NEW ORLEANS, La. ? Monday night's game at Tulane was the last non-conference road game for Indiana State and the Sycamores were looking to secure their first road win of the season. However, ISU (4-5) shot just 35.8 percent from the field and dropped an 80-68 decision to the Green Wave (6-3) at Fogelman Arena.
Tulane jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead early in the first half, before the Sycamores began to creep back into the game. A layup by freshman Isiah Martin and a three-pointer from freshman Aaron Carter got the ISU rally started before Tulane's Asim McQueen answered with a jumper to make the score 12-7 at the 13:37 mark. Carter then answered with five straight points after the McQueen jumper to knot the score at 12-12. Following a dunk by Tulane's Donnavan Stith, Marico Stinson connected from three-point range to give ISU its first lead of the game at 15-14 with 10:18 left on the clock.
The Green Wave regained the lead at 18-15 about a minute later and later led 20-17 after a Robinson Louisme dunk. However, ISU came right back as senior Gabe Moore scored two-straight layups to put the Sycamores up by one at 21-20 with 6:48 left. The lead would then change hands four times before a jumper by McQueen put Tulane up by three points at 29-26 with just under three minutes left in the half. The Green Wave held onto that lead until the 1:00 mark when a layup by Martin gave ISU the lead again, this time at 32-31. Tulane ended the half by scoring the next three points, though, to take a 35-32 advantage into the locker room at the half.
The second half began with jumping out to a ten-point lead at 44-34 just three minutes into the half maintained that lead until the 11:40 mark, when a jumper by Johnny Mayhane made the score 53-43. Stinson answered with a three-pointer and Martin added a jumper to cut the Tulane lead to five points with 9:49 left in the game. The Tulane lead stayed in single digits until the 7:04 mark, when a David Gomez layup gave the Green Wave an 11-point lead at 61-50.
The lead would eventually grow to as much as 14 points with just over three minutes left in the game, before ISU attempted to mount a late comeback. A three-pointer from Moore started the 9-3 run for ISU and sophomore Harry Marshall scored the next six in a row, including a four-point play after being fouled while making a three-pointer to cut the lead to eight points at 76-68 with 53 seconds left in the game. That would be as close as ISU would get, though, as Tulane finished the game with four free throws to secure the 80-68 victory.
Stinson was one of four Sycamores in double figures and led the way with 14 points and four steals. Marshall finished the game 12 points and four assists, while Moore had a solid game with 11 points, six assists and two steals. Martin added 10 points and five rebounds to round out the scoring for ISU. Gomez led all scorers with 19 points and seven rebounds for Tulane, while Louisme and Matt Wheaton chipped in with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
ISU returns to action on Saturday, December 22, at home against Bowling Green in its final non-conference match up prior to starting Missouri Valley Conference play. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Hulman Center.
