TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State men's basketball held off the one-loss Belmont Bruins inside Hulman Center on Monday night, 81-80, in overtime.
 
Camp Wagner led four Sycamores in double-digit scoring with 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting and five triples, with three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Ian Scott scored 14 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, adding in six assists which tied for the game high.
 
Sterling Young finished with 13 points going 5-for-8 from the field and 3-for-5 from downtown. Derek Vorst chipped in 12 points with a pair of blocks.
 
First Half
Belmont found themselves slightly ahead early right at the 16-minute mark, 8-7, after Jo Van Buggenhout banked one off the glass. The Bruins went on a short run to lead 14-7 before Camp Wagner brought the team back within four with a three-pointer.
 
The Sycamores found themselves now down eight, the largest deficit of the short game, before Hunter Harding drained a corner three – his first of the season – pulling the Sycamores to 18-13 with 11:20 to play. Back-to-back layups by Ian Scott and Sterling Young kept the Sycamores within striking distance with 8:44 remaining in the half, 23-19.
 
Coming out of the under-eight media timeout, Belmont picked up the pressure just before halfcourt. Xavier Hall handled it masterfully and found Wagner in along on the wing who drained his third three of the game. That basket brought Indiana State back within three, 25-22, with just over seven minutes to play in the half.
 
Coming out of the under-four media, Coach Graves drew up the backdoor alley-oop, as Van Buggenhout found Enel St. Bernard for the slam.
 
Tyler Lundblade for Belmont continued his hot shooting, knocking down his fourth and fifth triples of the half to give Belmont their largest lead of the game, 11, with just under two minutes in the half. The Bruins led 39-28.
 
Back-to-back threes by Wagner and Young brought Indiana State back within five, 41-36, and that score would remain as the game went into the halftime break.
 
Second Half
Belmont started the half 4-for-6, but the Sycamores hung tough with buckets of their own to trail 50-46 only four minutes into the new half. A steal by Xavier Hall thwarted a fast break opportunity by Belmont, turning into a Vorst layup. Hall would be rewarded with a layup of his own in the next possession, putting the Sycamores within two, 52-50.
 
Young found the bottom of the next with just under 10 miuntes to play to bring Indiana State with a point 58-57. After a couple scoreless game minutes, it was Wagner who drilled a three to put the Sycamores on top for the first time since the 18-minute mark in the first half. The clock read 7:25.
 
Coming off an offensive rebound, Scott found Vorst in the past for a dunk with just over two minutes on the clock. The Sycamores grew their lead, 69-63. But the Bruins immediately came down and drained a triple with 1:28 on the clock, giving Indiana State only a three-point, 69-66 lead.
 
With the clock sitting at 20 seconds, two missed free throws by the Sycamores gave Belmont a chance to tie the game – in which they did with a three-pointer in front of their bench. That gave Indiana State the ball with 11.9 seconds left in the game. A last-second, three-point heave was off the mark, sending the Sycamores and Bruins into overtime at 71-71.
 
Overtime
The first 1:45 of overtime was scoreless until Scott made a free throw. With 2:25 left, Wagner made the next two points of the overtime period with a pair of free throws, but Belmont responded with two free throws of their own to give Indiana State only a 74-73 lead.
 
Just like a play from the end of regulation, Scott drove the lane and dumped the ball off to Vorst for a powering slam.  At the other end of the floor, Hall forced the Belmont ball handler to turn it over, only for Hall to draw the foul and knock down a pair of free throws to give Indiana State a 78-73 lead with 30 seconds left.
 
After a Hall free throw, Belmont made a three throw to tie the game at 80-80 with 14 seconds on the clock, before Scott put the Sycamores up one, 81-80, with five seconds left to play and Belmont in possession of the ball.
 
The last second layup by Belmont was heavily contested and no good, giving Indiana State the 81-80 overtime victory inside Hulman Center.
 
Belmont was led by Tyler Lundblade with 26 points, shooting 7-for-14 from three.

News & Notes

• The Sycamores shot 45.9% (28-for-61) from the field and 40.0% (12-for-30) from three.
  • The 40% from downtown sets a new season best for the team against a Division I opponent, marking two games in a row the Sycamores have done so (37.5% against Illinois State).
• Indiana State dished out 24 assists, the best against a Division I opponent this season. The team assisted on 24-of-28 made field goal attempts (85.7%).
  • The 24 assists are the most recorded by the Sycamores against a DI opponent since dishing out 25 at Evansville on February 28, 2024 (2023-24 season).
• Each player to play tonight for Indiana State recorded at least one rebound, 6-of-9 recorded at least two assists, and 8-of-9 scored at least four points.
• Indiana State kept the "December 29" record near-perfect. Entering Monday night's game, the Sycamores were 16-1 when playing on December 29 inside Hulman Center. Overall, Indiana State was 19-5.
• The Sycamores recorded 17 points from turnovers and 11 second chance points. Those are the best marks since November 28 against Alcorn State.
• Indiana State was able to overcome the free throw shooting struggles, as the team finished 50.0% from the line (13-for-26).
• Camp Wagner made five three-pointers in the game, only the second time this season he has made five or more.
• Sterling Young's 13 points are his most in a game since November 28 against Alcorn State. He knocked down three three-pointers for the third time this season, but the first since shooting 3-for-6 at Duke.
• Derek Vorst has scored 12+ points in three of his last four games.
• Hunter Harding drilled his first three-pointer of his career night, with very few attempts. Entering Monday, he was 0-for-5.

Postgame Press Conference Presented by Team Green Law

 
Up Next
Indiana State heads to Iowa for the usual UNI-Drake swing trip. The Sycamores will first visit Northern Iowa on New Year's Day at 8 p.m. ET.

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