NORMAL, Ill. (Interstat) — Chase Walker scored 22 points to lead Illinois State to a 73-47 victory over Evansville in a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball game Thursday at Redbird Arena. The Redbirds (12-3, 1-0 MVC) built a commanding 46-28 halftime lead and never were threatened. Walker added eight rebounds in 27 minutes. Tyreek Coleman contributed 12 points, six rebounds and four assists for Illinois State before a crowd of 5,216. Bryce Quinet scored 13 points for the Purple Aces (4-11, 0-1), who lost their fourth straight game. Evansville managed only 19 points in the second half. Illinois State shot 50% from the floor while holding Evansville to 32% shooting. The Redbirds have won three consecutive games.

EVANSVILLE, Ill. (Interstat) — A surging Illinois State team will look to continue its strong start to the season when it hosts a struggling Evansville squad in a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball matchup on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at Redbird Arena. The Redbirds (11-3) enter the New Year’s Day contest having won five of their last six games, including a decisive 73-56 road victory at Drake on Monday. Illinois State has been dominant at home, boasting a 6-0 record in Normal this season, where they have won by an average margin of 33.8 points. Illinois State is led by guard Chase Walker, who is averaging 16.3 points over his last three games. He scored 17 points in 22 minutes off the bench in the win at Drake, highlighting the depth and balance of the Redbirds’ attack. Johnny Kinziger (15 points) and Boden Skunberg (14 points) also provided key contributions in that victory. They will face an Evansville team mired in a difficult stretch. The Purple Aces (4-10) have lost five consecutive games, most recently falling 76-68 at Bradley on Monday. During the losing skid, Evansville’s defense has allowed an average of 77.2 points per game. Evansville’s primary bright spot has been forward AJ Casey, who is coming off a 21-point performance against Bradley. Over his last five games, Casey is averaging 12.2 points. He will need significant support from teammates like Bryce Quinet and Joshua Hughes, who combined for 25 points in the loss to Bradley, to challenge the conference front-runner. The matchup pits one of the Valley’s most efficient offenses against one of its most vulnerable defenses. Illinois State will aim to exploit that advantage and protect its home court as it seeks to solidify its position atop the league standings. Evansville, meanwhile, is searching for a turnaround performance to open its conference schedule and halt its lengthy slide.