Illinois State handles Indiana State 78-50

Feb 17, 2016, 10:09 pm

NORMAL, Ill. -- Paris Lee scored 18 points and made four assists, MiKyle McIntosh added 14 points and Illinois State never trailed in its 78-50 win over Indiana State on Wednesday night.

The Redbirds (17-11, 11-4) have won a season-high five straight games and have their best Missouri Valley Conference start through 15 games since 1997-98.

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell scored 12 and Deontae Hawkins added 10. The Redbirds outscored the Sycamores 32-14 in the paint and outrebounded them 46-35.

Illinois State opened with a 21-4 run and never looked back, pulling to a 44-23 halftime lead on 58.1 percent shooting behind nine points each from McIntosh and Tony Wills.

Illinois State scored 10 unanswered points and pulled further away, 70-42, in the second half while the Sycamores missed six shots over four minutes.

Khristian Smith and Everett Clemons scored 14 apiece for Indiana State (13-14, 7-8), which has lost four straight.