Game 21 ► Indiana State (4-16, 2-7 MVC) at Creighton (15-6, 5-4 MVC)

January 27, 2009  ►  8:05 p.m. ET  ►  Omaha, Neb.  ►  Qwest Center (17,272)

Game Day Central

Series:             Creighton Leads 47-22

Streak:             Creighton 4 out of last 5 wins

Radio:              The Crock 92.7 FM

Play-By-Play:  Brian Fritz

Analyst:           Matt Renn

Internet:           GoSycamores.com

Storylines     

            Indiana State (4-16, 2-7 MVC) heads to Omaha, Neb., trying to snap a four-game losing streak and in search of its first win since January 10 against Illinois State.  However, Creighton (15-6, 5-4 MVC) will be looking to rebound from a disappointing loss at home on Saturday when the Sycamores and the Bluejays face off tonight.  Tip off is set for 8:05 p.m. EST from Qwest Center Omaha.

            The Sycamores are coming off a 68-56 loss to Bradley on Saturday night in Peoria, Ill.  ISU out-rebounded Bradley 34-25 in the contest, but 22 turnovers turned into 24 points for the Braves to help them earn a series sweep over the Sycamores this season.

            Rashad Reed led the Sycamores with 12 points and four assists on the night, while Harry Marshall finished in double figures with 11 points to go along with four assists.  Carl Richard also made his presence known on the floor, as the freshman tied his career high with 12 rebounds while chipping in seven points for the Sycamores.  The double-digit rebounding effort was the fourth for Richard in the last nine games.

            The Bluejays are coming off a 74-62 win at loss to Drake on Saturday afternoon before 17,193 fans at Qwest Center Omaha.  The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Drake and gave the Bluejays just their second loss at home this season.

            Creighton had three players finish in double-figures, led by 15 points apiece by P'Allen Stinnett and Booker Woodfox.  Cavel Witter came off the bench and chipped in 13 points for the Bluejays. CU shot a season-low 30 percent from the floor (21-70), including 9-of-40 (22.5 percent) in the second half. Casey Harriman led the Bluejays on the backboards with seven rebounds off the bench and the Jays had a season-low seven turnovers.

            Creighton owns a 47-22 record all-time against Indiana State and has won 14 of the last 17 games in the series. ISU is just 7-26 all-time in Omaha and have dropped the last seven games to the Bluejays on the road.  ISU's last win over Creighton in Omaha came on January 4, 1999, when the Sycamores picked up a 70-69 win over the Bluejays. 

About The Coaches

Kevin McKenna (Creighton ?93) is in his second season as the head coach at Indiana State (19-32).  In his first season with the Sycamores, McKenna led the team to its highest win total since the 2000-01 season and an impressive 12-2 record at home in the Hulman Center.  McKenna came to Indiana State after spending nine seasons as an assistant coach at Creighton under head coach Dana Altman, where he helped the Bluejays advance to four NCAA tournament appearances.  From 2001-05, McKenna spent four years as the head coach (89-33) at NCAA Division II Nebraska-Omaha, where he guided the Mavericks to four consecutive 20-win seasons and three appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. 

Dana Altman (Eastern New Mexico, 1980) is in his 15th year as head coach of the Bluejays. He owns a 293-154 (.655) mark at Creighton and a career record of 376-221 (.630) in his 20th year as a NCAA Division I head coach when you add four seasons at Kansas State and one at Marshall.  Creighton's all-time winningest coach, Altman has been named national, conference, regional or district coach of the year in 10 of his first 23 years as a head coach. The 2001 and 2002 MVC Coach of the Year was a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award in 2003.  Additionally, Altman has led Creighton to seven NCAA Tournaments and his teams have played in the postseason in 11 straight seasons.

Scouting The Bluejays

 ►       Creighton University is located in Omaha, Neb., and has an enrollment of 6,992 students.  The Bluejays are members of the Missouri Valley Conference and play their home games at the Qwest Center (17,272).

 ►       The Bluejays finished with an overall record of 22-11 during the 2007-08 season.  In conference play, Creighton posted a 10-8 record which was good enough for fourth place in the conference.  That record was good enough to qualify the Bluejays for the MasterCard National Invitation Tournament (NIT), where the team defeated Rhode Island 74-73 in the first round before falling on the road at Florida in the second round, 82-54, to end the season.

 ►       Creighton heads into tonight's game coming off a 74-62 loss at home to the visiting Drake Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in front 17,193 fans at Qwest Center Omaha.  CU shot a season-low 30 percent from the floor (21-70), including 9-of-40 (22.5 percent) in the second half.  The Bluejays had three players finish in double-figures, with 15 points each from P'Allen Stinnett and Booker Woodfox and 13 from Cavel Witter off the bench.

Last Time Against The Bluejays

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? The Creighton Bluejays (12-2, 2-0 MVC) proved to be too much for Indiana State (3-10, 1-1 MVC), as they posted a 79-61 victory over the Sycamores at the Hulman Center. 

            Creighton's P'Allen Stinnett scored his second consecutive three-pointer at 17:29 to put Creighton up by six points at 8-2 with 17:29 left in the first half. Indiana State pulled within one at the 14:16 mark when Jordan Printy and Harry Marshall scored back-to-back baskets from behind the arc for a 14-13 Bluejay advantage.

            The Bluejays' Kaleb Korver wouldn't let the Sycamores take their first lead as he and teammate Justin Carter hit back-to-back three-pointers to put Creighton up by seven with 11:49 left on the clock in the first half.  Those three-pointers turned out to be the beginning of a 14-2 Bluejay run that put Creighton up by 13 points with 8:26 showing on the clock.

            Creighton extended its lead to fourteen points, its largest lead of the half, with 2:46 remaining after a Casey Harriman three-pointer.  Indiana State managed to pull within eight with just ten seconds remaining thanks to three-point baskets by Printy and Jay Tunnell and a layup by Marshall. 

            To begin the second twenty-minute period, it was the Sycamores who came out on fire.  Led by Tunnell, who began the Sycamore scoring by hitting his second three-pointer of the game at 19:00, the Sycamores outscored the Bluejays 13-6 in the first four minutes to cut the lead to four at 46-42.  The highlight of those first four minutes was highlighted by Brant Leitnaker, who ignited the Hulman Center crowd by smashing home a one-handed dunk from the right baseline.

            Stinnett was able to hold off the Sycamores single-handedly, as he sent home three consecutive three-pointers to put Creighton back up by nine, 51-42, with 15:05 left in the game.  Despite back-to-back Sycamore buckets by Aaron Carter and Rashad Reed, the Bluejays' Chad Millard made two successive three-pointers to put his team back up 59-49 with 9:17 on the clock.

            In the remaining nine minutes, Creighton would outscore the Sycamores 20-12 which helped them fly away with a 79-61 victory as they received 26 points from their bench.

Facing Off Against A Familiar Foe

Indiana State head coach Kevin McKenna will make his return to the place where his basketball career flourished when he leads his team against the Creighton Bluejays in Omaha.  In his two seasons at Indiana State, McKenna has posted a 1-2 record against his alma mater, including a thrilling 62-54 win at Hulman Center last year.  As a player, McKenna currently ranks 12th in Creighton history with exactly 1,500 career points. He remains ranked in CU's career top-10 lists in field goal attempts, free-throw percentage and assists. Two of his teams (1977-78 and 1980-81) reached the NCAA Tournament and McKenna was enshrined into the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998 for his exploits.  Following his playing career, McKenna returned to the sidelines as an assistant coach for nine seasons at his alma mater (1994-2001, 2005-07) before taking over the reigns at Indiana State.

Marshall Makes His Return

After missing two games due to a hamstring strain, Marshall returned to the ISU lineup and averaged 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in two contests last week.  In his first game back from the injury, the Bowling Green, Ind., native scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds in 27 minutes of work against Southern Illinois on Wednesday.  He followed that up by finishing in double figures with 11 points and four assists on Saturday at Bradley.  In 10 games played, Marshall leads the Sycamores with 13.2 points per game and ranks second on the team with 37 assists.

Richard Grabs A Dozen ... Rebounds

The number 12 has been benchmark for freshman Carl Richard during Valley play, as he's corralled at least 12 rebounds in three of his last five games for the Sycamores.  The Chicago, Ill., native racked up a dozen boards on Saturday at Bradley to give him his fourth double-digit rebounding effort in the last nine games.  Richard's four double-digit rebounding effort leads the Sycamores and his average of 7.7 caroms in league games currently ranks third among all players in the conference.

Martin Tames The Salukis

Sophomore Isiah Martin earned his second start of the season on Wednesday against Southern Illinois and showed he deserved the honor, as he tied season highs with 12 points and six rebounds against the Salukis.  Martin, who started for senior Jay Tunnell who was suffering from the flu, matched his season high of 12 points set earlier this season at Drake (Jan. 7) thanks to a career-high 6-for-10 effort from the free throw line.

A Gutsy Effort From Tunnell

Senior Jay Tunnell missed his first start of the season on Wednesday night against Southern Illinois due to suffering from flu symptoms.  After missing practice and the team's shoot around, Tunnell suited up and gutted out a solid performance against the Salukis.  Playing just 17 minutes, Tunnell scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds to help his team out rebound SIU by a 31-29 margin.

Board Certified

The Sycamores were minus-4.8 in rebounding margin in 11 games during

non-conference play. However, the team has made comeback in Valley play, as they are currently out-rebounding opponents in the league by nearly two rebounds per game with a margin of +1.8 (308 to 292).  ISU has pulled down more boards than their league counterparts in five out of the last six games and six times in eight games during conference play.  ISU won the battle of the boards in both of its games last week, posting a 31-29 mark against Southern Illinois on Wednesday and a 34-25 effort over Bradley at Carver Arena on Saturday night.

Double Trouble

Freshman Carl Richard has recorded three double-doubles in nine games during league action. On January 17 at Evansville, the Chicago native scored 10 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to record the third double-double of his young career at ISU. He also owns double-double performances against Illinois State (14 pts./12 reb.) and UNI (15 pts./11reb.).

Newcomers Step Up To The Plate

With junior Harry Marshall missing from the lineup due to a hamstring injury, several ISU newcomers had to step up for the Sycamores in his absence.  Junior transfer Rashad Reed led the way in two games against Bradley and Evansville, scoring 12.0 points per game while pulling down 3.5 rebounds per game. Redshirt freshman Jordan Printy scored 10.5 points per contest last week and added 3.5 rebounds per game himself.  Last but not least, freshman Carl Richard recorded his third double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds at Evansville.

Extra Time Pays Dividends

Indiana State is no stranger to winning games in overtime, as seen in the team's thrilling 75-70 win over Illinois State.  In fact, the Sycamores have won their last five games in a row when needing extra time including a perfect 4-0 mark under head coach Kevin McKenna.  All four of those wins have come against Valley opponents as well, with wins over Southern Illinois (2 OT) and Wichita State last year and a win at UNI (2 OT) and against Illinois State this season.  That last time ISU lost in overtime was on Dec. 2, 2006, when ISU dropped a 73-70 decision to in-state rival Ball State under head coach Royce Waltman. 

Spreading The Wealth

The Sycamores needed help from everyone on the floor in order to pull out a 75-70 win in overtime against Illinois State on Jan. 10.  In all, six Indiana State players scored in double figures marking the first time since 1999 a Sycamore team had achieved that feat.  Jordan Printy (15 pts.), Carl Richard (14 pts.), Harry Marshall (12 pts.), Aaron Carter and Rashad Reed (11 pts. Each) and Jay Tunnell (10 pts.) all chipped in double figures to help the Sycamores to their second conference win of the season on Saturday against the Redbirds.  The last six-pack of Sycamores who scored in double figures included Matt Renn (16 pts.), Matt Broermann (15 pts.), Kelyn Block (13 pts.), Michael Menser (11 pts.) and Nate Green and Terence Avery (10 pts. each) against Montana State at the Top Of The World Classic on Nov. 20, 1999, in Fairbanks, Alaska.

What A Difference A Game Makes

Freshman Jordan Printy struggled in his home state against Drake on Jan. 7, as he finished the game 0-for-8 from the field against the Bulldogs.  However, the Marion, Iowa, native bounced back well against Illinois State on Jan. 10, as he tied his career high with 15 points for the Sycamores.  Printy finished 4-for-4 from the field, including a 3-for-3 effort from three point range, and was 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

Missed It By That Much

Senior Jay Tunnell has been one of the Sycamores most consistent scorers and rebounders this season, as he is averaging 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest.  Against Drake on Jan. 7, Tunnell just missed out on his fifth career double-double as he grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds but tallied just nine points for the Sycamores.  Then, against Illinois State on Jan. 10, Tunnell just missed out again with 10 points and nine rebounds against the Redbirds.  Tunnell had two double-double performances as a junior during the 2007-08 season and two during his sophomore campaign in 2006-07.

Martin Takes A Bite Out Of The Bulldogs

Sophomore Isiah Martin has struggled at times offensively this season, but he showed his scoring ability on the road against Drake on Jan 7.  Martin led the way for the Sycamores with a game-high 12 points, including a stretch in which he scored four consecutive buckets for the Sycamores. 

Blocks-A-Plenty Against The Aces

The long arms of Indiana State's post defenders were busy against Evansville on Jan. 4, as the Sycamores racked up 11 blocked shots against their in-state rivals from the south.  The 11 blocks by the Sycamores were just one short of the team's single-game record of 12, which was set in 1984 against SIU-Edwardsville.  Forward Isiah Martin, who led the Missouri Valley Conference last season in blocked shots with 59, had a season-high five swats to lead the way while center Brant Leitnaker chipped in with two of his own.  Forward Jay Tunnell, center Josh Crawford and guards Rashad Reed and Jordan Printy each added a block apiece to round out the effort for the Sycamores against the Aces.

Shutting Down The Three

Evansville came into the Hulman Center on Jan. 4 averaging 71.2 points per game and nearly four three-pointer per contest.  However, the Sycamores shut down the Purple Aces' scoring from the perimeter, as Evansville finished 0-for-6 from three-point range against the Sycamores.  It marked the first time all season the Sycamores had held an opponent without a made three-pointer and it was the first time Evansville did not connect on a trey in 13 games.  Sharpshooter Jason Holsinger was 0-for-4 from three-point land for the Aces, while Shy Ely and Kaylon Williams each missed on their only attempts of the day.

McKenna Remains Unbeaten In Valley Openers

In each of his two seasons on the bench at Indiana State, head coach Kevin McKenna's teams have opened Missouri Valley Conference play on the road.  In those two contests, the Sycamores have earned big wins in both after the Sycamores defeated Northern Iowa in double overtime 85-84 on Sunday in Cedar Falls.  Last season, ISU opened Valley play with a 70-56 win at Evansville on Dec. 29 to pick up its lone conference road win of the season.

JP For Three

Redshirt freshman Jordan Printy had a breakout day against IUPUI at Conseco Fieldhouse on Dec. 23, connecting on a career-high five three pointers to finish with 15 points.  The Marion, Iowa, native was 5-for-7 from beyond the arch in the game and added two rebounds and a blocked shot in a career-high 25 minutes of action against the Jaguars.

Honoring A True Sycamore Legend

Prior to the start of lSU's first exhibition game against Albion College, the floor at Hulman Center will officially be named the Nellie and John Wooden Court in honor of the legendary coach and his late wife, Nellie.  Prior to achieving legendary success as the head coach at UCLA, Wooden began his collegiate coaching career and served two years as head men's basketball coach, baseball coach and athletics director at Indiana State from 1946 to 1948. While earning his master's degree at Indiana State, he compiled a 44-15 record as basketball coach while leading the Sycamores to post-season tournament appearances each year and two conference championships.  In addition, coach Wooden will also be inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Athletics Hall of Fame in March.