Ind., settled into a typical Valley grinder, with lots of defense, contested shots, and extended possessions. After 16 minutes of action, Indiana State led, 28-16, and caused a pronounced degree of panic in the Illinois State camp. After three games that produced no huge upsets, the fourth quarterfinal of Arch Madness was beginning to develop the buzz of something special.

Yet, in an eerie parallel with the day's first quarterfinal - Northern Iowa's win over Drake - any visions of a surprise evaporated as soon as they emerged.

Illinois State, to its great credit, didn't fold the tent when down by a dozen. Coach Tim Jankovich gained and held the attention of his Redbird roster, and as a result, the third seed was able to produce a 12-0 run that tied the score at halftime (28-28). In the second half, the Redbirds remained resolute at the defensive end on an evening when they held Indiana State to 37 percent field goal shooting. By denying a single point to Indiana State over a span of five minutes and 19 seconds, Illinois State was able to produce yet another big run - this one a 13-0 burst - to claim a 56-46 lead with six minutes remaining.

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Northern Iowa , it must be noted, shut out Drake earlier in the day by excelling for two separate stretches that both lasted more than eight minutes (one of them lasted more than 11 minutes). Illinois State didn't quite bottle up Indiana State for that long a time, but the Redbirds - with a 12-0 first-half joyride and then a 13-0 surge in the second half - landed the kinds of 1-2 punches that were enough to finish off an inferior opponent from the state of Indiana. Not all favorites know how to play with pressure against a motivated underdog, but Illinois State pulled through with poise and composure against Indiana State.

With two more wins, that combination of poise and composure might be found in the NCAA Tournament.

What's Next

Missouri Valley Semifinal - No. 2
Illinois State must take on the second seed from the state of Kansas, as Wichita State locks horns with ISU. Star guard Osiris Eldridge needs to go off in order for the Redbirds to seriously threaten the Shockers, so naturally, Wichita must do what it can to make a secondary ballhandler shoulder the scoring load for Illinois State. Wichita lost ground over the past four weeks of the season, so it will be interesting to see how mentally sharp the Shockers are when they take the court against a proven opponent with numerous veteran performers.

> Follw the entire 2010 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament here at MVC-fans.com

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Staff Writer