NORMAL, Ill. (AP) -Tyrone Lewis scored 26 points Sunday as Niagara handed Illinois State its first loss of the season, 76-68.
Kashief Edwards scored 14 points and Austin Cooley 10 for Niagara (7-4), which also won when the teams met last year in Lewiston, N.Y., as part of the BracketBusters event.
Dinma Odiakosa led Illinois State (7-1) with 14 points. Osiris Eldridge scored 12 for the Redbirds, but was 5-for-18 from the field, including 2-for-11 from 3-point range. Illinois State made only five 3-pointers in 23 attempts. Lewis had five of the Purple Eagles' 10 3-pointers.
Jackie Carmichael had 11 points and Kellen Thornton 10 for the Redbirds, who outrebounded Niagara 49-28. Carmichael and Odiakosa each had 13 rebounds.
The Redbirds' last lead was 53-51 after an Eldridge layup with 10:47 to go, then the Purple Eagles began a 12-4 run and controlled the game the rest of the way.
