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Indiana State University Athletics

Final MSU - Conwell
73
Winner Indiana St. INS 22-3,13-1 MVC
71
Missouri St. MOST 14-11,6-8 MVC
Winner
Indiana St. INS
22-3,13-1 MVC
73
Final
71
Missouri St. MOST
14-11,6-8 MVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Indiana St. INS 35 38 73
Missouri St. MOST 36 35 71

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

Sycamores edge out a victory against the Bears

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Indiana State men's basketball secured its ninth-straight win with a road victory at Missouri State. ISU secured the regular-season sweep of the Bears, moving to 22-3 and 13-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
 
Ryan Conwell paced the offense with 24 points, shooting 9-for-15 and knocking down a career-high six three-pointers. Conwell played all 40 minutes in the win, also recording four rebounds and two assists while committing only one turnover. Isaiah Swope scored 19 points with five triples and no turnovers in 38 minutes.
 
Jayson Kent tallied 11 points on 5-for-8 from the floor with a team-high eight rebounds. Robbie Avila rounded out the four Sycamores in double figures with 10 points, also grabbing six rebounds. Julian Larry contributed an all-around effort with seven points, six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Xavier Bledson was the lone non-starter to score for Indiana State, recording two points, three rebounds, and four assists.
 
Indiana State started the game 0-6 from the floor, allowing the Bears to build a 9-1 early lead just four minutes into the game. ISU's lone point came from an Avila free throw. Ryan converted the first field goal for the Sycamores at the 15:43 mark. MSU shot their way to an eight-point, 13-5 lead at with 14:45 to play, which ended up being their largest lead of the game.
 
Indiana State found a groove and erased the deficit with an 11-2 run to take its first lead of the game. ISU completed the conventional score-stop-score in the run, with Conwell knocking down a three, Kent swatting a shot at the other end of the court, and it ended with Swope draining a three of his own. Larry assisted on both made triples. After a made basket from MSU, Kent scored inside the paint and Conwell drained another three in the ensuing possession to take the lead at 16-15 with 12:42 to play in the half.
 
Both teams continued to battle the rest of the half. The Bears took a four-point lead with 7:40 left in the half at 23-19 only for the Sycamores to recover and take a one-point advantage. That four-point lead was the highest lead by either team once Indiana State battled back from the early deficit. The first half alone saw 10 lead changes and four ties, but it was Missouri State that held the lead at break, 36-35. Indiana State had only trailed at the half four other times this season.
 
Coming out of half, the Bears worked to a five-point lead just under four minutes into the half at 16:08, 44-39. MSU was able to hold that lead for the next couple minutes, but the Indiana State needed two minutes for an 11-3 run to take the lead back at 54-52 at the 12:12 mark. Avila, Swope, Conwell, and Bledson all contributed, and the Sycamores made 6-of-7 field goal attempts in the spurt.
 
Coming down the stretch in the final six minutes, the MSU offense made 3-of-9 field-goal attempts, allowing the Sycamores to capture and hold the lead for the rest of the game.
The Bears hung in with one score and three free throws, but back-to-back buckets by Larry and Kent gave the Sycamores a 69-66 lead with 3:42 to play. Indiana State took a five-point lead with 20 seconds to play off a Swope jumper. MSU with the ball and 12 seconds left made costly turnover, allowing Swope to swipe the ball. The Bears made a layup as time expired, but it was too short as the Sycamores still held a two-point lead to earn the 73-71 victory.
 
News & Notes
  • Indiana State moved to 22-3 and 13-1, the best record under Coach Josh Schertz.
  • ISU committed seven turnovers, the second-lowest number of the season. ISU has committed six turnovers twice and seven turnovers now three times. The five Sycamore starters accounted for only three of the turnovers.
  • The Sycamores were victorious despite finishing with the third-lowest field goal percentage (43.8%), the second-lowest three-point percentage (30.0%), and the lowest total made free throws (5).
  • Indiana State attempted the highest amount of three-pointers for the season (finished 12-for-40).
  • With Saturday's win, ISU is still only 7-33 when playing in MSU's home gym.
  • There was a total of 17 lead changes and 10 ties.
  • Ryan Conwell made a career-high six three-pointers.
  • Isaiah Swope made five threes for the seventh time this season.
Up Next
Indiana State returns to Hulman Center on Tuesday, Feb. 13 for a matchup against Illinois State at 7 p.m. ET. The game's theme is a royal blue out, and there will be a rally towel giveaway.
 
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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