Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. --- Indiana State earned a 72-59 home court victory over IUPUI in front of 4,013 fans inside festive Hulman Center as the Wabash Valley used a collegiate basketball game to tip-off the Holiday weekend.
The Sycamores improved to 8-3 on the season, winning for the third consecutive game while IUPUI fell to 9-4.
The Sycamores added to their seven point lead at the half (35-28), with a Dwayne Lathan jumper for the 37-28 lead, its biggest of the game.
IUPUI went on an 12-5 spurt over the next seven minutes to make it 42-40 with 12 minutes to go. ISU answered with a 7-2 run of its own capped by a conventional 3-point play from Harry Marshall with 10 and a half to go for the 49-42 advantage.
The Jags cut the Sycamore lead down to 49-45 on a 3-pointer by Leroy Nobles to start a 7-0 run which would knot the contest for the third time on a turnover and fastbreak lay-up by Jon Avery with 7:21 remaining in the game.
Jordan Printy would stop the bleeding with his third 3-pointer of the game with seven minutes to go and then he followed that up with another at the six minute mark for the 55-49 lead.
After an IUPUI triple in response, the Sycamores scored four consecutive points after a Jag technical foul and then Kelly scored with the shot clock winding down for the 59-52 advantage.
The Jags cut the lead down to 59-55, but Marshall answered with a deep 3-pointer and Kelly hit 1-of-2 free throws following a technical foul on IUPUI head coach Ron Hunter for the 63-54 lead with four minutes remaining on the clock.
The Sycamores allowed another IUPUI bucket to make it 63-56 before Lathan went over double figures scoring for the team-leading ninth time with a lay-up at the three minute mark for the 65-56 advantage.
ISU's lead grew to a game-high 11 points at 67-56 on another jumper by Lathan with two minutes to go.
Lathan finished the game with a career-high tying 18 points while Printy added 12 off the bench.
Indiana State led 35-28 at the half thanks to balanced scoring attack and some nifty 3-point shooting. The Sycamores ended the opening stanza with 10 field goals, six of which came from long distance. Jordan Printy had a pair to led ISU with six points off the bench while Carl Richard, Rashad reed, Jake Kelly and Koang Doluony each posted a triple.
IUPUI came out of the gates hot, hitting four of their first five shots and taking a quick 10-0 advantage. Printy scored the Sycamores' first points on a 3-pointer to make it 10-3.
After the Jags hot start, the Sycamores outscored IUPUI by a 35-18 margin over the final 16 minutes, taking their first lead on a pair of Richard free throws with 7:49 left before the break.
ISU's 35-28 lead at the half was its biggest of the first half. The Sycamores received 17 points off their bench as all nine ISU players that saw action scored points. IUPUI received no points off its bench before the half. ISU led the Jags 17-11 on the boards at the half.
Missouri Valley Conference play begins on Tuesday, December 29 when they Sycamores travel to Southern Illinois for the league opener for both schools. Tip-off is slated for 8:05 p.m. (ET) and can be heard live on The Crock 92.7 FM as well as online at GoSycamores.com.
