TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State men's basketball fell to Illinois State for the first home loss of the season, 80-67. Indiana State fell to 22-4 overall and 13-2 in the Missouri Valley.

Julian Larry led Indiana State scorers with 20 points, recording four rebounds, a game-high four assists, and two steals. Isaiah Swope finished with 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Ryan Conwell scored 10 points. Robbie Avila added six points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. Jake Wolfe scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds, while Jayson Kent scored four points and secured a team-high eight rebounds in 17:19.

Indiana State saw another slow start, missing the first five shots which allowed Illinois State to leave 6-0 early. ILS worked to a 16-6 lead just over seven minutes into the game, shooting 61% (8-for-13) from the floor. At the 11-minute mark in the game, INS missed its first eight three-point attempts and trailed 22-14. Swope brought the Sycamores two a five-point deficit with the first triple of the game for INS at the 1:22 mark, trailing 32-27. Heading into halftime, it was the Redbirds who had the lead, 35-29.

Indiana State finished 1-for-17 from beyond the arc, 5.88%, the lowest of the season in the first half. From the field, INS shot 33.3% (11-for-33).

ILS opened the second half with two made baskets, then INS used a 15-7 run to get the deficit down to two points, 44-42. In the stretch Larry and Conwell alternated baskets for the Sycamores, then Wolfe brought cut to the two-point lead with a layup. Indiana State took its only lead of the game at the 9:22 mark, 49-48, with a layup from Swope. A short six-point run from the Redbirds in the next 2:16 gave them back a 54-49 lead, and that would end the Sycamores' only lead of the game.

Illinois State built back to a 10-point lead with 3:49 left in the game. The Redbirds held the lead by knocking down 8-of-10 from the foul line in the final 2:30 of the game to take the 80-67 victory.

News & Notes

• Indiana State moved to 22-4, 13-2 MVC which is the best in the Coach Josh Schertz era.
• INS tied for the second-most offensive rebounds for the season with 11. It's the fourth time we hit double digit offensive rebounds since Southern Illinois on December 9.
• The Sycamores recorded season lows in both field goal percentage (36.4%, 24-for-66) and three-point field goal percentage (21.1, 8-for-38).
• Indiana State shot 16-for-28 from inside the arc, 57.14%.
• INS finished 11-for-12 from the free throw line (92%). 
• Julian Larry scored a season-high 20 points, falling one short of tying his career-high of 21. He scored 21 last season against Evansville on December 29.
• Johnny Kinziger from Illinois State scored 31 points after entering the game averaging 6.3 points-per-game.

Postgame Press Conference Presented by Team Green Law


Postgame Radio Interview Presented by Dorsett Automotive with Joey O'Rourke


Up Next
Indiana State travels to Southern Illinois on Saturday, February 17 with a 7 p.m. ET tip.

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