EVANSVILLE, Ind. –  The Sycamores saw their win streak come to a close Sunday evening with their first true road loss of the season at Southern Indiana, falling 88-85 in overtime to the Screaming Eagles.
 
There were nine ties and 12 lead changes in the game, and after trailing by as much as six in the first half, Indiana State (9-2, 2-0 MVC) led by a game-high 11 points at 6:19 in the second half. Southern Indiana (5-5, 0-0 OVC) nailed a triple with 35 seconds left in the second half to tie things up at 77-all and send the game into overtime, and it would come down to the final minute of the overtime period where the Eagles knocked down six free throws to help themselves remain undefeated at home this season.
 
Indiana State got into a 5-0 hole in the first minute of the game but responded with a 9-0 run for a 9-5 lead at 16:00. USI was 0-for-3 with three turnovers in that span. After being down six with 3:53 to go in the first half, the Sycamores went on an 8-0 run featuring a pair of triples from Courvoisier McCauley to go up 36-34 at 1:57. The Eagles, however, nailed back-to-back treys in the last 1:26 to go into the halftime break with a 40-36 lead over ISU.
 
McCauley picked up where he left off with a triple to open the second half, and back-to-back Cade McKnight layups put the Sycamores up 50-44 at 13:35. McKnight would lay in another basket with 11:49 to go to get into double figures on the scoresheet and push ISU's lead to double digits at 57-47.
 
USI cut its deficit back down to four, but then Julian Larry slammed a dunk and Cameron Henry knocked down a 3-pointer to extend ISU's lead to 64-56 with 8:18 to go. The Sycamores led 74-66 with under four minutes to go, but a USI layup and four straight free throws pulled the Eagles within two points at 74-72 with 1:31 left in the second half. Henry made it 77-74 in favor of ISU with 48 seconds to go, but the Eagles connected from deep to even things up with 35 seconds remaining.
 
In the closing seconds of regulation, USI pulled down a defensive rebound but went out of bounds to turn the ball back over to the Sycamores with 2.9 seconds on the clock. ISU committed a five-second violation trying to in-bounds the ball to give possession back to USI, but the Eagles missed their buzzer-beater attempt which sent the game to overtime.
 
The Sycamores took an 84-82 lead with 1:30 to go in overtime after a pair of McCauley free throws and a Jayson Kent layup, but USI would spend a lot of time at the charity stripe across the next minute, hitting five free throws to go up 87-84 with 33 seconds to go. Larry knocked down a free throw of his own with 27 seconds on the clock, and the Eagles grabbed the rebound on his second attempt's miss but turned it over and ISU called a timeout with 22 seconds left. ISU didn't get anything to fall coming out of the timeout, and the Eagles added one last free throw in the final eight seconds.
 
Inside the Numbers

• ISU outshot USI 50.8 percent (33-of-65) to 40.0 percent (28-of-70), but USI made 14 3-pointers shooting 45.2 percent from deep compared to ISU's eight on 27.6 percent shooting beyond the arc.
• Trips to the free throw line were lopsided in the game as USI was 18-of-31 from the line while ISU was 11-of-19.
• Both teams pulled down 43 rebounds while ISU won the battle on the defensive boards and USI won the battle on the offensive boards.
• The Sycamores committed 17 turnovers compared to USI's 12, and both teams scored 15 points off the other's miscues.

News & Notes

• Sunday's loss caps ISU's winning streak at five games, stopping just shy of a six-game win streak in which the Sycamores have accomplished just 15 times since joining the Valley in 1976.
• With a four-point deficit going into the halftime break, Sunday is the first time the Sycamores have trailed at halftime this season.
• The Sycamores have yet to trail by double digits this season after trailing by a game-high six points tonight late in the first half. ISU is the only Valley team that has not trailed by double digits this season.
• Jayson Kent dropped a career-high 20 points tonight on 10-of-17 shooting. He also had a pair of steals, rebounds, and assists.
• Cade McKnight posted a Sycamore career-high 11 points in a season-high 26:47 minutes played.
• Courvoisier McCauley led the Sycamores with 23 points on the night, which is his fourth 20+ point game of the season and his ninth double digit scoring game this year.
• Cameron Henry's 15 points in the game mark his fifth double-digit scoring game in a row and sixth this season.

Up Next
Indiana State wraps up its four-game road stint next weekend as it makes the trek to the Northeast to face Duquesne Saturday, Dec. 17. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. from Pittsburgh.
 
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