Issue date: 11/17/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jim Moldenhauer / Daily Vidette Photo Editor Junior point guard Lloyd Phillips scored 10 points in his first Division I basketball game. The 'Birds jumped out to a 1-0 start for the season.

With 57 seconds left in the Redbirds' season-opener against Wright State, the Raiders had crept back to a 62-59 deficit after trailing by double-digits for much of the second half.

The momentum appeared in Wright State's favor before a roaring crowd of 6,371 at Ervin J Nutter Center. After a scoring drought where ISU missed 11 straight shots, junior point guard Lloyd Phillips floated a running lay-up through the net to give the 'Birds a 64-59 advantage.

The play transferred the momentum back to the Redbirds' favor and deflated the Raiders' comeback hopes as Illinois State escaped their season-opener with a 69-61 road win at Dayton, Ohio, Saturday night.

"I thought Lloyd made a tremendous play with the game on the line," ISU head coach Tim Jankovich said on WJBC after the game. "The drive and the little floater in the lane to me was the biggest shot of the night for us."

Illinois State suffered a devastating blow in the final four minutes when big men Brandon Sampay and Dinma Odiakosa fouled out. Wright State went on an 8-0 run before Phillips' heroics.

"We were caving in [at that point]. They were the aggressor and we were on our heels … we needed something to get the clock back on our side," Jankovich said.

The win improved ISU to 1-0 and could speak volume in March when postseason tournaments are selected. Saturday's game appeared to be one of the 'Birds toughest nonconference contests.

"This is a great win for us because you look around the country and not many of the upper-conference teams start on the road playing tough teams," Jankovich said.

"Given our situation with graduation and injuries, it made it even a bigger mountain to climb. I thought it was a heck of a challenge for us and I couldn't be more proud [of the team]."

"We knew they were going to be one of our toughest games before the conference [Missouri Valley play]," junior guard Sead Odzic said. "Being on the road is definitely tough. It's definitely a great accomplishment."

Odzic, who played 26 minutes, served as ISU's unsung hero as he guarded the Raiders' most lethal player for most of the game. Vaughn Duggins was a preseason first-team all conference selection.

Continued...

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