TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Sycamores are set for their first true road game of the season as they travel to Oxford to take on Miami Ohio Saturday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. Despite leading the all-time series 5-3, Indiana State will be looking for its first win inside Millett Hall.
Indiana State is coming off a resilient win against Drake in its Valley opener this past Wednesday, defeating the Bulldogs 75-73 at the Hulman Center. After being up by 14 in the first half, the Sycamores found themselves down by five in the waning minutes of the second half but were able to spark a late 9-0 to regain the lead and hold on for the win. ISU handed Drake its first loss of the season, and it was the first time the Sycamores have beaten Drake in a Valley opener.
Freshman Robbie Avila finished Wednesday's game with a team-high 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field alongside a team-high eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal. In his last three games, Avila is averaging 14.3 points, 7.7 boards, and 3.0 assists per game.
Saturday's game kicks off a four-game road stint in which the Sycamores will also travel to Southern Illinois, Southern Indiana, and Duquesne.
SERIES HISTORY
Indiana State leads the all-time series 5-3 dating back to the first meeting between the two teams in the U.S. Basketball Olympic trials in Indianapolis on March 7, 1936. The Sycamores won that contest, 45-27.
Since then, Miami has won three of the last five meetings, but ISU won the last meeting on a nearly buzzer-beating layup from Cooper Neese to win 69-68 Dec. 4, 2021 at the Hulman Center.
The Sycamores are 0-2 when playing at Miami and will be looking for their first win inside Millett Hall.
LAST GAME AGAINST THE REDHAWKS (FULL RECAP)
In the last meeting between ISU and Miami, Xavier Bledson found Cooper Neese on a cut to the basket for the game-winning layup with 1.6 seconds remaining to help the Sycamores to a 69-68 victory at the Hulman Center.
It was a highly contested game that featured 16 lead changes and nine ties. Miami took its largest lead at 56-47 with 13:02 left to play before ISU began to chip away with Neese playing a key role in the comeback with 10 second-half points.
Seven Sycamores saw action as Cameron Henry scored a game-high 21 points in the win while also pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out five assists. Neese recorded his sixth career 20-point performance as he hit four of his 10 3-point attempts. Forward Simon Wilbar joined Henry and Neese in double figures with a 10-point outing. Bledson added seven points, four assists and a trio of rebounds.
Mekhi Lairy led Miami Ohio with 18 points and five rebounds while Dalonte Brown added 15 points and 10 rebounds.
MIAMI AT A GLANCE
The Redhawks were picked to finished 11th out of 12 teams in the Mid-American Conference Preseason Poll.
Returning for Miami this season is fifth-year senior Mekhi Lairy, who set Miami's single-season free-throw percentage record a year ago and currently holds the career free-throw percentage record. Lairy, who averaged 13.6 ppg in 2021-22, posted his 1,000th career point a year ago and is on pace to break Miami's career games played record this season.
Lairy is leading the Redhawks in scoring this season with 16.3 points per game alongside a team-high 4.1 assists per game. Billy Smith is averaging 11.3 points per game with a team-high 3.7 boards per game.
At 3-4 this season, the Redhawks have won their last two straight games and are coming off a 95-78 win against Jackson State this past Tuesday. The Redhawks opened their season with a loss to fellow Valley foe Evansville, 78-74.
LAST TIME OUT
In front of a packed crowd in a sea of blue at the Hulman Center Wednesday night, the Indiana State Sycamores fought for a gutsy win against the previously undefeated Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite Drake, defeating the Bulldogs 75-73 in their Valley opener.
Indiana State (7-1, 1-0 MVC) led Drake (6-1, 0-1 MVC) for 31:15 in the game, but after being up by 14 points at 8:40 in the first half, the Sycamores found themselves down by five with 3:57 to go in the second. Leading scorer Robbie Avila sparked a late 9-0 run for the Sycamores spanning 2:38 to get ISU back up to a four-point lead at 73-69 with 15 seconds to go, and Cameron Henry hit four clutch free throws in those final 15 seconds to help the Sycamores fend off a late push from the Bulldogs.
Avila finished the night with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field alongside a team-high eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Henry was 10-of-12 from the charity stripe in the game and finished with 14 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Jayson Kent made his first start of the season and scored the first eight straight points for the Sycamores before capping his night with a pair of game-tying free throws in the last 1:35 to get him in double-figures. He also pulled down a career-high seven boards.
Courvoisier McCauley also scored in double-figures with 12 points off the bench. Kailex Stephens was 2-of-2 from the field with five rebounds and two steals.
BLEDSON NAMED TO GCS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Xaiver Bledson was named to the Gulf Coast Showcase All-Tournament as he helped the Sycamores to a 2-1 record for third place in the tournament with wins over East Carolina and Drexel. He led ISU in scoring through the three games with 15.7 points per game off the bench and posted a career-high 22 points against Drexel.
ALL EYES ON VOSS
The Watch List for the 2022-23 Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award was announced Tuesday, Nov. 22, and senior transfer Courvoisier McCauley appeared on the list. The award, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in division I college basketball, honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons.
FOLLOW THE SYCAMORES
For the latest information on Sycamore Basketball, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
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