Game 23 ► Wichita State (10-12, 4-7 MVC) at Indiana State (4-18, 2-9 MVC)

February 4, 2009  ►  7:05 p.m. ET  ►  Terre Haute, Ind.  ►  Hulman Center (10,200)

Game Day Central

Series:             Wichita State Leads 41-26

Streak:             ISU Has Won Two Straight

Television:       WTWO (NBC)

Play-By-Play:  Jason Pensky

Analyst:           Jim Waugh

Radio:              The Crock 92.7 FM

Play-By-Play:  Brian Fritz

Analyst:           Matt Renn

Internet:           GoSycamores.com

Storylines     

            Indiana State (4-18, 2-9 MVC) will look to snap its current six-game losing streak on Wednesday night against Wichita State (10-12, 4-7 MVC).  Tip off is set for 7:05 p.m. EST on Nellie & John Wooden Court at Hulman Center.

            Something's got to give in the match up between the two schools.  ISU has struggled of late, but WSU has posted an 0-7 record away from home this season.  The Sycamores were 2-1 last season against the Shockers, including a dramatic come-from-behind overtime win at home and a 71-67 win in the first round of the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis.

            The Sycamores are coming off a disappointing 61-57 loss to the league-leading Northern Iowa Panthers on Saturday at Hulman Center.  ISU held a 37-30 lead at halftime of that game, but shot just 22.7 percent in the second half to even the season series with UNI.

            Harry Marshall led the Sycamores with a game high 15 points, while also leading the team with six rebounds and four assists.  Three other Sycamores finished in double figures, with Jordan Printy scoring 14, going 4-for-6 from behind the arc.  Rashad Reed contributed 13 points and Jay Tunnell rounded out the scoring with 10 points for the Sycamores.

            Wichita State held Drake to its second-lowest point total of the season, overwhelming the Bulldogs with solid defense and nearly a 50 percent shooting-accuracy from the floor to seal a 63-47 victory on Saturday in Wichita.

            Freshman guard Toure' Murry led the Shockers with 18 points and also grabbed six boards while dishing out four assists.  Sophomore forward J.T. Durley and junior guard Clevin Hannah each chipped in 10 points as well for the Shockers.

            Wichita State leads the all-time series between the two schools 41-26, with the series beginning during the 1977-78 season.  ISU has won three of the last five meetings, including two straight wins over the Shockers.  WSU holds an 18-13 advantage all-time in Terre Haute.

About The Coaches

Kevin McKenna (Creighton ?93) is in his second season as the head coach at Indiana State (19-34).  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, 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. 

Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon ?85) is in his second season as the head coach at Wichita State (21-32) and his 10th overall as a collegiate head coach (225-115).  Last season, Marshall took over the program when former head coach Mark Turgeon left to take the head job at Texas A&M and led the team to an 11-20 overall record and a 4-14 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play.  Marshall came to WSU after completing his ninth season at Winthrop, where he led the Eagles to six 20-win seasons and seven NCAA tournament appearances.

Scouting The Shockers

►        Wichita State is located in Wichita, Kan., and has an enrollment of 14,442 students.  The Shockers are members of the Missouri Valley Conference and play their home games at the Charles Koch Arena (10,478).

►        The Shockers finished with an overall record of 11-20 during the 2007-08 season.  In conference play, WSU posted a 4-14 record which put the Shockers in 9th place in the Valley standings.  The team ended its season with loss in the opening round of the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference tournament to Indiana State.

►        Wichita State returns just one starter and six letterwinners from last year's squad, led by senior forward Ramon Clemente (7.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg).

►        Wichita State held Drake to its second-lowest point total of the season, overwhelming the Bulldogs with solid defense and nearly a 50 percent shooting-accuracy from the floor to seal a 63-47 victory on Saturday night in Wichita.  Freshman guard Toure' Murry led the Shockers with 18 points. Sophomore forward J.T. Durley and junior guard Clevin Hannah each chipped in 10 points, while senior forward Ramon Clemente led the contest with nine rebounds.

Last Time Against The Shockers

ST. LOUIS, Mo.  ? Indiana State and Wichita State played two highly-competitive games during the regular season and Thursday's first game of the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament stayed true to the course.  The Sycamores (15-15) and Shockers played each other close for 40 minutes, but ISU made some clutch free throws down the stretch to secure a 71-67 win.

            The Shockers took an early 11-6 lead, but sophomore Marico Stinson's 3-pointer and a layup by Gabe Moore tied the game at 11 with 12:19 left in the first half.  The Sycamores then went on a 9-2 run over the next three minutes, seven of which were scored by senior Todd McCoy, to take a 20-13 lead.  However, the Shockers would not go away and went on a 12-4 run over the next five and half minutes to retake the lead at 25-24.  After a free throw by Ramon Clemente, WSU had a 26-24 lead before a jumper by Tunnell knotted the score at 26-26 with 2:36 left in the half.  Tunnell then scored the next five straight points for the Sycamores to give them a 31-26 lead and ISU maintained that five-point advantage at 33-28 over the Shockers at the half

            ISU came out of the locker room on a roll and quickly jumped out to a 41-31 lead after a layup by Moore at the 16:18 mark.  Wichita State fought back and cut the lead to 41-38, before Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall picked up his second technical foul of the game at the 12:22 mark and was ejected for the first time in tournament history.  The Shockers were fired up and continued to cut the lead to 43-42 on a jumper by Phillip Thomasson with 11:24 to play.  Indiana State eventually widened its lead to 61-53 after a thunderous dunk from Tunnell and extended the lead to 10 after two free throws by sophomore Harry Marshall with 3:34 left in the game. 

            Wichita State would not go away, though, as the squad chipped away at the lead and eventually cut the ISU lead to 66-65 on a three-pointer by Cousinard with just 1:31 remaining.  McCoy then hit two free throws for the Sycamores to put ISU up 68-65 with 37 seconds left, but a layup by Couisnard cut the lead back to one at 68-67.  Moore was then fouled and went to the line to put the Sycamores back up by three and after a missed jumper by Matt Braeuer, Stinson hit the first of two free throws to close the game out and secure the 71-67 win for the Sycamores.

            Each of ISU's five starters finished the game in double figures, with Tunnell and Moore leading the way with 18 points apiece.

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.

A Game For The Ages Against The Shockers

Fans who were at Hulman Center on February 19, 2008, saw one of the more memorable games in recent ISU basketball history when the Sycamores faced off against the Wichita State Shockers.  Through 26 minutes of play, things did not look good for ISU as the team faced a 21-point deficit to Wichita State in the second half.  However, the Sycamores mounted one of the most stunning comebacks in recent history and forced the game into overtime, where they eventually came away with an 83-73 win over the Shockers to earn their 12th win of the season at home.  To make things even more memorable, a timeline of the game was featured in the Sporting News as part of the magazine's “Postcards From The Heartland” feature.

Tunnell Approaches Another Career Milestone

Senior Jay Tunnell will play in the 113th game of his career on Wednesday night against Wichita State with the chance to become just the 31st player in school history to score 1,000 points.  The Topeka, Kan., native and 2005 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Kansas needs just 16 points to top the mark as he currently has 984 points in his four-year career at ISU.  Earlier this season, Tunnell hit another milestone as he pulled down his 500th career rebounds.  He currently needs 58 more caroms to top 600 in his career.

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 12 games played for the Sycamores, Marshall ranks second on the team with 45 assists and ranks sixth in the conference with 3.8 assists per Valley game.  On Tuesday at Creighton, Marshall set a new career high with seven assists against the Bluejays, breaking his previous career high of six set twice earlier this season at Purdue and at Northern Iowa.

Long Range Bombing

The Sycamores came out firing from long distance on 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.

Finding His Shooting Touch

Redshirt freshman Jordan Printy has found something in his shooting lately, as he has scored in double figures in five of his last seven games played.  The Marion, Iowa, native averaged 13.5 points per game in two contests last week for the Sycamores, including a 14 point and four assist effort on Saturday against UNI.  In addition, he has connected on at least three treys in five of those seven games.  He also leads the Sycamores with a team-high 36.3 percent three-point percentage on the season (33-of-91).

Richard Grabs A Dozen ... Rebounds

The number 12 has been benchmark for freshman Carl Richard during Valley play, as he's corralled at least 12 rebounds in three of his last seven games 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 11 games.  Richard's four double-digit rebounding effort leads the Sycamores and his average of 7.3 caroms in league games currently ranks third among all players in the conference.

Martin Tames The Salukis

Sophomore Isiah Martin earned his second start of the season against Southern Illinois on Jan. 21 and showed he deserved the honor 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.

A Gutsy Effort From Tunnell

Senior Jay Tunnell missed his first start of the season on Jan. 21 against Southern Illinois due to suffering from flu symptoms.  After missing practice and the team's shoot around, Tunnell suited up and gutted out a solid performance against the Salukis.  Playing in just 17 minutes, Tunnell scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds to help his team out rebound SIU by a 31-29 margin.

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.).

Extra Time Pays Dividends

Indiana State is no stranger to winning games in overtime, as seen in the team's thrilling 75-70 win over Illinois State on Jan. 10.  In fact, the Sycamores have won their last five games in a row when needing extra time including a perfect 4-0 mark under head coach Kevin McKenna.  All four 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 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. 

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.

Martin Takes A Bite Out Of The Bulldogs

Sophomore Isiah Martin has struggled at times offensively this season, but he showed his scoring ability on the road against Drake on Jan 7.  Martin led the way for the Sycamores with a game-high 12 points, including a stretch in which he scored four consecutive buckets for the Sycamores. 

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.

Shutting Down The Three

Evansville came into the Hulman Center on Jan. 4 averaging 71.2 points per game and nearly four three-pointer per contest.  However, the Sycamores shut down the Purple Aces' scoring from the perimeter, as Evansville finished 0-for-6 from three-point range against the Sycamores.  It marked the first time all season the Sycamores had held an opponent without a made three-pointer and it was the first time Evansville did not connect on a trey in 13 games.

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.

Honoring A True Sycamore Legend

Prior to the start of lSU's first exhibition game against Albion College, the floor at Hulman Center was officially 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.