Valparaiso Beacons @ Illinois State Redbirds
Fayne ties career-high 24, Illinois State beats Valpo 76-65
NORMAL, Ill. -- Phil Fayne tied his career high with 24 points on 11-of-12 shooting and grabbed nine boards to help Illinois State beat Valparaiso 76-65 on Saturday night.
Milik Yarbrough added 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Redbirds (11-11, 5-5 Missouri Valley Conference). Keyshawn Evans had three 3-pointers and scored 17.
Illinois State led the entire way and pushed its advantage to double digits shortly before the end of the first half. The Redbirds had a 7-0 run early in the second half to lead 45-29, and they kept the lead between 10 and 19 the rest of the way.
Bakari Evelyn had 20 points, Derrik Smits scored a career-high 17 and Tevonn Walker added 16 for the Crusaders (11-12, 2-8), who lost their fifth straight.
Valparaiso missed its first 14 3-point attempts and finished the game 3 of 19.
Game Information
Normal, IL
Referee:Tom O'Neill
Referee:Ray Natili
Referee:K.B. Burdett
2025-26 Standings
| Missouri Valley ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 16-4 | - | 26-6 |
| Bradley | 13-7 | 3 | 21-13 |
| Illinois State | 12-8 | 4 | 23-13 |
| Murray State | 12-8 | 4 | 20-13 |
| UIC | 12-8 | 4 | 19-16 |
| Northern Iowa | 11-9 | 5 | 23-13 |
| Valparaiso | 11-9 | 5 | 18-15 |
| Southern Illinois | 10-10 | 6 | 16-16 |
| Drake | 6-14 | 10 | 14-20 |
| Indiana State | 4-16 | 12 | 11-21 |
| Evansville | 3-17 | 13 | 7-25 |
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