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Indiana State University Athletics

Swope - UIC Recap 1.24
89
Winner Indiana St. INS 17-3,8-1 MVC
83
UIC UIC 8-12,1-8 MVC
Winner
Indiana St. INS
17-3,8-1 MVC
89
Final
83
UIC UIC
8-12,1-8 MVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Indiana St. INS 41 48 89
UIC UIC 39 44 83

Game Recap: Basketball | | Nick Rush | GoSycamores.com

Swope's Career High, Avila and Kent Double-Doubles Blow Sycamores Past Flames

CHICAGO, Ill. – Indiana State men's basketball improved to 17-3, 8-1 MVC in 2023-24 with a win against UIC, 89-83, backed by Isaiah Swope recording a career-high in points and Robbie Avila and Jayson Kent each recording a double-double.
 
Swope recorded a career-high 30 points off 10-for-21 shooting from the floor, including knocking down six threes. Avila recorded a double-double with 26 points (9-for-14, 3-for-6 3FG) and 11 rebounds, adding six assists. Kent's double-double came from 10 points and 11 rebounds, almost a near perfect game with 4-for-4 from the field, 1-for-1 from behind the arc, and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line. Julian Larry added 12 points with seven assists, tied for the game high.
 
Seven minutes into the first half, Indiana State controlled the lead 13-7 with Ryan Conwell knocking down a three-pointer. UIC used a small 6-0 run to tie the game at 15-15. After a pair of free throws by Swope to go up 17-15, and from then on the battle went bucket-for-bucket. Swope tied the game at 23 apiece, then he knocked down a three-pointer which was followed by a pair of Larry free throws to take a five-point, 28-23 lead with 5:55 left in the first half. UIC held the lead, 39-38, with 17 seconds in the half before Swope drained a right-wing triple to give the Sycamores a 41-39 lead at the break.
 
The second half picked up right where the first half left off. Both teams combined to open the half 11-for-14 through the first five minutes. UIC's offense shot 71.4% from the floor through the first media timeout, including 83.3% (5-for-6) from deep, having an answer for each basket made by Indiana State. From the Sycamores' side through the first 10 minutes of the second half, Swope and Avila scored 22 of ISU's 24 points, combining to shoot 8-for-10 from the field, with their only misses coming from three-point range.
 
With 8:51 on the clock, ISU went ahead 70-66 off five-straight points from Kent. The Flames didn't waste time to take back the lead, scoring five straight of their own to take a 71-70 advantage into the third media timeout. Back-to-back layups by Larry, followed by a triple from Swope gave the Sycamores a 77-73 lead with 5:51 to play.
 
After UIC tied the game at 77-77, Kent made a turnaround jumper, ensued by an Avila layup at the 2:49 mark to take the lead for good. ISU held a five-point, 85-80 lead with 37 seconds on the clock, but Filip Skobalj drained a three to bring the game back to a one-possession ballgame. Avila and Xavier Bledson knocked down four straight free throws to ice the victory over the Flames, 89-83.

News & Notes
  • Indiana State continues with one of the best records in Division I men's college basketball at 17-3. The Sycamores' win percentage of .850 ranks in the Top 15 in the nation.
  • Isaiah Swope scored a career-best 30 points, breaking his previous record of 28 points. He knocked down 6+ threes for the second time in four games.
  • Robbie Avila notched his third double-double in four games for the Sycamores with 26 points and 11 rebounds with 0 turnovers. He has averaged 20 PPG and 9.75 RPG in the four-game stretch. He's also scored 20+ points in three-straight games.
  • Jayson Kent recorded his second double-double in four games, shooting 60.6% (20-for-33) in those four games and averaged 9.0 RPG.
  • With 89 points tonight, ISU has scored at least 88 points in three out of the previous four contests.
Postgame Radio Interview with Joey O'Rourke
 

Up Next
Indiana State hosts Bradley on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 or ESPNU (decision TBA). Saturday is Be Like Robbie Day, where 3,000 goggles will be handed out for fans. Also, the promotion includes 1,000 baby blue replica jerseys available on a first come, first serve basis. Saturday's game is also the Sycamores' Suits & Sneakers Game.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Basketball, 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 the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
 
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