EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Indiana State men's basketball clinched a share of the regular season Missouri Valley Conference title with a win over Evansville on Wednesday, 85-67.
 
Robbie Avila dropped a career-high 35 points on 14-for-24 shooting from the floor, beating his previous high of 30. He recorded eight rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes of action, committing only one turnover. Ryan Conwell tallied 15 points making 5-for-8 from three. He secured seven rebounds and three assists.
 
Xavier Bledson was huge off the bench, scoring 12 points in 28 minutes on 4-for-7 shooting, also grabbing three rebounds and dishing out five assists. Isaiah Swope chipped in 11 points with three triples, five rebounds, and four assists. Julian Larry posted a solid effort across the board with eight points, eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals.
 
The game was tight from the jump with the scoring being tied at 9 apiece just over four minutes into the game. ISU used a 10-0 run to break the lead open. Larry drained a triple off an Avila assist, then Larry returned the favor by assisting on an Avila layup in the next possession. Bledson made his first three of the game before Avila made another layup to end the run. ISU led 19-9 with 13:07 on the clock.
 
Back-to-back three-pointers by Bledson and Conwell gave the Sycamores a 16-point lead, its largest to this point, at the 11-minute mark, 27-11.
 
Evansville used the next six minutes to slowly work back into the game. UE amassed a 16-1 scoring run of its own, cutting its deficit down to a point, 28-27, with 5:03 left in the half.
The Sycamores used yet another scoring run of 12-4 to close out the half. Avila started the 12-4 run with seven-straight points – including scoring on a layup after ISU secured an offensive rebound and converting a tough and-one under the basket. Conwell knocked down another triple at the 1:43 mark and Avila scoring with 17 seconds left to give ISU a 40-31 lead at the break.
 
The Purple Aces hung tight for the first five minutes of the half, trailing only 50-45. In the next five minutes, ISU logged an 18-5 run to take back control of the game. Bledson and Conwell combined for the first seven points. Larry scored off a layup, followed by Swope draining a three. Avila next converted his second three-point play of the game, then Swope rounded out the run with another jumper from deep. Indiana State led 68-50 with 10 minutes left in the game.
 
The Sycamore offense continued its power through the last minutes of the game. Bledson made a layup with 6:31 on the clock, and just more than a minute later Avila recorded his third and-one of the game. After another minute of no scoring, Avila then secured this fourth and-one, giving ISU an 80-58 lead with 4:23 remaining. Conwell knocked down his fifth triple of the game with 2:45 to play before Coach Schertz cleared the bench with 1:50 to play. Derek Vorst grabbed an offensive board and put back a layup with 90 seconds left for the final points of the game for Indiana State, leading to the 85-67 victory.
 
News & Notes

• Indiana State clinched a share of the MVC regular season title with the win. ISU hasn't won a regular-season title since 2000. The Sycamores have a chance to win the title outright with a win on Sunday against Murray State.
• The Sycamores finished shooting 40.6% (13-for-32) from deep, the first time shooting above 40% since January 27 (10 games).
• ISU assisted on 80.65% of made shots (25-of-31). The 25 assists are the third highest of the season.
• ISU shot over 50% from the field for the second time in the last three games (50.8%, 31-for-61).
• Indiana State recorded double digit offensive rebounds (10) for only the fifth time this season. The highest mark is 12 set against Southern Indiana.
• Robbie Avila is now one of six players in the MVC this season with two-or-more 30+ point games.
• Julian Larry played 37 minutes with no turnovers and Robbie Avila recorded 35-8-5 in 35 minutes with one turnover.
• Coach Schertz is in 10^th for all-time career coaching wins at Indiana State with 59 wins in his third season. With two more wins to get to 61, Coach Schertz will tie Bob King for ninth.

Up Next
Indiana State returns to Hulman Center for the final time in the 2023-24 regular season for Senior Day against Murray State. ISU will honor its two graduating seniors Jake Wolfe and Xavier Bledson, graduate assistant Jeremiah Keene, and student managers Alex and Staley Cisneroz. Tip is set for 4 p.m. ET.
 
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