TERRE HAUTE, Ind.  – Indiana State limited Loyola Chicago to just 39 points – the fewest any Sycamore team has ever allowed to another MVC program in the MVC era – and held the Ramblers to 33.3 percent shooting as the Sycamores won going away, 68-39 in front of 4,063 fans inside Hulman Center.
 
The Sycamores won for the fourth consecutive game and the 12^th overall inside Hulman Center to improve to 14-8, 7-4 MVC while Loyola Chicago fell to 15-9, 7-4 MVC. The 12-game home winning streak is the longest for the program since a 13-gamer that stretched from 2010 until 2011.
 
Indiana State's 39 points allowed is the fewest the Sycamores have ever given up in a Missouri Valley Conference contest. Its top the 40 points the Sycamores allowed in a 45-40 win over Evansville on January 5, 2002. It was also the Sycamores' 28^th all-time win by at least 20 points in MVC play. The 39 points allowed is the second fewest given up under 10^th-year head coach Greg Lansing only topped by the 35 allowed to Louisiana-Monroe – a 50-35 Sycamore win on December 21, 2011 inside Hulman Center.
 
The game was full of heros including leading scorer Tyreke Key who posted 18 points on the strength of a 7-of-11 shooting performance, including a 4-of-6 mark from 3-point range. Freshman Jake LaRavia tallied his third career double-double with 15 points and a career-best 12 rebounds and he also paced the squad with four assists. Christian Williams snuck into double figures scoring late with 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
 
Jordan Barnes tallied three steals in the game leaving him with 127 for his career and is now just one outside of the Top 10. Barnes is vying to become the first Sycamore in the history of the program to be in the Top 10 on the ISU career charts in scoring, 3-point field goals made, assists and steals.
 
As good as the Sycamores were defensively, they were just as good on the offensive end as they hit 29-of-53 from the field (54.7 percent) and were 9-of-18 from distance (50 percent). ISU was a blazing 18-of-27 from the field (66.7 percent) in the first 20 minutes, including a 6-of-9 mark from 3-point range en route to building a 43-23 edge at the break.






 
Key and LaRavia set the tone on the opening possession as LaRavia tallied his first offensive rebound and kicked it out to Key for a trifecta and the quick 3-0 lead. Jordan Barnes' triple with 17:46 on the clock staked the Sycamores to an 8-3 lead but a later 5-0 run from the Ramblers knotted the game at 12 before Key came back with another 3-pointer for the 15-12 lead.
 
Tate Hall would drive in for a lay-up to trim their deficit to 24-21 with 6:44 on the clock before the Sycamores got hot on both ends of the floor. Christian Williams and Cam Bacote hit consecutive 3-pointers to stretch the lead out to 30-21 and then Williams scored again for the first double digit advantage of the game. It was all part of prolonged 19-0 run which spanned over six minutes of game time and ended with a Jordan Barnes jumper that rattled home for the 43-21 lead. Aher Uguak hit a pair of free throws with five seconds on the clock to draw within 43-23 at the half.
 
A Bruno Skokna jumper trimmed the Sycamore lead down to 43-25 with 19:25 remaining to break a seven and a half minute skid for the Ramblers without a field goal. Christian Williams scored inside and Key buried another 3-pointer with 16:33 on the clock to stretch the lead out to 48-25. A 7-0 Sycamore run midway through the second half stretched the Sycamore lead out to 30 points at 59-29 with 8:12 remaining on a LaRavia score inside.
 
Christian Williams hit from outside as the clock ticked under the seven minute mark for a 33-point lead to make an even 10-0 run for the Sycamores. De'Avion Washington scored a second-chance bucket with 14 seconds left but Jalon Pipkins answered with a bucket in the waning seconds and ISU took a 68-39 win.
 
The Sycamores continued their Valley defensive dominance at home by improving to 6-0 in league play inside Hulman Center and allowing just 49.6 points per league game on their home court. ISU has allowed no more than 56 points (Southern Illinois and Drake) during the perfect MVC home stretch.
 
Loyola placed no scorers in double digits scoring, but were led by Cameron Krutwig and Lucas Williamson who scored eight points each.
 
The Sycamores now begin a two-game road swing through the state of Illinois, beginning on Saturday, February 8 at Illinois State. The game tips off at 8 p.m. (ET) from Redbird Arena and will be televised on NBC Sports Chicago Plus and well as ESPN+.