Listen Live: Illinois State Vs. Maryland [Live Audio] Cancun Challenge
Listen to play-by-play of the Cancun Challenge matchup between Illinois State and Maryland from Riviera Maya, Mexico at 8:30 p.m. ET on 105.7 The Fan! (no streaming)
PREVIEW
When: 8:30 PM ET, Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Where: Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, Riviera Maya
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network
By SportsDirect Inc.
After surviving a pair of nail-biters, No. 2 Maryland looks to remain undefeated when it meets Illinois State in the Cancun Challenge at Riviera Maya, Mexico, on Tuesday. The Terps had to rally from 14 points down to turn back huge underdog Rider last time out.
Maryland has had a great deal of success in regular-season tournaments with 30 titles, including last season's CBE Hall of Fame championship played in Kansas City. The Terps have won 13 straight games in the month of November. Illinois State has defeated a Top 25 team in four straight seasons. The Redbirds, picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference, return three of five starters from last season's 22-13 team which reached the second round of the NIT.
ABOUT ILLINOIS STATE (2-2):
Illinois State, which knocked off Wichita State in the MVC tournament last season, appears to be a program on the rise. The Redbirds, who haven't reached the NCAA Tournament since 1998, are paced by DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell, a 6-5 senior guard averaging 17 points. Illinois State reached the title game of the Cancun Challenge in its first appearance in 2011 before falling to state rival Illinois.
ABOUT MARYLAND (3 0):
Perhaps it was a letdown after a gritty win over Georgetown but the Terps were flat in the outing against Rider before posting a 65-58 victory. After starting his first two games, 6-11 freshman Diamond Stone came off the bench and led the rally by scoring 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting while Jake Layman notched the 500th career rebound amid an 11-board effort. Melo Trimble, a preseason Wooden Award candidate, leads Maryland at 16.3 points a game and scored 24 in the Terps' win over Georgetown.
TIP-INS
1. The winner will meet either Rhode Island or TCU in Wednesday's title game.
2. Illinois State is 7-24 all-time against Big Ten teams.
3. Maryland sophomore guard Dion Wiley, a projected starter, was lost to a knee injury just before the season started.
PREDICTION: Maryland 80, Illinois State 70
