Green scores 26, Valparaiso defeats Illinois State 71-51

NORMAL, Ill. (AP) — Quinton Green had 26 points in Valparaiso's 71-51 victory over Illinois State on Saturday night.

Green was 9 of 11 shooting, including 6 for 8 from distance, and went 2 for 3 from the line for the Beacons (9-12, 3-7 Missouri Valley Conference). Kobe King scored 15 points, finishing 7 of 12 from the floor. Ben Krikke finished with 10 points, while adding eight rebounds.

The Redbirds (8-13, 3-7) were led by Darius Burford, who posted 23 points. Malachi Poindexter added 10 points, two steals and two blocks for Illinois State.

Valparaiso took the lead with 4:41 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 33-24 at halftime, with Green racking up 13 points. Valparaiso extended its lead to 40-28 during the second half, fueled by a 7-0 scoring run. Green scored a team-high 13 points in the second half as his team closed out the win.

Both teams play on Wednesday. Valparaiso visits Northern Iowa while Illinois State travels to play Bradley.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.