TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State used a gutsy performance as well as a late second half run to earn a 74-64 victory over visiting Air Force in front of 3,797 fans inside Hulman Center. 

Indiana State improved to 3-4 on the season while Air Force fell to 3-3. The Sycamores won two of the three games on this three-game home stand and improved to a league-best 4-3 all-time in the Missouri Valley / Mountain West Conference Challenge Series. Indiana State's three wins in a row in the challenge are also a league high.

This victory was career win No. 123 for eighth-year head coach Greg Lansing which moved his past Glenn Curtis for sole possession of third place on the ISU career coaching victories list. Just 11 wins up at the ladder at No. 134 is Royce Waltman, who led the Sycamores to the 2000 MVC Regular Season Championship as well as the 2001 MVC Tournament Championship and two NCAA Tournament berths.

The Sycamores did it behind the scoring prowess of the backcourt as Jordan Barnes set a new career high with 25 points while Brenton Scott earned his first career double-double with 25 points and a career-best 11 rebounds in the winning effort. Scott was 10-of-19 from the field and added four assists, three steals and two blocks while Barnes connected on a career-best six 3-pointers as she hit 6-of-12 from long range to go with four rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes.

Off the bench, Tyreke Key sparked the game deciding second half run and finished with 11 points, three steals, two assists and two rebounds. Overall, Indiana State hit 46.3 percent of their shots in the game, including a 12-of-22 (54.5 percent) mark in the second half. The Sycamores held a slight 31-30 edge on the glass and a 21-13 cushion in points off turnovers. Indiana State recorded an impressive 19-6 advantage in fast break points.

With 5:17 remaining, the game got within a possession when Sid Tomes hit a jumper inside to trim the Sycamore lead down to 54-52. ISU then got a 3-pointer from Key who then added a long defensive rebound and conventional 3-point play with 4:18 to go to stretch the lead out to 60-52. Key then grabbed another defensive rebound and found Scott for a 3-pointer with 3:58 on the clock for a 63-52 advantage. Key was then fouled at the 3:34 mark and hit 1-of-2 free throws for a 64-52 lead. The run proved to be 10-0 over a quick two minute stretch and ultimately was the deciding stretch in the contest.

A pair of Barnes free throws with 3:14 to go stretched the lead out to a game-high 66-53. Air Force scored five in a row before Banres hit a free throw with 1:50 to go and then added a trifecta at the 1:22 mark for the 70-58 cushion. Key scored on a fast break dunk with 20 seconds remaining for the 74-62 lead and Scottie tipped one in in the waning seconds as ISU took home the 74-64 victory. 

Qiydar Davis recorded a steal and fast break lay-up for the Sycamores to start the game with a 2-0 lead. A jumper by Emondre Rickman after a pair of offensive rebounds gave ISU a 12-5 lead with 14:30 left before halftime. Lavelle Scottie would drained a 3-pointer on the Falcons' next possession to spark a 9-0 run which resulted in a 14-12 Air Force lead just over eight minutes in. A 3-pointer from Scott on back-to-back possessions gave ISU a four-point lead twice late in the first half before a 3-pointer by Barnes followed by a steal and lay-up from Scott with 4:07 on the clock gave the Sycamores a 30-22 lead. Barnes connected on another 3-pointer at the 2:04 mark for the Sycamores' largest lead of the first half at 33-24 before Air Force scored the final five points and ISU held a 33-29 lead at the break. Scott paced the Sycamores with 14 points before halftime.

A jumper by Ryan Manning got the Falcons within a point with 18 minutes remaining before Clayton Hughes found Scott for a 3-pointer to restore a 36-32 advantage. Pervis Louder tied the game at 39 with just over 14 minutes to go but Barnes countered with a 3-pointer and Scott hit a driving lay-up with 13:05 remaining for the 44-39 lead.

Four Falcons reached double figures scoring, led by 15 points from Lavelle Scottie.

Indiana State returns to action on Wednesday, December 6 when they travel to North Texas to take on the Mean Green at 8 pm (ET). The game will air live online on C-USA.tv.