Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State overcame an early deficit and used a career-high 25 points from Brenton Scott to down Illinois State for the ninth consecutive season inside Hulman Center by the score of 77-65 in front of 3,801 fans.
The Sycamores improved to 9-7, 3-1 MVC while Illinois State fell to 9-8, 3-1 MVC. Indiana State now owns 55 MVC victories over the course of the last six years which is the third-most among the current membership. The win was also victory No. 1,450 in the history of the program. Indiana State now has three victories this season when trailing at the half.
Scott went 9-of-20 from the field and hit five 3-pointers en route to his career-best 25 points. The Sycamores won the rebounding battle 45-33 and Everett Clemons led the way with a career-high 13 caroms. Devonte Brown went 10-of-13 from the free throw line and scored 15 points while Niels Bunschoten came off the bench to post a career-best 11 points.
Clemons filled the stat sheet in addition to his 13 rebounds as he added five assists and three steals to go with seven points. Indiana State posted 15 assists on their 22 made field goals. The Sycamores were limited to 30 percent shooting in the first half, but hit 13-of-25 after the break, including 7-of-10 3-pointers. It was the polar opposite for the Redbirds who converted 45.2 percent from the field, including five 3-pointers but were held to 31.3 percent shooting after the break and were 0-of-13 from long distance.
A 12-0 run late in the first half staked the Redbirds to their largest lead of the game at 32-19 with 3:25 remaining before halftime. Scott got things turned in the Sycamores' direction with a 3-pointer and then a lay-up at the 2:29 mark to get it down to 32-24. A pair of Everett Clemons free throws as well as a Clemons put back inched the Sycamores closer at 32-28 with 33 seconds remaining but Paris Lee drove in for a lay-up ahead of the horn and the Sycamores found themselves down 34-28 at the break.
The Sycamore surged continued after the break as both teams traded empty possessions before Scott converted a lay-up at the 19:18 mark to draw with 34-30. After Tony Wills scored for Illinois State, Matt Van Scyoc drained a triple and the Redbird advantage was just three. Illinois State ground the lead back up to six points, before Scott's 3-pointer with 16:52 remaining once again got the Sycamores within three points at 40-37.
Lee and Bunschoten traded baskets before a pair of Devonte Brown charity tosses with 15:21 on the clock got the Sycamores within a point. A jumper from Khristian Smith at the 14:46 mark pushed the Sycamores ahead for the first time in the game at 43-42. It would be a 7-0 Indiana State run as Bunschoten hit a lay-up off the feed from Clemons for a 45-42 lead. MiKyle McIntosh got the Birds with one point, but Scott answered with a 3-pointer and the lead grew to 48-44.
After Illinois State made it a two point game, the Sycamores got consecutive 3-pointers from Scott as the clock neared the 12 minute mark for a 54-46 lead. Van Scyoc made it three consecutive 3-pointers when he converted with 11 minutes remaining for the 57-47 lead. Bunschoten added a jumper off the feed by Smith and the Sycamores enjoyed a 59-47 cushion.
A second-chance dunk from Emondre Rickman put the Sycamores ahead by 10 again, but the Redbirds went on a 9-0 spurt and drew within 63-62 with 5:33 remaining. Van Scyoc hit his third second half 3-pointer for a 66-62 lead with 4:26 on the clock. Brown would then go 4-of-4 from the charity stripe on the next two trips and ISU was up 70-63 with just under two minutes to go. The Redbirds would get within five points, but the Sycamores scored the final seven points of the game at the free throw line and won 77-65.
Illinois State scored the first eight points of the game, before Brown hit a pair of free throws at the 16:19 mark to start an early comeback and trail 8-2. Illinois State led 17-8 before Bunschoten, Clemons and Scott scored on consecutive possessions to get the Sycamores within 17-16 with 8:18 remaining in the first half.
The Redbirds put three scorers in double figures as MiKyle McIntosh led the way with 20 points.
The Sycamores will put their three game winning streak on the line this Wednesday night inside Hulman Center when Northern Iowa comes to town. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET).
