NORMAL, Ill. -- Illinois State heated up late in regulation and survived an overtime rally by visiting Indiana State en route to an 84-81 overtime victory in front of 5,824 fans inside Redbird Arena.

The Sycamores fell to 6-8, 1-1 MVC and Illinois State won for the fourth time in a row to improve to 8-6, 2-0 MVC.

Jordan Barnes led the way with 17 points -- one of five Sycamores to reach double figures scoring. Brenton Scott tacked on 15 points while Emondre Rickman tallied 12. Both Brandon Murphy and Qiydar Davis owned 11 points.

The Redbirds hit 11-fo-32 attempts from 3-point distance (34.4 percent) in the game while the Sycamores were held to just four trifectas, including only one after the half. Illinois State owned a 20-4 edge in second chance points.

Indiana State enjoyed a pair of 10-point advantages in the second half, but 3-point shooting for the Redbirds kept them within striking distance and ISU led it 63-57 with just under five minutes to go. Malik Yarborough hit a pair of free throws to dig deeper into the Sycamore lead at 63-59 but Rickman rattled a jumper home inside to restore a six-point lead. 

The Redbirds drew with a point, then Davis had a steal and fast break dunk to give Indiana State a 67-64 lead. Illinois State enjoyed a four point trip down the floor thanks to a put back and Sycamore foul away from the ball for a 68-67 lead. On the way back down the floor, Barnes was fouled twice to send him to the line where he knotted the score at 68 with 1:26 remaining. The Sycamores got a defensive stop after a Redbird missed 3-pointer which led Indiana State to call timeout with 43.2 seconds left.

Qiydar Davis hit a pair of free throws with 34.1 seconds left to stake ISU to a two-point lead but Phil Fayne had a put back for the Sycamores with 19.1 on the clock to knot the game again at 70. The Sycamores got two looks in the waning seconds but neither fell and ISU found itself in its third overtime game of the season -- tied at 70.

Yarbourgh scored first for the Redbirds in the overtime period to push Illinois State ahead 72-70. Murphy was fouled on the next trip down the floor to cut the Redbird lead down to just one point. Brenton Scott grabbed a rebound and was fouled away from the basket to tie the game at 73. After a 3-pointer by Illinois State, Rickman scored inside off the find from Davis to cut the deficit down to 76-75. After the 'Birds took a four-point lead at the free throw line, Barnes drained a runner off the glass with 22.8 seconds remaining to draw Indiana State within 79-77.

The Redbirds continued their strong showing late at the free throw line to take a four-point lead, but Scott went the length of the floor to make it a two-point game with 11 seconds to go. Taylor Bruninga hit 1-of-2, but ISU came up empty on the offensive end to send Illinois State back to the free throw line up three. Phil Fayne missed them both, but a 3/4 heave by Clayton Hughes at the buzzer was short and Illinois State escaped with the 84-81 overtime win.  

Illinois State drew within two points early in the second half, but they lost Emondre Rickman open under the basket for a dunk with 17:27 remaining as ISU took a 40-36 lead. But it would be Illinois State that scored the game's next five points to regain the 41-40 cushion through the first four minutes after halftime. Kessinger added a putback of his own miss as the clock ticked the 15 minute mark and Tyreke Key went through contact to lay it in as ISU led 46-43. Barnes emerged with a big 3-pointer at the 13:47 mark to make it nine points in a row for the Sycamores and ISU led 49-43 which forced Illinois State to call a timeout. Indiana State grabbed another defensive stop out of the timeout and Rickman scored inside off the feed from Barnes for the 51-43 lead to make it 11 in a row for the Sycamores.

It didn't end there as Qiydar Davis made it 13 in a row for the Indiana State with a dunk as the clock neared the 12 minute mark and the Sycamore lead stood at 53-43. Illinois State had to call their second timeout in four possessions after the score. Malik Yarborough stopped the Redbird drought and the Sycamore run with 11:18 to go, but Scott drained a jumper to move into double figures scoring and restore the 10-point advantage. The Redbirds used a 3-pointer to cut into the Sycamore lead, but Clayton Hughes drove the baseline and drained a jumper to make it 57-49. 

Illinois State drew within six, and it was Hughes again this time with a floater in the lane with 8:07 to go to give the Sycamores a 59-51 advantage. Brandon Murphy then hit an inside lay-up on the next possession to restore a 10-point lead at 61-51. 

It was Qiydar Davis who dominated early for the Sycamores as he hit a 3-pointer to get the Indiana State offense going, then grabbed a steal and fast break dunk as the Trees led 9-2. After the Redbirds tied it at 9, then Jordan Barnes got going as he hit a teardrop in the lane and buried a corner trey at the 15:26 mark for a 14-9 advantage. Illinois State responded with six points in a row to take a one-point lead before Clayton Hughes and Brandon Murphy found the bottom of the net on consecutive trips to retake an 18-15 lead.

Barnes reentered the game with over nine minutes on the clock and ignited a 6-0 run a sweet step back jumper and Bronson Kessinger finished inside as the clock ticked towards the eight minute mark and Indiana State led 25-18. The Sycamores held the Redbirds scoreless for over three and a half minutes before they went on a 10-0 run to take a 28-25 lead which forced the Sycamores to burn a timeout. The drought ended with a pair of Murphy charity tosses at the 3:45 mark to cut the Redbird lead down to 28-27. 

A key moment came just north of the three minute mark when Barnes picked up his third foul. Murphy scored inside on a second chance opportunity and then hit a pair of free throws with two minutes to go which pushed the Sycamores ahead 31-30. Brenton Scott drilled his first 3-pointer of the game with three seconds left to stake the Sycamores to a 36-32 lead at the break. Jordan Barnes led the way with nine points.

Indiana State stays on the road when they travel to Loyola to take on the Ramblers in Gentile Arena on Wednesday, January 3. Tip-off is set for 8:00 pm (ET) and will be televised live on NBC Sports Chicago and The Valley On ESPN3.