The No. 7 Illinois St. Redbirds were part of a trifecta for the lower portion of the right bracket in the 2012 NIT, as they picked up an overtime victory over the No. 2 Mississippi Rebels, 96-93. They join the No. 8 Bucknell Bison and the No. 5 Nevada Wolf Pack as low-seed winners on Wednesday evening.
NIT Tournament 2012, Ole Miss Vs. Illinois State: Redbirds Defeat Rebels In OT
The Rebels were the team that needed to make the comeback in this one, down by 12 points at halftime. Fifty-two points and 20 minutes later, the Rebels forced overtime. However, that momentum from the second half didn’t follow them to the extra time, where they were outscored 12-9.
Illinois State shot an astounding 62.7 percent from the field (32-of-51), 73.9 percent from three-point territory. Twenty-four of 26 points by Tyler Brown came on three-pointers while 18 of 24 points by Nic Moore were from beyond the arc. Moore dished the ball out for 10 assists, as well.
LaDarius White didn't quite replicate either of those performances for his Rebels, but he did hit four three-pointers on his way to 25 points. Jarvis Summers added 16 points and 12 assists.
The No. 3 Stanford Cardinal awaits the Redbirds in the second round.
Check out Red Cup Rebellion for more news and notes on Ole Miss. For more on the NIT, be sure to check out our NCAA basketball hub. Also be sure to check out our 2012 NCAA Tournament hub for more on the Big Dance.
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