Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State used a double-double from Justin Gant as well as five double figure scorers to net a 78-68 victory over visiting Truman State in front of 3,561 fans inside Hulman Center.
The Sycamores improved to 4-6 on the campaign while the Bulldogs officially stay at 7-2 as this contest is counted as an exhibition contest for Truman State.
Gant recorded his first double-double of the season as he scored 14 points to go with 11 rebounds. He added two assists, one blocked shot and two steals in the victory. He tied for high scoring honors with Khristian Smith who had 14 points with three assists while Devonte Brown added 11 points and nine rebounds and Grant Prusator came off the bench to score 11 points. Brenton Scott once again reached double figures scoring with 10 points in a reserve role.
The Sycamores recorded 49 rebounds its most since a 2011 road contest at Wichita State in which Indiana State had 51 caroms. Truman State was limited to just 30 rebounds. Indiana State owned a 40-22 edge int he paint and had a 15-7 edge in second chance points. The Sycamores recorded 18 assists and hit an even 50 percent of their shots from the field (29-of-58).
Indiana State hit 16-of-30 shots in the second half (53.3 percent) and limited the Bulldogs to just 30.3 percent shooting in the opening stanza (10-of-33).
The Sycamores scored the first eight points of the game with a pair of free throws from TJ Bell as well as field goals from Brown, Smith and Gant. Truman didn't get on the board until the 17:37 mark of the first half on a 3-pointer by Andrew Vander Zwaag. Gant responded with a lay-up off the assist from Bell for a 10-3 advantage.
After Truman whittled the lead down to 10-8, the Sycamores scored nine in a row, including a Prusator 3-pointer and was capped with a pair of Scott free throws for the 19-8 lead. Gardner hit a 3-pointer with 8:10 on the clock to draw Truman within 27-22, but Brown had the answer with a driving lay-up 40 seconds later to stretch the lead to seven points. Leading 31-26 with just over four minutes to go, the Sycamores rattled off six points in a row, including a trey from Scott for the 37-26 lead. The Bulldogs scored the final five points of the half, including a buzzer beating trifecta by Reed Mells and ISU lead 37-31 at the break.
Gant got the Sycamores going in the second half on their opening possession to extend the advantage to 39-31. After the lead dwindled to 45-39, the Sycamores scored eight in a row, capped by a lay-up from Brown at the 13:33 mark for a 53-39 advantage. Gardner's 3-pointer at the 10:11 mark go Truman within 55-46, but, Gant answered with a lay-up and Prusator converted a 3-pointer in transition to make it 60-46. The run reached 10 points in a row at the 8:32 mark on a jumper from Scott and the Sycamores led 65-46.
That would be the largest lead of the night as Truman State scored seven points ina row before Smith ended the scoring drought with a tip-in of his own miss and then Prusator was true from downtown to restore a 72-55 advantage as the clocked ticked under five minutes to go. A pair of Brandon Murphy free throws with 1:58 remaining but the Sycamores ahead 77-64 and one more charity toss from Murphy with 28 seconds on the clock rounded out the Sycamore scoring. Connor Erickson hit a lay-up with 16 seconds remaining but Indiana State held on a for the 78-68 victory.
Isaac Gardner scored 20 points off the bench to pace Truman State.
The Sycamores return to action on Saturday, December 20 when they host Eastern Illinois. Tip-off is set for 2:05 p.m. (ET).
