SAN JOSE, Calif. -- In the final scheduled year of the Missouri Valley / Mountain West Conference Challenge Series, the Sycamores solidified their standing as the best performer in the MVC by winning for the fifth time in the their eight appearances, including each of the last four as part of a dominating 86-57 victory at San Jose State.

ISU won for the fourth consecutive time and improved to 4-1 on the season while San Jose State fell to 1-6. It was just the second meeting in the all-time series against the Spartans as the two teams met for the first time since the quarterfinals of the 1948 NAIB National Tournament in Kansas City. 

The Sycamores' 5-3 mark in the MVC/Mountain West Challenge is the best among the current league membership. The win also makes it four victories in a row for ISU as part of the scheduling concept.

Indiana State hit 76 percent of their shots in the first half which was just shy of the 76.7 percent mark the program recorded in the second half against Drake on March 2, 2006. For the game the Sycamores connected on 64.2 percent of their shots. It was the best shooting performance for the Sycamores since February 12, 2012 when ISU hit 64.1 percent of their shots from the field against Southern Illinois, including an NCAA all-time record 12-of-12 from 3-point range. 

Individually, Clayton Hughes led the way with a career-best 23 points as he was 9-of-10 from the field. He also finished with a 4-of-5 mark from 3-point range. That 90 percent shooting mark took down a long standing record for field goal percentage in a game. Joe Warfel hit 85.7 percent of his shots from the field in 1965 -- which was the previous best before tonight with at least 10 field goal attempts. 

ISU, which entered the game with the best 3-point field goal percentage in the nation did nothing to hurt that standing as they connected on 5-of-9 from long range -- a stellar mark of 55.6 percent.

Tyreke Key added 17 points as he hit 8-of-11 shots from the field. Devin Thomas also reached double figures scoring as he finished with 10 points. 

As good as the Sycamores were offensively, they were just as good on the defensive end as they limited the Spartans to just 23.3 percent shooting in the first half (7-of-30) and 30.4 percent for the game. ISU also dominated the glass by a 39-23 margin. Emondre Rickman held game high honors with eight rebounds while freshman Blake Brinkmeyer tallied a career-best six caroms and nine points.

Freshman Tyeshon Martin tallied five points in the win.

Leading by 24 points at the half, the Sycamores extended their advantage in the opening moments after halftime to 25 on back-to-back field goals from Hughes and Devin Thomas. ISU led 50-25 and then after a SJSU bucket, Key scored moving towards the basket to regain a 52-27 advantage. After a defensive stop, Key made it buckets on consecutive trips with another driving lay-up to give him 16 for the game and a 54-27 lead. San Jose called timeout but it was the same result after another long defensive rebound and then a conventional 3-point play with 15:47 remaining to make it a 7-0 run and push the cushion out to 30 points at 57-27.

Clayton Hughes scored first for the Sycamores as he drained a 3-pointer to cap the Sycamores first possession. After the Spartans countered with a triple of their own, the Sycamores went on a 6-0 run when ended with a Devin Thomas lay-up off the fast break and long rebound by Hughes to push ISU ahead 9-3. The Spartans would draw within 11-8 before Kessinger flushed the ball home with a dunk at the 13:36 mark to regain a five-point advantage. While the Sycamores hit 6 of their first 10 shots, SJSU was limited to just 2-of-11 shooting to begin the game.

Hughes stepped up an made a long jumper as the clock ticked under the 12 minute mark to stretch the ISU lead out to 15-8. San Jose State would get back within three points but a driving lay-up from Allante Holston and then consecutive easy buckets from Tyreke Key as the clock ticked under the nine minute mark swelled the Sycamore lead out to 21-12. 

Leading 23-14, the Sycamores blew the game open with an impressive 11-0 run which saw the defense limit the Spartans to eight consecutive missed shots. Hughes' second 3-pointer of the first half keyed the run and Key hit lay-ups just ahead of the three minute mark as the Sycamores led it 34-14. Then Tyeshon Martin scored a bucket and then added his first collegiate 3-pointer at the 1:28 mark for the 39-18 lead. Hughes made it a perfect 3-of-3 for him from 3-point range with a triple at the 39 second mark for a commanding 42-18 cushion. Key scored with less than 10 seconds on the clock to give ISU a 44-20 lead at the break.

Key led the way with 12 points while Hughes had 11 at the break. The Sycamores finished the first half with a 19-of-25 shooting percentage (76.0) percent. That is just off the school record of 76.7 percent which was set on March 2, 2006 in the second half of an Arch Madness game against Drake.

Michael Steadman lead San Jose State with 13 points. 

Indiana State begins a three-game home stand on Saturday, December 1 when they host Wright State at 2 pm (ET) inside Hulman Center.