TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Sycamores used their depth and a strong defensive effort to earn an 87-58 victory over NCAA Division II Nebraska-Kearney in the Indiana State season opener in front of 4,484 fans at Hulman Center.

Indiana State won its season lidlifter for the eighth time in the last ten seasons. The Sycamores have now won each of their last 18 season openers at Hulman Center.

Five Sycamores reached double figures scoring as part of a balanced offensive attack. Paced by 16 points from junior Jake Kelly, Rashad Reed scored 14. Jordan Printy added 11 while Harry Marshall and Aaron Carter added 10 each.

"If you look at the statistics, it gives you an idea of the quality of depth that this team has," head coach Kevin McKenna said. "There just isn't much drop off when we make a substitution. Our new guys are getting experience each day and everybody is starting to get a feel for each other."

Kelly finished the game with a perfect 10-of-10 mark at the free throw line as the Sycamores visited the charity stripe a total of 36 times and hit 27 times, for a 75 percent clip.

The Sycamores were stingy with the basketball, turning it over only six times in the contest while forcing 18 Loper turnovers. ISU was able to score 21 points off UNK turnovers while allowing just four off Sycamore miscues to UNK.

Indiana State won the battle of the boards 44-32 in the contest paced by seven rebounds by Printy and Josh Crawford.

"We got to some boards tonight just because we were a little longer and more athletic than UNK was," McKenna commented. "I want for us to continue to be more aggressive on the boards on the season moves along."

The Lopers trimmed a 34-20 Sycamore halftime lead to 10 on four consecutive points out of the lockeroom. Jordan Printy led the team with eight points at the half and he scored the first three by the Sycamores in the second stanza as ISU answered UNK's spurt with five points of their own.

A pair of free throws by Josiah Parker trimmed the Sycamore lead down to 43-30, but as they did all night, the Sycamores scored seven of the game's next nine points to stretch the lead out to 48-30 with 14:32 left in the contest.

A 3-point play with two minutes left and a free throw with 38 seconds left by Reed gave Indiana State its largest lead, 88-55, with 38 seconds remaining.

Indiana State and Nebraska-Kearney battled to an 8-8 tie over the first five minutes of the game after a jump shot by UNK's Josiah Parker. The Lopers led 11-8 on an Akeem Morissaint 3-point field goal before the Sycamores kick started a 9-0 run with 13:08 left in the first half on a jumper by Rashad Reed who was seeing his first action since injuring his knee in the exhibition opener against Rose-Hulman.

The Sycamore spurt continued over the next minutes and half as Koang Doluony hit a pair of free throws to give Indiana State a 12-11 advantage that grew to 17-11 on a jumper by Jake Kelly and a triple by Jordan Printy.

UNK's Brian Ridgeway hit a 3-pointer to answer the spurt before the Sycamores scored the game's next seven points to take a 24-14 lead with 8:54 left on a fast break lay-up by Harry Marshall.

Kelly hit a jumper with 57 seconds left on the clock to give the Sycamores a 34-20 lead just before the break.

Jordan Printy led Indiana State with eight points at the half as the Sycamores tickled the nets to a 42.9 percent clip in the opening stanza.

The Sycamores return to action on Monday, November 16 when they travel to Baton Rouge, La., to face off against LSU in the opener of the 2009 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tipoff. Tipoff is set for 8:07 p.m. (ET).