TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State was forced to play the final nine minutes without its leading scorer Larry Bird but demon strated great poise to hold off and defeat the touring Russian National basketball team 83-79 Sunday at Hulman Center.

With ISU leading 62-53, the Russian's Sergeli lovaisha drove for a layup. Bird, who was late getting back, tipped the ball back through the rim to draw a technical foul. Under international rules, a technical counts as a personal foul, which meant Bird had fouled out with 9:25 left in the game.

After the basket and the technical foul shots, the Russians had cut the Sycamores lead to a scant 62-57. But the Sycamores refused to quit and rallied behind newcomers Carl Nicks and Alex Gilbert and never relinquished its lead.

Sycamores Coach Bill Hodges was pleased with his team's effort saying We played well together and really moved the ball around. I was surprised we played as well after Larry (Bird) fouled out but the guys responded well, showing poise and lots of character."

Guard Nicks led all scorers with 24 points and came up with five steals. Bird still managed to tally 22 points while Gilbert chipped in with 16. Bird was the leading rebounder with 13 with Gilbert pulling down nine boards.

The Russians also lost its two top players via the foul route just two minutes after Bird exited. Leading scorer Anatoll Mishkin left with 7:28 to go and 7-foot-4 Vladimir Tkachenco went out with seven minutes left in the game.

Ivan Edeshko and lovaisha were high scorers for the Russians with 16 points apiece. Mishikin scored 12 and Tkachenko added 10 tallies while pulling down a team high eight rebounds.

The Russians took an early lead in the game at 14-7, using its height advantage to its benefit to score some easy layins. ISU was able to cut the gap to 14-7, on Bird's best play of the game. He blocked a Russlans shot at one end and came down to tip in a missed shot at the other.

The Russians went back ahead at 18-11 but the Russians committed several turnovers to allow the home team to get back in the game. The torrid outside shooting of Nicks and Steve Reed, the starting guards, the Sycamores to close the Russians lead to 24-23 with 8:18 left to the half.

ISU took the lead away seconds later on two free throws by Bird following a technical whistled on Mishkin. The Sycamores fell back again at 30-25 with 5:10 left but stayed close with strong rebounding, especially on the offensive end.

The Sycamores shot just 29 percent in the first half, but enjoyed a big advantage in rebounding pulling down 25 boards to just 16 for the larger visitors. ISU held a big lead off the offensive board of 13 to 2 in the half. The Russians shot 52 percent in the half.

The Russians again pulled away from ISU at the outset of the second half as they controlled two tips for easy layins and got inside for two more to lead 45-37 with 17:43 to go in the game.

The Sycamores scored the next six points and finally tied the Russian team at 48-48 with 15:29 left. Gilbert tipped in a missed shot and Nicks followed with a driving layin and the Sycamores were in the lead for good.

The hustling Sycamores extended the lead with outside jumpers from Bird, Nicks, and Reed. Brad Miley tipped in a missed shot and Nicks put in a reverse layin and ISU was up 62-53 when Bird picked up the crucial technical foul that forced his departure.

Both teams fought on even terms for the next five minutes with the Sycamores still leading 73-70 with 4:38 left in the contest. However, this was the closest the Russians were to get.

A turn-around jumper from Gilbert, a free toss from Leroy Staley and two free throws from Bob Heaton vaulted the Sycamores into a commanding 79-70 lead with only 2:56 left.
Nicks added a pair of charity tosses and Staley put in a breakaway layin to close out the Russians to end the game.

The Sycamores open its regular season Saturday at home against Lawrence of Wisconsin in a nonconference game at Hulman Center Game time is 7:30 p.m., EST. The Russians fall to 7-4 on the tour with two games remaining.