NORMAL, Ill. – Trailing by five with 33 seconds to play, Illinois State out-scored Bucknell 9-3 over the final half minute to send the game to overtime, where ISU out-scored Bucknell 17-12, as the Redbirds were able to take advantage of Mark Freeman's career-high scoring output in a 105-100 win on Saturday evening.
Freeman made 12-of-20 shots from the field, 3-of-4 from long range and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line en route to his 34 points, the most by a Redbird player this season. Sy Chatman scored 23 points – his second 20+ point scoring game of the season – while pulling down 11 rebounds for his second double-double in four games this year.