Jackie Carmichael scored a game-high 16 points as Illinois State put away Northern Iowa to advance to the semifinal round of the MVC Tournament, 54-42. The Redbirds headed into the half facing a four-point deficit, but came on strong in the second half, outscoring Northern Iowa by a margin to secure the win. The game was a battle of 9-9 MVC teams, part of a logjam in the middle of the standings that included five teams with a .500 conference record.
Illinois State Vs. Northern Iowa Final Score: Redbirds Fly Into Semifinals With 54-42 Win
Carmichael finished with a double-double, adding 15 rebounds to go along with his 16 points. He was the only Illinois State player in double-figures.
Johnny Moran led the way for Northern Iowa in the loss, scoring a team-high 13 points. Jake Koch added nine points on an inefficient 3-of-11 shooting.
The road doesn’t get any easier for Illinois State, as they take on No. 15 Wichita State in the MVC Tournament semifinals on Saturday at 1:35 p.m. Wichita State secured the No. 1 seed in the tournament and easily won its quarterfinal matchup.
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