Illinois State kept its NCAA Tournament hopes alive on Friday afternoon with a 54-42 victory over Northern Illinois in the quarterfinal round of the 2012 Missouri Valley Conference tournament. Jackie Carmichael led the Redbirds with 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Related: Missouri Valley Tournament 2012: Bracket Update, Friday Schedule And More
Neither team shot the ball well from the field, but Illinois State was a bit better in that area, and the Redbirds also won the battle of the boards. With turnovers and free throw attempts relatively even, the edges Illinois State had in the shooting and rebounding categories were enough to deliver the win.
The Redbirds move on to the semifinal round on Saturday, where they will face No. 1 seed Wichita State.
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