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The Illinois State basketball team took down MVC rival Murray State on Wednesday night to improve to 18-10 on the season. They had to do so shorthanded for a short period of time.
Starting guard Mason Klabo missed minutes before halftime to retrieve a forgotten item from his dorm. He benched himself in the middle of the contest to run across the Redbirds‘ campus in full uniform.
Klabo is a freshman in his first season with the program. He signed with ISU after being named Mr. Basketball in the state of North Dakota.
The youngster’s made an immediate impact. Klabo’s appeared in 26 games. He’s cracked the starting lineup in each of the last seven.
On Wednesday, he played 22 minutes while recording seven points, three boards, and a steal. It helped the Redbirds pick up a massive conference win as they battle for seeding in the MVC Tournament.
Klabo’s contributions on the court were notable. His time away from the game was much more eventful.
Illinois State basketball player benched himself.
After @ryanpedon wrapped up his postgame presser, he revealed Mason Klabo forgot his inhaler at his dorm(next to arena), ran back mid-game in full uniform to get it, and was back on the bench, all within five minutes. pic.twitter.com/aT8shk6J4i
— PatrickMcCabeTV (@PatrickMcCabeTV) February 19, 2026
Mason Klabo forgot his inhaler at his dorm. He needed it after play had started. He informed coaches of the mishap and directed them to keep him on the sidelines until it was retrieved.
The guard then left the arena in full uniform to run across campus in cold weather. He didn’t grab so much as a jacket.
Temperatures in Normal, IL were in the low 40s between 9pm and 11pm when the game was being played. For me as a South Carolinian, anything below 65 is cold. Anything under 50 is freezing.
Klabo is from Fargo. He is built for the cold. He was to his dorm room and back in five minutes’ time.
“I’ve heard a lot of stories in my 26 years of coaching,” said Ryan Pedon. “I have never heard of a player running back to his dorm in his full uniform.”
Pedon’s description paints an incredibly comical mental image. Klabo impressed his head coach with his speediness.
Next time, he’ll hope to avoid the midgame trip by remembering his inhaler before tipoff.