NORMAL, Ill. – Back-to-back Illinois State three-pointers and a 9-1 run in overtime pushed the Redbirds past the Drake University men's basketball team, 89-81, Wednesday evening at Redbird Arena.
 
Reed Timmer (New Berlin, Wis.) scored 26 points for the Bulldogs with six boards while Graham Woodward (Edina, Minn.) added 16 points and Ore Arogundade (Chicago, Ill.) had 13 points and five boards as Drake was even on the boards with the Redbirds.
 
"We had our chances and left quite a few plays out there and a lot of guys had some good looks, but it was one of those nights," said Drake head coach Niko Medved. "It got away from us in overtime, but I'm proud of our guys for digging in and fighting. We just needed a few more stops and they made a few more plays."
 
However, Drake's (16-14, 10-7 MVC) four double-figure scorers couldn't overcome a pair of 20-point efforts from Illinois State's (16-13, 10-7 MVC) Keyshawn Evans and Milik Yarborough. Evans finished with 23 points, including a critical three-pointer with 3:19 left in overtime to give the Redbirds some separation while Yarborough had 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
 
"Yarborough is a terrific player and Keyshawn Evans is terrific," Medved said. "They're a good team, well coached and getting back to full strength."
 
Illinois State held the Bulldogs to 36.8 percent shooting to slide past the Bulldogs into third in the MVC standings.
 
Drake held a two-point, 69-67, lead with less than two minutes remaining in regulation until Yarborough scored with 19 seconds left after ISU's Phil Fayne blocked Drake's attempt to go up four points with 30 seconds left. Fayne who returned to the lineup following an ankle injury scored 16 points with 11 rebounds.
 
The Bulldogs had a final shot to win it, but Timmer's deep three-pointer with five seconds left was off the mark.
 
"He felt he had a rhythm shot and that's one he can make," Medved said of the attempt. "He felt good about it and I trust him to take that shot."
 
The Redbirds pulled away in overtime with back-to-back three-pointers from Evans and William Tinsley to give ISU a 77-71 lead with 2:35 remaining. A Fayne jumper stretched the lead out to eight points, but Drake continued to fight with a Woodward three-pointer drawing the Bulldogs within four points, 84-80, with 35 seconds remaining. However, ISU closed the game by making eight of seven free-throw attempts to earn the season split with the Bulldogs.
 
Drake used a 14-0 first-half run keyed by back-to-back fastbreak layups from C.J. Rivers (Cahokia, Ill.) to take a 10-point, 27-17, with 7:42 left in the opening half. The Bulldogs shot 6-of-9 during that span and kept the Redbirds scoreless for nearly four minutes. Rivers finished the half with a team-high eight points and eight for the game.
 
However, the Redbirds answered the Bulldogs to close the first half on a 10-2 run with seven points coming from Keyshawn Evans as the Redbirds held the Bulldogs without a point for the final 2:11 of the half to draw within two points, 31-29 at halftime.
 
The Redbirds opened the second half shooting 61.5 percent and took a 53-48 lead nine minutes into the period despite 12 early second-half points from Timmer for the Bulldogs. An ISU three-pointer capped a 12-4 run for the Redbirds to give them a 56-50 lead, but five-straight points from Ore Arogundade (Chicago, Ill.) started an 8-0 Drake run that allowed the Bulldogs to retake the lead, 58-56, with 7:48 left in the contest. Neither team led by more than two possessions for the remainder of the half to set up the eventual tie in regulation and overtime period.
 
The Bulldogs close the regular season Saturday afternoon at the Knapp Center against Valparaiso. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. with a special pregame Senior Day ceremony honoring the Bulldogs' five seniors.