Game 26 ► Indiana State (6-19, 4-10 MVC) at Missouri State (10-15, 3-11 MVC)

February 14, 2009  ►  8:05 p.m. EST  ►  Springfield, Mo. ►  JQH Arena (11,000)

Game Day Central

Series:             Missouri State Leads 34-15

Streak:             Missouri State Won 14 of 15

Television:       Fox Sports Midwest

Play-By-Play:  Scott Warmann

Analyst:           Charlie Spoonhour

Radio:              The Crock 92.7 FM

Play-By-Play:  Brian Fritz

Analyst:           Matt Renn

Internet:           GoSycamores.com

Storylines     

            Indiana State (6-19, 4-10 MVC) has just five games remaining in the regular season and two of them will be against Missouri State (10-15, 3-11 MVC).  The first of those two contests will a Valentine's Day showdown at the new JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo.  Tip off is set for 8:05 p.m. EST with the game being televised live on Fox Sports Midwest.

            The Sycamores bring a two-game winning streak into the contest against the Bears, with wins against Illinois State (OT) and on Wednesday against Drake.  The back-to-back wins are the first for ISU this season.

            ISU shot 41.9 percent on Wednesday against Drake, including 65 percent in the second half, and out-rebounded the Bulldogs 33-27 en route to a 69-57 victory at Hulman Center.

            Senior Jay Tunnell led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field, including a 5-for-6 effort from three-point range.  Also figuring in double figures were junior Rashad Reed and redshirt freshman Jordan Printy, who tallied 15 and 11 points, respectively.  Marshall rounded out the balanced scoring effort by scoring ten points while adding six assists and four rebounds.

            Missouri State fell by a score of 62-61 to Wichita State at Koch Arena on Tuesday night. A three-pointer by WSU freshman Toure' Murry with 5.1 seconds remaining lifted the Shockers over the Bears, who shot season-bests 58.3 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from three, but came up short at the free throw line with just 10 makes in 19 attempts (.526).

            MSU got 15 points from Chris Cooks and Kyle Weems, while Spencer Laurie scored 11 points along with Wade Knapp.

            Missouri State leads the all-time series between the two schools 34-15, which dates back to the 1951-52 season.  The Bears have dominated at home in the series with a 20-3 record and have won 14 out of the last 15 contests overall.  ISU's last win in Springfield was on Jan. 6, 1976 (60-59).

About The Coaches

Kevin McKenna (Creighton ?93) is in his second season as the head coach at Indiana State (21-35).  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. 

Cuonzo Martin (Purdue ?00) is in his first season as a collegiate head coach (10-15) after spending eight seasons as an assistant coach and associate head coach at Purdue (2000-08) where he was a standout performer for coach Gene Keady from 1991-95.  While at Purdue, the Boilermakers made three NCAA Tournament appearances and earned two NIT berths as well.  Prior to returning to his alma mater as and assistant coach, Martin played professional basketball for four years, including two stops with the Milwaukee Bucks and one with the Vancouver Grizzlies of the NBA.

Scouting The Bears

►        Missouri State University is located in Springfield, Mo., and has an enrollment of 21,407 students.  The Bears are members of the Missouri Valley Conference and play their home games at JQH Arena (11,000).

►        The Bears finished with an overall record of 17-16 during the 2007-08 season under head coach Barry Hinson.  In conference play, Missouri State posted a 8-10 mark in Valley play which tied them for seventh in the conference.  MSU ended its season with a 63-58 loss to Illinois State in the quarterfinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis.

►        Bears senior guard Shane Laurie for the remainder of the 2008-09 season, after he suffered his second concussion of the season last week against Southern Illinois.

►        The Bears are led by senior forward Chris Cooks, who leads the team with 13.2 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per contest.  Redshirt freshman forward Kyle Weems has also played well, averaging 9.7 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per contest while leading the team with 24 blocked shots.

►        A three-pointer by freshman Toure' Murry with 5.1 seconds remaining lifted Wichita State over Missouri State, 62-61, at Koch Arena in Wichita on Tuesday night.  MSU got 15 points from Chris Cooks and Kyle Weems, while Spencer Laurie scored 11 points along with Wade Knapp.

Last Time Against The Bears

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? The Sycamores (14-15, 8-10 MVC) could not shut down the Bears' (16-15, 8-10 MVC) potent offense or senior forward Dale Lamberth and ISU suffered an 83-73 loss to MSU on Senior Night at the Hulman Center.

            With the loss, the Sycamores dropped to 12-2 at home and will now be the No. 8 seed in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament beginning on Thursday in St. Louis.

            Lamberth got the scoring started by draining a contested three-pointer to put the Bears up 3-0 early.  Following a missed jumper by MSU's Drew Richards, senior Todd McCoy hit a three-pointer to put ISU up 5-3 at the 18:28 mark.  Lamberth came right back and tied the game on a jumper and Deven Mitchell hit a jumper to put the Bears up 7-5 just two minutes later.  But, the Sycamores did not back away and freshman Isiah Martin slammed home an alley-oop dunk from senior Gabe Moore to knot the score at 7-7.

            The Bears scored the next six points to take a 13-7 lead and later extended that lead to 19-9 after a jumper by Chris Cooks.  After a free throw by Moore cut the lead to nine, sophomore Harry Marshall put in a layup to cut the MSU lead to 19-12 with 10:16 left to play.  MSU's Spencer Laurie answered with a three-pointer to put the Bears back up by 10, before back-to-back three-pointers from Marshall and sophomore Marico Stinson cut the lead to 22-18.  McCoy then hit a free throw and followed with a jumper to bring the Sycamores within one point at 22-21 at the 5:56 mark.

            MSU then went on a 10-0 run, capped off on a jumper by Dale Lamberth, to widen the lead to 32-21 before a Moore layup and a free throw by Martin cut the lead to 32-24 with 1:30 remaining in the half.  The Bears capped off the half on a three-pointer by Spencer Laurie to take a 37-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.

            The Bears rode the momentum from the first half and proceeded to extend their lead to 43-28 just over three minutes into the second half. The Bears  then took control and jumped out to a 71-51 lead after two free throws by Lamberth with 5:49 remaining in the game.

            The Sycamores tried to claw back into the game and cut the lead to 13 points after a three-pointer by freshman Aaron Carter.    MSU stayed cool down the stretch and converted opportunities from the free throw line and secured the 83-73 road victory.

Tunnell Vision

Coming off a career performance on Sunday against Illinois State, many would not have expected senior Jay Tunnell to rival it on Wednesday against Drake.  However, that's exactly what the Topeka, Kan., native did as he scored 25 points and shot 10-for-11 from the field, including a 5-for-6 effort from three point range.  After scoring a career-high 28 points on Sunday at Illinois State, Tunnell has scored 20 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.  In his last two games, Tunnell has shot 19-for-23 from the field (.826), 13-for-15 from three point range (.867) and has scored 53 points.

Protecting The Rock

Turnovers have plagued Indiana State all season, but the team protected the basketball extremely well on Wednesday against Drake as the Sycamores turned the ball over just six times to the Bulldogs.  That tied a season low for the team, who gave the ball away just six times in a loss to Arkansas State on Dec. 1.

No, You Take It!

Four players finished Wednesday's game in double figures against Drake, thanks to a season-best night distributing the ball around by the Sycamores.  ISU recorded a season-high 17 assists against the Bulldogs, topping the previous mark of 16 set a game earlier at Illinois State.  Junior Harry Marshall led the way with six assists, while junior Rashad Reed chipped in with five and freshman Carl Richard tied his career high with three dimes.

Tunnell Named State Farm MVC Player of the Week

Indiana State senior forward Jay Tunnell had the game of his career on Sunday night against Illinois State to cap off a strong week of play for the Sycamores.  For that performance, Tunnell was named the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week by the league office on Monday.  Tunnell scored a career-high 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field while grabbing a season-high 12 rebounds to help the Sycamores earn a season sweep over the Redbirds.  The Topeka, Kan., native recorded the fifth double-double of his career and finished with a career-high 8-for-9 effort from three-point range in 39 minutes of action.

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. 

Sharing The Wealth

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 15 games played for the Sycamores, Marshall ranks second on the team with 61 assists and is fifth in the conference with 4.2 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). 

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.

A Six Pack Of Scorers

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.

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.