Ashley Dickerson
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Junior Niels Bunschoten posted a career night for the Sycamores, scoring 21 points, as Southern Illinois gave Indiana State their first home MVC loss of the year. The Salukis used a late run to edge past the Sycamores by the score of 85-78 down the stretch in front of 3,221 fans inside Hulman Center.
Indiana State fell to 13-12, 7-6 MVC while SIU ended a four game skid and improved to 19-7, 8-5 MVC. The Sycamores had won each of their first six MVC home contests and their last eight at home.
Bunschoten scored 21 points and connected on five 3-pointers. Devonte Brown added 19 as he went 11-of-13 from the charity stripe. Khristian Smith added 18 points while Brenton Scott posted 12. Smith, Bunschoten and Emondre Rickman each tied for the team high in rebounds with four. The Sycamores hit 27-of-55 shots from the field (49.1 percent), but Southern Illinois countered with a 55.1 percent clip. Indiana State was 15-of-29 from the field in the second half (51.7 percent).
The Sycamores started off the first half under pressure from the Saluki defense. After the tip, the two teams battled back-and-forth for control of the game, but the Salukis kept control for most of the half. On the defensive side, the Sycamores were aggressive, tallying 11 fouls as the Salukis kept up a hot shooting streak. The Salukis shot 58 percent from the floor in the first half and were 7-11 from behind the three-point line.
The offensive spark for the Sycamores in the first half came from the hands of senior Devonte Brown and junior Niels Bunschoten. Brown came up with three steals and put up 12 first half points while Bunschoten put up eight points and was 2-for-4 from the three-point line. Saluki shooter, Anthony Beane, led the team in first half scoring with 18 total points as 12 of those came from behind the arc.
The Sycamores were 12-26 from the floor before the halftime buzzer, while the Salukis had the scoring edge sinking 15 of 26 first half shots. Indiana State trailed Southern Illinois 35-42 going into the second half.
After the half, the Sycamores came out with a bit of an edge over the Salukis as sophomore Brenton Scott racked up a pair of steals that led to a Khristian Smith jumper and another Bunschoten three. Bunschoten put up two more threes on back-to-back runs around the eleventh minute as the Indiana State fans erupted.
Smith then tied it all up with another triple, and the Salukis answered with two quick frustration fouls that led to a Southern Illinois technical. The Sycamores and the Salukis continued the head-to-head battle on both ends of the court, but the Salukis were able to pull ahead and edge past the home team. This loss marks the first home MVC loss for the Sycamores this season, but marks a career-high 21 point and 29 minute game for Bunschoten as he finished the game 5-9 from behind the arc.
Indiana State returns to the hardwood Saturday, February 13 in Springfield, Mo. The Sycamores will continue MVC play against Missouri State at 4:00 p.m. EDT.
