TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State basketball will look to snap a four-game skid and bounce back with a quick turnaround against Evansville Thursday night on the road. The contest will air on ESPN Plus and is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. ET from Ford Center. The game is also on the radio on 105.5 The Legend as well as GoSycamores.com/Listen.
 
THE SERIES
» Indiana State leads the all-time series against Evansville 98-86. The Sycamores have won 15 of the last 21 meetings, with a nine-game winning streak to the Aces ending Tuesday night when UE won in Terre Haute, 65-56. ISU is 62-27 at home against UE, 33-53 on the road, and 3-3 at neutral sites.
 
HEAD COACH JOSH SCHERTZ
» Indiana State basketball is under new leadership as first-year head coach Josh Schertz takes over the reins of the program. Schertz takes over after a 13-year run at NCAA Division II Lincoln Memorial University where he had a career record of 337-69 (.831) en route to four national coach of the year honors. Schertz led the Railsplitters to 10 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, won 14 total conference championships and three Southeast Regional titles, and had five seasons of 30-or-more victories.
 
LAST TIME OUT
» Indiana State dropped its first meeting with the Evansville this season Tuesday night at home, falling to the Purple Aces 65-56. The Sycamores rallied back from a 10-point halftime deficit to take a lead with seven minutes remaining. UE ended the game on a 17-6 run to secure the win.
 
STATS WE'D LIKE TO FORGET, BUT CAN'T
» Entering its game with Evansville on February 8, Indiana State had recorded a made 3-pointer in 420 consecutive games. That streak came to a close after ISU shot 0-for-17 from distance against the Aces, marking the first time ISU had not hit a three since the 2008-09 season against DePauw (0-for-10).
 
» The Sycamores and Aces also made history by combining for zero offensive rebounds in their February 8 meeting. According to KenPom.com, it is the first time that a game has had no offensive rebounds in at least the last 25 years. The previous low being two combined offensive boards in a game between Columbia and Princeton in 2006. Entering the game, ISU (15.9%) ranked 355th and Evansville (14.8%) came in at 358th in team offensive rebounding percentage. There are 358 Division I teams.
 
LET IT RAIN
» Indiana State continues to shoot the ball from deep at a high rate, ranking tops in the MVC and 32nd nationally in 3-point attempts with 611. ISU has hit at least five threes in each game this season and has hit 10+ shots from deep eight times. The Sycamores have come close to tying the single-game school record (18) on three occasions with 16 triples against Midway (12/29) and 15 3-pointers against Hanover (11/14) and Bradley (1/2).
 
MOVING THE ROCK
» Indiana State ranks third in the MVC behind Loyola and Bradley with 13.8 assists per game. Five players have recorded over 30 assists with Xavier Bledson leading ISU with 79. Two Sycamores rank in the top-10 in the MVC in assists per game with Bledson coming in at No. 2 with 4.4 while Cameron Henry ranks ninth with 2.9 assists per game.
 
FREE THROWS
» ISU has improved its season average at the free-throw line to 76.6 percent -- good enough for third in the MVC and 27th nationally. Xavier Bledson leads ISU with an 86.2 percent (50-for-58) free throw percentage while Cooper Neese is shooting 81.8 percent (36-for-44) from the line. Five other Sycamores shoot 70 percent or better from the charity stripe. 
 
IRON MEN
» Both Cooper Neese and Cameron Henry played all 50 minutes in a double overtime loss at Valpo. Neese ranks third in the MVC in minutes per game at 34.9. It was the most minutes for a Sycamores since Brenton Scott played 52 minutes in a four-overtime loss to Ohio during the 2017-18 season. Julian Larry also played all 45 minutes in an overtime loss at UNI earlier this season.
 
LINEUP LIMBO
» Due to injuries and COVID-19 protocols, the Sycamores have used 17 different starting lineups in 23 games this season. No starting lineup combination has been used more than three times.
 
HENRY IS A MATCHUP NIGHTMARE
» Cameron Henry has scored in double-figures in 16 of the 20 games he has seen action in, including eight MVC contests. He is averaging 15 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. His scoring output is fifth, rebounding ranks 10th and his assist mark puts him at ninth in the MVC. Henry posted a career high 28 points and eight assists in a double overtime loss at Valpo (2/5), surpassing his previous career high of 25 against the Beacons at home (1/22). 
 
MOVING UP THE RANKINGS
» Neese hit five 3-pointers at Valpo to move into sole possession of sixth place in school history in career 3-pointers. He has hit 157 triples in 95 games over his career. He passed teammate Tyreke Key as well as Travis Inman (1988-92).
 
» Neese has scored in double-figures in 13 games this season, scoring 15 or more in 11 games. His 2.5 made 3-pointers per game leads ISU and ranks fourth in the MVC.
 
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