For the second consecutive season Lourdes played an exhibition game on the road against a NCAA Division I foe, suffering a 75-56 setback to Illinois State on Monday evening inside CEFCU Arena in Normal, Ill.
 
Jackie Harris (Toledo, Ohio/St. Francis de Sales H.S.) led all scorers with 19 points for the Gray Wolves while Shaunn Monroe (Charleston, W. Va./Fairborn [Ohio] H.S.) added 13 points.
 
The Gray Wolves hung close for most of the first half, using a 9-2 run to pull even with the Redbirds, 17-17, with just under 10 minutes to play before halftime.
 
A Harris triple at the 7:23 mark put Lourdes in front 22-21.  The Gray Wolves trailed by just one, 26-25, with under four minutes to play before intermission when Illinois State (1-0) went on a 12-2 run on the way to building a 38-29 halftime advantage.
 
A pair of three-pointers out of the locker room allowed the hosts to increase their lead to 15 and it would remain in double figures the rest of the way.  Lourdes closed to within 11, 59-48, at the 11-minute mark, but that would be as close as the Gray Wolves would get down the stretch.
 
The Gray Wolves shot just 36.4% from the floor on the evening, including just a 28.6% mark after halftime, while the Redbirds finished at a 46.6% clip.  Lourdes committed 14 turnovers but forced Illinois State into 15 miscues.  The Redbirds finished with a 43-33 advantage on the glass.
 
Malachi Poindexter led four Illinois State players in double figures with 16 points while Myles Foster added 13 more.
 
Lourdes (2-0) will return to regular season action on Saturday afternoon as the Gray Wolves host Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.  Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. inside the Russell J. Ebeid Recreation Center.