Illinois State Upsets Wake Forest in NIT Thriller with Last-Second 3-Pointer

Illinois State Redbirds Upset Wake Forest in NIT Thriller

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Ty Pence scored 23 points and Johnny Kinziger hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining as Illinois State defeated Wake Forest 78-75 in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) on Sunday.

Kinziger’s clutch shot from the top of the key, created by a screen from Chase Walker, secured the victory for the Redbirds.

Illinois State (22-12) will advance to play Dayton in the quarterfinals of the NIT.

Redbird Standouts

Pence was highly efficient, shooting 8-for-11 from the field, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Kinziger contributed 19 points and five assists, while Walker added 15 points, shooting 5-for-11 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.

Demon Deacons Fall Short

Tre’Von Spillers led Wake Forest (18-17) with 24 points and eight rebounds. Juke Harris added 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, and Omaha Biliew finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and three blocks.

First-Half Recap

The first half was tightly contested, with Illinois State and Wake Forest entering halftime tied at 32-32. Walker scored eight points for Illinois State in the first half, while Pence led the Redbirds with 17 points in the second half.

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This story was created by the Associated Press using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.