Illinois St. 49, Wichita St. 46

1/1/2008 9:31 PM

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -Osiris Eldridge scored 11 points to lead three Illinois State players in double figures as the Redbirds held off short-handed Wichita State 49-46 Tuesday night.

Emmanuel Holloway and Boo Richardson each scored 10 points for Illinois State (10-3, 2-0 Missouri Valley Conference), which earned its second straight conference road victory.

Wichita State (7-6, 0-2 MVC) was led by 16 points each from P.J. Couisnard and Phil Thomasson.

The Shockers led 24-23 at halftime, but Illinois State took control early in the second half. The Redbirds went on a 12-0 run that included two Richardson 3-pointers to go up 35-24 with 14 minutes left in the game.

J.T. Durley scored his Wichita State's first second-half basket 33 seconds later, and the Shockers slowly began to climb back in the game and pulled within two points twice.

Wichita State trimmed the lead to 44-43 with less than 2 minutes to play, but Illinois State's Dominitrix Johnson hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:09 left to put the Redbirds back up by four.

A Couisnard 3-pointer with 18.4 seconds remaining made it 48-46. Eldridge hit a free throw to stretch the Redbird lead to three, and a last-second shot for Wichita State rimmed out.

The Shockers, who shot 28.3 percent for the game, were playing without two starters. Point guard Matt Braeuer suffered a concussion late in Saturday's home loss to Drake - his third concussion since joining Wichita State - while forward Ramon Clemente had surgery Monday on a fractured finger on his left hand. Both players are out indefinitely.