TERRE HAUTE, Ind.  – Indiana State used their defensive mentality throughout the entire game to earn a 61-53 victory over visiting Bradley on Saturday afternoon in front of a season-high 4,159 fans inside Hulman Center.
 
The Sycamores improved to a perfect 8-0 at home and moved to 11-8, 4-4 MVC while Bradley fell to 14-7, 5-3 MVC. Indiana State is now 9-1 against the Braves at home in the last 10 years.
 
The Braves hit 21-of-45 shots in the game to hold a 46.7 percent mark from the field while ISU was limited to just 36.5 percent shooting in the contest. But ISU forced 15 Bradley turnovers and turned them into 16 points and recorded 12 offensive rebounds and turned them into 14 second-chance points.
 
It was "Blackout Cancer Day" at Hulman Center as the Sycamores donned black uniforms for the first time and collected donations at the door for St. Jude Children's Hospital in conjunction with WTHI-FM HI-99. For the next week, Sycamore fans will have the opportunity to bid on the game worn jerseys with the highest bidder for each number taking home that prize. All money raised from the game worn jersey auction will be donated to St. Jude Children's Hospital in February.
 
Jake LaRavia was a force inside as he scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the winning effort. It was his second career double-double and was just one point shy of his career-high. Christian Williams earned the start in the contest and responded with a 5-of-9 shooting effort, including a career-best (ISU & Iowa) 3-pointers in the game to score 13 points. Tyreke Key tallied 10 points in the game.
 
Jordan Barnes had a solid outing by scoring six points (including a perfect mark of 4-of-4) with nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. Cooper Neese pitched in six points off the bench as did Tre Williams from the starting lineup.




 
ISU was 17-of-22 from the free throw line (77.3 percent) in the game and hit six shots from distance.
 
It appeared the Sycamores might run away with the game early by scoring each of the first 12 points in the contest. Christian Williams scored on the opening possession with a 3-pointer and Tre Williams followed a Bradley turnover with a jumper in the paint off the feed from Jordan Barnes. LaRavia's conventional 3-point play at the 17:33 mark made it 8-0 and he capped the run with a lay-up with 16:21 remaining for the 12-0 advantage.
 
The short-handed Braves got their first points in the game from Ja'Shon Henry but Key answered with a 3-pointer off the assist from Christian Williams for the 15-2 lead. Bradley scored five in a row before Christian Williams hit his second triple with 13:10 to go and set a new career high for 3-pointers with another at the 11:56 mark for the 21-7 lead. An Ari Boya fast break dunk with 5:18 remaining cut the Sycamore lead down to just three points before Neese buried a corner three with 4:35 remaining to stretch the lead back out to 28-22.
 
Bradley went on an 11-0 run over the next five minutes to take a 33-28 lead on a Henry trifecta before Tre Williams scored inside with 25 seconds to go to send the Sycamores into the halftime trailing 33-30.
 
For the seventh time, the Sycamores trailed at the half this year and this time in would be different than the previous six by coming back for the win. LaRavia started off the second half with a jumper in the paint and on the next trip hit a pair of free throws to briefly put the Sycamores up 34-33. Nate Kennell hit a 3-pointer with 17:36 on the clock to push the Braves ahead by two points and Danye Kingsby buried a trifecta of his own to make it a 6-0 run and stake Bradley to a 39-34 lead.
 
The Sycamores went to work on the deficit by feeding Tre Williams inside and then a conventional 3-point play by LaRavia with 15:01 to go tied the game quickly at 39. Kingsby hit his second 3-pointer of the half before LaRavia converted a pair of free throws to get within a point.
 
Bradley would retake a 46-41 lead as the second half neared the midway point and that is when the Sycamores began to lock down on defense yet again. Neese buried a 3-pointer and Christian Williams scored in the paint with 7:22 remaining to push the Sycamores ahead 47-46. It was all part of a prolonged 7-0 run to give the Sycamores a 48-46 lead.
 
The Braves would end a nearly five minute scoring drought with a Boya lay-up to knot the game at 48 before LaRavia scored inside to give the Sycamores a 50-48 cushion. Kingsby tied the game with a pair of charity tosses and Christian Williams scored inside with 3:06 remaining for the 52-50 lead.
 
LaRavia scored in transition with 1:43 remaining to stretch the advantage out to four points and Key answered made free throw from Bradley with two of his own 40 seconds later for the 56-51 lead. ISu would hit 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to run the lead back out to double digits. Kennell scored with seven seconds left but it wasn't enough as the Sycamores earned the hard-fought 61-53 victory.
 
The win and defensive effort improved the Sycamores to 101-10 when limited teams to 63 points or less, including a perfect mark of 24-0 when holding teams to 53 points or less under 10^th-year head coach Greg Lansing.
 
Bradley placed four players in double figures scoring, led by 14 points from Ari Boya.
 
The Sycamores remain at home to close out the two-game home stand against Drake on Wednesday, January 29. Tip-off from Hulman Center is set for 7:00 p.m (ET).