Illinois State NIT Quarterfinals: Last-Second Win | ESPN

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A last-second 3-pointer by Johnny Kinziger propelled Illinois State to a 78-75 victory over top-seeded Wake Forest in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) on Sunday, securing the Redbirds’ first NIT quarterfinal appearance in 30 years.

Kinziger’s shot, which broke a tie with just two seconds remaining, capped a furious rally by fourth-seeded Illinois State (22-12). The Redbirds trailed by as many as nine points, 53-44, with 11:28 left in the second half, before mounting a comeback sparked by a 3-pointer from Landon Wolf with 6:29 to play and a subsequent 3-pointer from Ty Pence.

The game featured four lead changes and five ties in the final six minutes, culminating in a layup by Wake Forest’s Tre’Von Spillers with 28 seconds left that knotted the score at 75-75, setting the stage for Kinziger’s decisive shot.

Ty Pence led Illinois State with 23 points, shooting 8 of 11 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and converting all four of his free throw attempts. Kinziger finished with 19 points, connecting on 5 of 10 shots from beyond the arc, and added five assists. Chase Walker contributed 15 points for the Redbirds.

Spillers paced Wake Forest (18-17) with 24 points, making all 11 of his field goal attempts, and grabbing eight rebounds. Juke Harris added 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists for the Demon Deacons, bringing his season total to 750 points – the second-highest single-season total in Wake Forest program history. Len Chappell holds the record with 932 points, set during the 1961-62 season.

Illinois State will now advance to face No. 2 seed Dayton in a campus-site quarterfinal. This marks only the second time in program history that the Redbirds have won multiple games in an NIT appearance, with the previous instance occurring in 1996.