Game 25 ► Drake (15-10, 6-7 MVC) at Indiana State (5-19, 3-10 MVC)

February 11, 2009  ►  7:05 p.m. ET  ►  Terre Haute, Ind.  ►  Hulman Center (10,200)

Game Day Central

Series:             Drake Leads 34-33

Streak:             Drake Has Won 5 Straight

Television:       WTWO (NBC)

Play-By-Play:  Jason Penky

Analyst:           Jim Waugh

Radio:              The Crock 92.7 FM

Play-By-Play:  Brian Fritz

Analyst:           Matt Renn

Internet:           GoSycamores.com

Storylines

Indiana State (5-19, 3-10 MVC) will look to even the season series against Drake (15-10, 6-7 MVC) with a win at home on Wednesday night.  Tip off is set for 7:05 p.m. EST on Nellie & John Wooden Court at Hulman Center.

            The Sycamores are coming off a dramatic 75-73 overtime win over Illinois State at Redbird Arena on Sunday night.  The win secured a season sweep over the Redbirds, with both wins coming in overtime.  It also improved ISU's record to 3-0 this season when playing in overtime.

            The Sycamores trailed by 12 points with 2:38 remaining in the game and came back to send the game to overtime.  In overtime, junior Harry Marshall nailed a jumper as time expired to help his team to the win. 

            Marshall finished with a career-high 24 points with that last second shot and also dished out a career-high nine assists in the game.  Senior Jay Tunnell chipped in with a career-high 28 points on 8-for-9 shooting from three point range to fuel the comeback for the Sycamores and added a season-high 12 rebounds to secure the fifth double-double of his career at ISU.

            Drake shot a sizzling 58.8 percent from the floor in the second half en route to posting a 68-54 victory over Bradley on Saturday night.  The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Bulldogs and also halted a three-game home losing skid.

            Guards Josh Young and Josh Parker led the Bulldogs with 18 and 16 points, respectively.  Jonathan Cox, the leading rebounder in the MVC, enjoyed his seventh double-figure rebounding game of the season by pulling down a game-high 10 boards.

            Drake leads the all-time series between the two schools is tied 34-33, thanks to a 69-50 win earlier this season in Des Moines, Iowa.  Drake won three times against the Sycamores last year including a win in the quarterfinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.  Overall, Drake has won five-straight games against the Sycamores.

About The Coaches

Kevin McKenna (Creighton ?93) is in his second season as the head coach at Indiana State (20-35).  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. 

Mark Phelps (Old Dominion ?96) is in his first season as the head coach of the Drake Bulldogs (15-10).  Phelps served as associate head coach at Arizona State the past two seasons and served on the coaching staff at North Carolina State under head coach

Herb Sendek from 1996-2006 before joining Sendek at Arizona State in 2006.  He was part of Sendek's staff that led North Carolina State to a 53-39 record (.576) in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament play in the final five seasons in Raleigh,N.C.  Phelps posted a 148-53 record (.736 winning percentage) in six years as a high school head coach in Virginia.

Scouting The Bulldogs

►        Drake University is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and has an enrollment of 5,336 students.  The Bulldogs are members of the Missouri Valley Conference and play their home games at the Drake Knapp Center (7,002).

►        The Bulldogs finished with an overall record of 28-5 during the 2007-08 season under head coach Keno Davis.  In conference play, Drake posted a 15-3 mark in Valley play which led them to the regular season and conference championships in the league.  Drake ended its season with a heartbreaking 101-99 loss to Western Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Tampa, Fla., but finished the season ranked No. 14 overall according to the Associated Press.

►        Drake is led by a trio of strong scorers, including junior guard Josh Young at 16.1 points per game.  He is joined in double figures by senior forward Jonathan Cox (12.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and sophomore guard Josh Parker (11.1 ppg, 37 ast.).

►        Drake shot a sizzling 58.8 percent from the floor in the second half en route to posting a 68-54 victory over Bradley Saturday night, while snapping a three-game losing streak.

Last Time Against The Bulldogs

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Sycamores (3-12, 1-3 MVC) out-rebounded the Bulldogs (12-4, 3-1 MVC) by a margin of 41-28 and put back 15 second-chance points, but 16 costly turnovers and key three-pointers by Drake shooters gave the Bulldogs a 69-50 win at the Knapp Center.

            Josh Young was then fouled while attempting a three-pointer and made each of his three free throws to put Drake up 6-3 early in the game.  That lead would later grow to six points before a jumper by Isiah Martin cut the score to 12-8 in favor of the Bulldogs.

            After a Jonathan Cox jumper made the score 14-8, Martin connected once again in the paint to bring the lead back to four points.  Drake's Brent Heemskerk and Josh Parker then made back-to-back layups to give the Bulldogs an eight-point lead, before Martin answered once again with a thunderous dunk off a missed shot to make the score 18-12.  Adam Templeton then hit a three-pointer for Drake to extend the lead to nine points, before Martin scored his fourth-consecutive basket to bring the score to 21-14 with 8:06 left in the half.

            Drake continued to control the game and eventually widened its lead to 10 points at 31-21 after another trey from Templeton.  Aaron Carter came right back and answered with a three-pointer of his own to cut the lead to 31-24 with a 1:04 remaining for ISU and Jay Tunnell added a jumper as time expired to cut the Drake lead to just five points at the half 31-26.

            After the break, Drake widened its lead to nine points at 38-29 at the 15:53 mark after Cox converted on a traditional three-point play.  However, Carl Richard answered with three points of his own as he was fouled while making a layup and hit a free throw to cut the lead to 38-32.  A jumper from Martin then cut the lead to just four points for the Sycamores at 38-34, which forced Drake head coach Mark Phelps to burn a 30 second timeout.

            The Bulldogs came out of that timeout and scored five-straight points to extend the lead to 43-34 with 10:59 left in the game and eventually widened the lead to 12 points at 48-36 after a three-pointer by Josh Young.  The two squads then traded buckets and two free throws by Richard kept the deficit at 54-45 with 6:13 remaining for the Sycamores.  However, that would be as close as ISU would get for the rest of the game as the Bulldogs closed the game on a 15-5 run to come away with a 69-50 victory over the Sycamores.

Extra Time Pays Dividends

Indiana State is no stranger to winning games in overtime, as seen in the team's thrilling 75-73 win over Illinois State on Sunday on ESPNU.  In fact, the Sycamores have won all three of their overtime games this season and their last five games in a row when needing extra time.  Head coach Kevin McKenna is now 5-0 in games decided in overtime in his time at Indiana State.  All five 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 in both games 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. 

An Instant Classic on ESPNU

Indiana State's game against Illinois State was its first game ever televised on ESPNU and some were tabbing it as an instant classic following the game.  The Sycamores trailed by 12 points with 2:38 remaining in the game and came back to send the game to overtime and to an eventual 75-73 win on a buzzer beater by junior Harry Marshall.  Marshall finished with a career-high 24 points with that last second shot and senior Jay Tunnell chipped in with a career-high 28 points on 8-for-9 shooting from three point range to fuel the comeback for the Sycamores.

A Milestone Game For Tunnell

Heading into Sunday's game at Illinois State, senior forward Jay Tunnell needed just eight points to become just the 31st player in school history to score 1,000 points.  The Topeka, Kan., native scored those eight points plus 20, as he finished with a career-high 28 points to give him 1,020 in his four seasons at ISU. In addition, he connected on a career-high eight three-pointers and finished 8-for-9 overall in the game from long distance.  Tunnell also recorded the fifth double-double of his career, as he pulled down a season-high 12 rebounds in the overtime win of the Redbirds as well.  Tunnell will be honored prior to today's game for joining the 1,000 points scoring club.

The Marshall Plan

When the game was on the line on Sunday at Illinois State in overtime, most knew that junior guard Harry Marshall would make something happen.  He did just that, as he rose up from just inside the three point line and hit the game winning shot at the buzzer to give the Sycamores a 75-73 win over the Redbirds.  With that bucket, Marshall achieved a new career high with 24 points to go along with his career high nine assists in the game.  Man of those assists went to teammate Jay Tunnell, who tallied a career-high 28 points against the Redbirds. 

The Dynamic Duo

Senior Jay Tunnell and junior Harry Marshall became the second pair of Sycamores to each score 20 points in a game this season with their career performances at Illinois State on Sunday.  Tunnell scored a career-high 28 points while Marshall finished with a career-high 24 points.  Tunnel and sophomore Aaron Carter were the other duo to achieve the feat, as each scored 20 points against Ohio on Dec. 8 in Louisville, Ky., at the Marques Maybin Classic.

Converting From The Charity Stripe

Sunday's overtime win at Illinois State may have been decided at the free throw line.  The Sycamores shot a season-high 91.7 percent (11-for-12) from the charity stripe, led by Harry Marshall's 6-for-7 effort on the day.  On the other end, the Redbirds shot just 58.3 percent from the line (14-for-24) including several misses late in the game in regulation and in overtime. 

Dishing The Rock

People know about sophomore guard Harry Marshall's ability to score on the court, but he shares the wealth with his teammates as well.  In just 14 games played for the Sycamores, Marshall ranks second on the team with 55 assists and is fifth in the conference with 4.0 assists per Valley game.  Marshall set a new career high with nine assists on Sunday at Illinois State, topping his previous career mark of seven set at Creighton earlier this season.  The nine assists are the most in a game by a Sycamore player this season.

14 Threes For The Trees

Heading into Sunday's game at Illinois State, the Sycamores knew they would have to keep pace with the Redbirds who were one of the better three-point shooting teams in the conference.  ISU did just that, as the Sycamores tallied a season-high 14 triples in the game while shooting 46.7 percent from long distance.  That performance topped their previous season high of 12 made against Murray State on Nov. 26.  Senior Jay Tunnell led the shooting barrage, finishing 8-for-9 from three-point land in the game on way to a career-high 28 points.  Rashad Reed, Harry Marshall and Jordan Printy each chipped in with two makes apiece to round out the strong shooting night.

Sycamores To Host Toledo In ESPU BracketBusters

Indiana State will face Mid-American Conference opponent Toledo on February 21 as part of the ESPNU BracketBusters event.  The contest between the Sycamores (4-18, 2-9 MVC) and the Rockets (4-17, 2-5 MAC) will be the first between the two schools in the history of both programs.  ISU is 2-2 all-time in the BracketBusters series, with victories over Western Michigan in 2006 (59-57) and Murray State in 2008 (79-62).  As part of the BracketBusters series agreement, the Sycamores will travel to Toledo for a return game next season.

Martin To Miss Remainder Of The Season

Sophomore Isiah Martin will miss the remainder of the season due to an injury in his right knee that will require surgery this week.  The Chicago, Ill., native averaged 4.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 23 games played this season while starting in three contests.  Martin also leads the team with 24 blocked shots, after leading the Missouri Valley Conference in blocks as a freshman last season with 59.  As a true freshman, Martin was named to the league's All-Freshman and All-Bench Teams and was twice named the league's Newcomer of the Week (Dec. 31 and Feb. 17).

Long Range Bombing Against UNI

The Sycamores came out firing from long distance last Saturday against Northern Iowa, as they hit 11 three-pointers against the Panthers including a 9-for-14 effort in the first half.  The 11 treys were the second most in a game this season by ISU, falling one short of the dozen three-pointers hit against Murray State on Nov. 26.  Freshman Jordan Printy led the barrage with four treys, while sophomore Harry Marshall and junior Rashad Reed each added three each.  In all, the Sycamores hit 21 three-pointers against the Panthers in two games this season which accounts for 26.6 percent (21-of-79) of their triples during conference play.

I'll Take A Dozen

The number 12 has been benchmark for freshman Carl Richard during Valley play, as he's corralled at least 12 rebounds three times for the Sycamores.  The Chicago, Ill., native racked up a dozen boards at Bradley on Jan. 24 to give him his fourth double-digit rebounding effort in the last 13 games.  Richard's four double-digit rebounding efforts leads the Sycamores and his average of 6.7 caroms in league games is currently tied for fifth among all players in the conference.

Martin Tames The Salukis

Sophomore Isiah Martin earned his second start of the season and made it count against Southern Illinois on Jan. 21 as he tied season highs with 12 points and six rebounds against the Salukis.  Martin started for senior Jay Tunnell, who was suffering from the flu, and 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.

Double Trouble

Freshman Carl Richard has recorded three double-doubles in 11 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.).

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.

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.

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.