NORMAL, Ill. – Darius Burford scored a season-high 23 points, but it was not enough to overcome a strong shooting night from the Valparaiso Beacons on Saturday evening, as the Redbirds fell 71-51.
Burford made 9-of-14 shots from the field and all three of his free throw tries, while Malachi Poindexter added 10 points. Kendall Lewis pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds, with Poindexter leading the team with three assists, two steals, and a career-high two blocked shots.
ISU started strong, using a 6-0 run to take an 8-2 lead through the first four minutes of the game, and the lead remained at six with 7:47 after a Burford three-pointer put the Redbirds ahead 18-12.