TERRE HAUTE, Ind.  – Indiana State never trailed and raced out to 17-point halftime lead over league-leading Northern Iowa before surviving a late Panther rally to win, 67-64 in front of 3,765 fans inside Hulman Center on Thursday evening.
ISU improved to 11-1 this season at home and 15-11 overall with an 8-7 mark in MVC play. Northern Iowa dropped their second consecutive contest to fall to 22-5, 11-4 MVC and are now in a tie for first play in the conference standings with Loyola.
The Sycamores tallied 11 3-pointers in the contest and hit 11-of-26 from behind the arc (42.3 percent). Tyreke Key tied for game-high scoring honors as he hit four of those trifectas. Freshman Jake LaRavia was 8-of-12 from the field and also posted 18 points and led the way on the boards with seven rebounds. Christian Williams was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line down the stretch to tally 14 points in the winning effort. Key added six rebounds and four assists to his tally.
With his nine points in the game (plus four assists), senior Jordan Barnes became the ninth Sycamore all-time to join the 1,500 point club. He is ninth on the ISU scoring chart with 1,505 points and ranks in the Top 10 in career points scored, 3-pointers made, assists and steals. His 268 career 3-pointers still ranks third-best in Sycamore history and is just two away from tying Brenton Scott for second.
As a team, the Sycamores recorded 18 assists on 24 made field goals and were 24-of-55 from the field (43.6 percent). Indiana State owned a 40-23 lead at the break after limiting the Panthers to just 8-of-31 shooting (25.8 percent) before halftime.
The Sycamores' lead hit the high water mark of 21 points with 10:23 remaining on a Bronson Kessinger lay-up from the pass by Cooper Neese and ISU was ahead 55-34. UNI's AJ Green hit a step-back 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to trim their deficit down to just 18 points. Tre Williams hit a spinning jumper in the lane with 9:01 remaining to push the lead back out to 20 and LaRavia countered with lay-up off the Neese assists for a 59-41 lead with just under seven to go.
But the Panthers, much as they did on Saturday night in an overtime loss to Loyola, battled back by scoring the game's next 12 points, including an Isaiah Brown step-back with 3:32 remaining to make it 59-53. Key was fouled with just over three minutes remaining and stretch the lead back out to eight points at 61-53.
Austin Phyfe countered with a tough lay-up and after a Key turnover led to a Green 3-pointer with 2:11 to go – it was a one possession contest at 61-58. Christian Williams missed a floater in the lane, and Phyfe scored inside to draw the Panthers within a point at 61-60 with 1:41 to go.
Christian Williams was fouled on the perimeter at the 1:14 mark and hit them both to regain a three-point lead before Tywhon Pickford grabbed his own miss and hit a lay-up with 56 seconds to go to give the Sycamores a 63-60 lead. The big bucket came with 38 seconds left when LaRavia scampered around the basket off the feed from Christian Williams and converted an acrobatic lay-up to stretch the cushion out to 65-62. Green was run off the 3-point line and drove into the paint for a pull-up jumper with 7.7 seconds on the clock to go over 20 points scored and draw the Panthers within 65-64.
Christian Williams was fouled in the back court with 6.6 seconds on the clock and calmly hit a pair of free throws to give ISU the 67-64 lead. Following a Panther timeout, Green got off a 3-pointer from the left wing with just over a second to go and it bounced off the side of the rim and Key handled the rebound to set off a the victory celebration.
Indiana State dominated the first half by scoring on two of their first three possessions, including a Key 3-pointer with 18:15 remaining before the half for the quick 5-0 advantage. UNI's Brown scored their first bucket just over a minute later on a driving lay-up to draw within 8-4. LaRavia countered with his first of two 3-pointers in the contest to stretch the lead to 11-4 and his second one came with 15:33 on the clock and the Sycamores led 16-10 at the first media timeout.
That trifecta was part of a 10-0 run which was capped by a Christian Williams pull-up jumper in the paint and ISU led 23-10 with just over 12 minutes remaining. Jordan Barnes' 3-pointer with 11:37 remaining stretched the lead out to 26-12. Green hit a trio of free throws to make it a 26-19 Sycamore lead with 9:32 remaining before the Sycamores rattled off the game's next seven points capped by a LaRavia scored in the paint with 7:22 to go which made it 33-19.
Key buried a 3-pointer with 1:38 on the clock for the 40-23 lead which would hold throughout the remainder of the opening stanza.
AJ Green led the way for the Panthers by hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 21 points.
Indiana State now hits the road for their next two MVC contests beginning on Sunday, February 23 at in-state rival Evansville. Tip-off on ESPN3 is set for 2 p.m. (ET) from the Ford Center.
