TERRE HAUTE, Ind.  – Indiana State junior Tyreke Key reached the 1,000 career points scored milestone in the fourth-fastest time in school history and the Sycamores flexed some freshman muscle inside en route to a 68-56 win over visiting Southern Illinois in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams. The Sycamores enjoyed a lively home court atmosphere in front of 3,333 fans inside Hulman Center.
 
ISU won for the eighth consecutive game to improve to 8-4 on the season while Southern Illinois fell to 6-8. The Sycamores won their MVC opener for the 19^th time as they opened league play in the 42^nd season as a member of the conference. It was the 15^th time in program history that that Sycamores had won an MVC opener which occurred inside Hulman Center. ISU is now a perfect 5-0 on the season on their home court.
 
Additionally, the Sycamores eight consecutive victories is the first time that the program has strung together that many wins in a row since an 8-0 start to the 2005-06 campaign. ISU defeated Southern Illinois for the first time in their last eight tries.
 
Junior Tyreke Key led the way with 20 points as he hit 7-of-12 from the field to go with three rebounds and two assists. He now has 1,006 points for his career to become the next member of the Indiana State 1,000 Point Club. He accomplished the feat in just 73 career games and he is the fourth fastest to reach the mark in the history of the program. He topped teammate Jordan Barnes who reached the milestone in 77 games.
 
In the paint, the Sycamores held a 42-34 advantage led by a 12-point, 9-rebound effort from freshman Jake LaRavia. LaRavia was 6-of-11 from the field and led the Sycamores on the glass as they held a 34-29 lead for the game. Freshman Tre Williams scored 14 points and pulled down six rebounds on a 7-of-9 effort from the field. It was the fourth consecutive contest in which Williams has reached double figures scoring.
 
ISU shared the ball well in the contest as they owned 19 assists on 29 made field goals and owned a 52.7 percent mark from the field. From 3-point distance, the Sycamores were 6-of-13 which equate to a 46.2 percent effort in the game as Indiana State entered the contest ranked 11^th-best nationally and tops in the MVC for 3-point field goal shooting percentage.






 
Jordan Barnes scored nine points in the contest to give him 1,329 for his career which is up to No. 13 on the ISU scoring charts. He added six assists in the game as well as a team-high trio of 3-pointers to give him 242 for his career which is third-best in program history.
 
Southern Illinois scored on their first offensive possession, but Cooper Neese answered with a 3-pointer of his own to push the Sycamores ahead. After a pair of Saluki charity tosses, the Sycamores went on a 9-0 run which was capped by a Key trifecta at the 16:36 mark to stake ISU to a 12-4 lead and force Southern Illinois to burn a timeout.
 
With 9:55 left in the first half, Cam Bacote hit a long jumper to push the Sycamores ahead 24-14 before the Salukis answered with six in a row which was capped by a Marcus Domask trifecta to whittle the lead down to 24-20. Key would hit a pair of free throws with 1:48 on the clock to push the Sycamores ahead 33-23. Jordan Barnes and Domask exchanged jumpers in the final 39 seconds as the Sycamores held a 36-28 lead at the break.
 
ISU gave up the first bucket of the second half and then Jordan Barnes answered with a 3-pointer to kick start a game-deciding 11-0 run which ended with a 47-30 Sycamore lead with 16:12 remaining. A second-chance bucket from LaRavia as well as a dunk by Tre Williams off the feed from Jordan Barnes ended the spurt.
 
A Barret Benson free throw with 8:08 to go cut the Sycamore lead down to just 55-45 before the Sycamores punched back with nine in a row including another Tre Williams fast break lay-up with 5:40 remaining off the feed by Neese for the 64-45 lead.
 
The Salukis scored the game's final seven points but the Sycamores held on for the 68-56 victory. Barret Benson scored 14 points and pulled down nine rebounds to lead Southern Illinois.
 
The Sycamores now go on a two-game road swing to the state of Iowa beginning with a matchup against the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday, January 4 in Des Moines. Tip-off on ESPN+ is set for 6:00 p.m. (ET). ISU then travels to Northern Iowa on Tuesday, January 7 to take on the Panthers in Cedar Falls. Tip-off of that game on ESPN+ is set for 8:00 p.m. (ET).