Game 14 ► Evansville (9-3, 1-1 MVC) at Indiana State (3-10, 1-1 MVC)

January 4th, 2009 ► 1:35 p.m. ET ► Terre Haute, Ind.  ► Hulman Center (10,200)

Game Day Central   

Series:             Indiana State Leads 75-72

STREAK:        ISU Won Last Two Games

TElevision:      Fox Sports Midwest

Play-By-Play:  Dan McLaughlin

Analyst:           Charlie Spoonhour

Radio:              ESPN Radio 1130/1300 AM

Play-By-Play:  Brian Fritz

Analyst:           Matt Renn

Internet:           GoSycamores.com

Storylines     

            Indiana State (3-10, 1-1 MVC) will play its second-straight MVC game at home on Sunday when the Sycamores welcome in-state rival Evansville (9-3, 1-1 MVC) to the Hulman Center. Tip off is set for 1:35 p.m. EST on Nellie and John Wooden Court, with game being televised live on Fox Sports Midwest as part of the Missouri Valley Conference Television Package.

            Creighton proved to be too much for the Sycamores on New Year's Even, as the Bluejays won their ninth straight game after a 79-61 victory over the Sycamores Wednesday afternoon at the Hulman Center.

            The Sycamores shot just 34.5 percent from the field in the game and allowed the Bluejays several open shots from three-point land, as they connected on 15 of their 24 three-point attempts on the game (62.5 percent).

            Junior Harry Marshall led the Sycamores in scoring with 15 points and four assists.  He was joined in double figures by junior Rashad Reed who finished with 11.  Creighton's P'Allen Stinnett led all scorers with 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including 6-for-8 effort from three-point land.

            Evansville (9-3, 1-1 MVC) has already equaled its win total from all of last season and comes into the game after losing just its third game of the season.  The Purple Aces are coming off an 80-50 defeat at the hands of the undefeated Illinois State Redbirds at Redbird Arena on Wednesday afternoon.  Illinois State ended up hitting 29-of-62 shots for 47 percent and held the Aces to 17-of-48 shooting while forcing UE into 21 turnovers. Shy Ely led the Aces in scoring with 19 points, the only Evansville player to finish in double figures.

            Indiana State leads the all-time series between the two schools 75-72, with the series dating back to the 1920-21 season.  Indiana State swept the season series last year against the Aces, with wins at Roberts Stadium and at the Hulman Center.  Prior to those wins, the Sycamores had dropped four-straight decisions to their rivals from the south.

About The Coaches

Kevin McKenna (Creighton ?93) is in his second season as the head coach at Indiana State (18-26).  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. 

Marty Simmons (Evansville ?87) is in his 2nd season as the head coach at Evansville (18-24) and his eighth overall as a collegiate head coach (116-97).  Simmons was one of the best basketball players in UE history, leading the Purple Aces to a conference championship in 1987 and to the second round of the 1988 NIT.  As an assistant coach at UE under Jim Crews in the 1990s, he helped lead Evansville to three NCAA Tournament appearances.  Prior to his return, Simmons was head coach for five years at Division II Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, where he took over a program that had not won 10 games since 1999 and led the Cougars to 23 wins in 2005 and 25 in 2006.

Scouting The Purple Aces

 ►       The University of Evansville is located in Omaha, Neb., and has an enrollment of 2,434 students.  The Purple Aces are members of the Missouri Valley Conference and play their home games at Roberts Stadium (11,600).

 ►       The Purple Aces finished with an overall record of 9-21 during the 2007-08 season.  In conference play, Evansville posted a 3-15 record which placed the Purple Aces 10th in the league standings.  Their season ended with a 69-46 loss to Missouri State in the opening round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis.

 ►       Senior leadership has been a big reason for Evansville's turnaround this season. The Aces' three seniors -- Shy Ely, Jason Holsinger and Nate Garner -- are also the team's top three in minutes played and points per game. Holsinger and Ely scored 16 each and Garner added 15 in UE's 76-65 win over Drake.

►        Evansville (9-3, 1-1 MVC) is coming off an 80-50 defeat at the hands of the undefeated Illinois State Redbirds at Redbird Arena on Wednesday afternoon.  Shy Ely led the Aces in scoring with 19 points.

Last Time Against The Purple Aces

TERRE HAUTE, Ind.  ? The Indiana State Sycamores returned home on Wednesday night for an in-state match up against rival Evansville looking to keep their home record unblemished.  The Sycamores (10-8, 5-3 MVC) did just that with a convincing 72-42 win over the Purple Aces (5-13, 0-8 MVC) in front of 4,573 fans at the Hulman Center to improve their home record to 9-0 this season.

            The Aces jumped out to a quick 6-3 lead after a dunk by center Pieter van Tongeren.  However, the Sycamores came right back and went on a 12-3 run, with senior Gabe Moore's three-pointer giving ISU its first lead of the game at 8-6, to take a 15-6 lead after a free throw by freshman Isiah Martin.  The ISU lead would then balloon to 22-7 after a layup and a three-pointer from junior Jay Tunnell.  After the Sycamores widened the lead to 20 points on a three-pointer by sophomore Marico Stinson, Evansville cut into the lead at 27-9 after a jumper by Darin Granger with 6:58 left in the half.

            ISU would then finish out the half on a 17-5 run to take a commanding lead into the locker room at halftime.  A Stinson three-pointer gave the Sycamores a 23-point lead at 32-9 to kick start the attack and Adam Arnold and Martin followed with back-to-back layups.  After a couple of jumpers from Nate Garner cut into the ISU lead at 38-12, sophomore Cole Holmstrom connected from three-point range to put ISU up 41-12 with just over a minute to play.  Shy Ely then nailed a jumper for Evansville before Harry Marshall hit a last-second three-pointer to give ISU a 44-14 lead at the intermission.

            The second half started much like the first ended, with the Sycamores jumping out to a 31-point lead at 54-23 after a tip-in by Todd McCoy and then widened that lead to 34 points after three-pointer by Tunnell with 12:51 left on the clock.  Evansville did not give up, though, and proceeded to hold the Sycamores to just seven points over the next five minutes and cut the lead to 64-38 after two free throws by Ely. 

            Indiana State then scored the next six points to widen the lead to 32 points at 70-38 with 2:33 left in the game and went on to secure the 72-42 victory.  ISU had four players in double figures on the night, with Moore leading the way with 14 points, seven assists and five steals.

A Sweep Over The Aces

Indiana State posted a 2-0 record against in-state rival Evansville last year in head coach Kevin McKenna's first season at the helm of the Sycamore basketball program.  The Sycamores earned a 70-56 victory over the Purple Aces at Roberts Stadium on Dec. 29 in the MVC opener.  That win broke a four-game losing streak against the Purple Aces and a three-game losing streak in Evansville.  ISU then followed that up with an convincing 72-42 win over the Purple Aces in front of 4,573 fans at the Hulman Center on Jan. 23 to improve their home record to 9-0 this season.  The win snapped a two-game losing streak to the Aces at home for ISU and gave the Sycamores a season sweep over their rivals from the south for the first time since 2004.  The 30-point win was also the largest margin of victory for the team since the 2001 season.

Richard Doubles Up

Freshman Carl Richard put together the best game of his young career at Indiana State when the Sycamores needed it the most.  On Sunday at UNI, the Chicago, Ill., native recorded the first double-double performance of his career with 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.  Richard's double-double was the first of the season for the Sycamores and the first for ISU since Feb. 27, 2008, when Jay Tunnell also posted a double-double against the Panthers at the McLeod Center with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Leitnaker Earns First Career Start

Redshirt sophomore center Brant Leitnaker has battled injuries throughout his time at Indiana State and has played in just 18 games in three years on campus.  However, his size in the post was needed against Northern Iowa and the Lancaster, Ohio, native was put into the starting lineup for the first time in his career to match up with UNI big man Jordan Eglseder.  Leitnaker scored the team's first two points of the game, which turned out to be his only of the contest, and grabbed a rebound in 14 minutes of action.  In addition, he helped hold the 7-foot-1 Eglseder to just four points in 18 minutes of action after coming in averaging a team-high 12.6 per game.

Something About The Powder Blue

This season marks the 30th anniversary of Indiana State's historic 1978-79 season that saw the Sycamores advance to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament and eventually to the National Championship game. The Sycamores unveiled their throwback replica uniforms from that season on the road on Sunday at Northern Iowa and some of the magic may have rubbed off, as ISU won a thrilling Missouri Valley Conference opener 85-84 in double overtime over the Panthers.  The Sycamores will hope for similar success today, as they debut the uniforms in front of their fans at home.

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.

Double Overtime ... No Sweat

Indiana State's 85-84 double-overtime win at Northern Iowa was its second such win in two seasons.  Last year, the Sycamores defeated Southern Illinois 64-62 in double overtime on Jan. 12 at the Hulman Center thanks to a 3-pointer by Marico Stinson.

The Marshall Plan Is In Effect

Junior guard Harry Marshall made his return to the Indiana State lineup against No. 14 Purdue on Dec. 13 and since that time his presence has been very welcome for the Sycamores.  In his first game back after sitting out the team's first eight games of the season, Marshall tallied 16 points and dished out six assists against the Boilermakers.  He followed that up by scoring a game-high 18 points, including a 10-for-13 effort from the free throw line, in the team's win over DePauw.  However, he saved his best performance for his fourth game of the year, as he scored a team-high 23 points against UNI to help the team to a thrilling double overtime victory.  In his five games back, Marshall is averaging 16.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest.

Crashing The Boards

The Sycamores have struggled getting rebounds at times throughout the season, but that was not the case in the team's last two victories.  Indiana State won the battle on the boards at Northern Iowa on Sunday 37-35, which helped the team score 11 second-chance points.  ISU also out-rebounded DePauw by a margin of 42-27, including a 30-18 difference on defensive rebounds.  With that performance, it marked the second time this season the team had corralled 40 or more rebounds (40 at DePaul).  In total, ISU has out-rebounded opponents twice this season and are 2-0 in those games.

The Fantastic Four

The Sycamores have shared in the scoring duties through 13 games this season and that was very apparent in the team's double-overtime win at Northern Iowa.  Four Sycamores scored in double figures, led by junior Harry Marshall's 23 points.  Sophomore Aaron Carter chipped in 16 points, including two big 3-pointers in double overtime, while freshman Carl Richard recorded the first double-double of his career with 15 points and 11 rebounds.  Senior Jay Tunnell rounded out the balanced scoring effort with 14 points in the victory for ISU.  With those four players in double figures, it marked the fourth time this season that the Sycamores have achieved that feat.

JP For Three

Redshirt freshman Jordan Printy had a breakout day against IUPUI at Conseco Fieldhouse, connecting on a career-high five three pointers to finish with a new career-high of 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.  Printy's previous career high was eight points, which he set earlier this season against Murray State.

Cutter Out With Ankle Injury

Freshman point guard Tyler Cutter will miss four to five weeks with a severe ankle sprain which he suffered in practice prior to the team's game against IUPUI.  The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native played in 10 games for the Sycamores, starting in two of those contests.  He was averaging 21.3 minutes per game for ISU and currently ranks second on the team with 28 assists.  Cutter played a strong game against No. 11 Louisville, as he scored a career-high eight points in 24 minutes and followed that up by dishing out a career-high eight assists against Lamar to help the team win its first game of the season.

Who Needs The Three?

Indiana State is averaging seven three-point baskets per game this season and are shooting 35.9 percent from long distance through 11 games.  However, in the team's win over DePauw, the Sycamores were ice cold from three-point range going 0-for-10 against the Tigers.  That snapped a streak of 252 consecutive games with at least one three-point field goal made.  The last time the Sycamores failed to make a three-point field goal was on February 9, 2000, when the Sycamores shot 0-for-7 against UNI.

Crawford Returns To Form

Junior transfer Josh Crawford averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in his first two games in an ISU uniform.  Over the next seven games, though, Crawford struggled to find his game and averaged just 2.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while blocking just eight shots.  However, he broke out of that funk against DePauw with 10 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in 12 minutes of action to help the Sycamores to their second win of the season.  With that performance, Crawford is now averaging 5.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while adding 18 blocked shots.

Tunnell Plays In 100th Game Of Career At ISU

Indiana State fields one of its youngest teams in years in 2008, but senior forward Jay Tunnell provides the team some much-needed leadership on and off the court.  Against DePauw, Tunnell played in his 100th career game at Indiana State and finished with 10 points  and five rebounds in 17 minutes of action.  In those 100 games, the Topeka, Kan., native started in 94 games while averaging 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 24.9 minutes per game for the Sycamores.

Coming Through In The Clutch

Rashad Reed was Indiana State's leading scorer heading into the team's game against Lamar at the Marques Maybin Classic at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky.  When the Sycamores needed a go-ahead basket late in the game against the Cardinals, they went to Reed who connected on a floater in the lane with 0.2 seconds to propel ISU to its first win of the season.  Reed finished the game with 15 points and six rebounds for the Sycamores in the game and now leads the team with an average of 12.9 points per game in seven starts.

Kentucky Brings Out The Best In Cutter, Leitnaker

Freshman point guard Tyler Cutter and sophomore center Brant Leitnaker enjoyed playing over the weekend at the Marques Maybin Classic, as both set new career highs on the historic floor of Freedom Hall.  Cutter played a strong game against No. 11 Louisville, as he scored a career-high eight points in 24 minutes of action.  He followed that up by dishing out a career-high eight assists against Lamar to help the team win its first game of the season.  Leitnaker also had a career effort against Louisville, as he scored a career-high nine points while tying his career high with five rebounds in 15 minutes of action against the Cardinals.

Dialed In From Long Distance

Against Murray State, the Sycamores made a season-high 12 three-pointers score 36 of the team's 61 total points.  Redshirt freshman Keenan Barlow led the way with a 3-for-4 effort to end up with a career-high 11 points, while fellow redshirt freshman Jordan Printy, senior Jay Tunnell, junior Rashad Reed and sophomore Aaron Carter each added two treys against the Racers.

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.