MURRAY, Ky. – Indiana State men's basketball fought all the way through the end but ultimately fell to Murray State, 85-81. Indiana State moved to 9-10, 2-6 MVC while Murray State remained undefeated in league play with a 16-3, 8-0 MVC record.
 
Camp Wagner led the Sycamores in scoring with 20 points on an 8-for-16 effort from the field and 2-of-5 from deep, with a team-high eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Ian Scott followed with 14 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Jo Van Buggenhout scored 11 off the bench with three rebounds and an assist. Sterling Young followed with 10 points, six rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Enel St. Bernard pitched in nine points and seven rebounds.
 
It was Murray State that jumped out to an early 9-2 lead, then again at 12-6. But Indiana State went on a 9-3 run to tie the game at 15 all at the first media timeout (13:43). The 9-3 run by Indiana State were all from deep, as Sterling Young and Camp Wagner hit from the left wing and Xavier Hall hit from the right wing.
 
The game remained tight as MSU held no more than a five-point lead to hold a 37-29 advantage with 3:37 to play in the half. The Racers took their largest lead of the half at the 3:21 mark and that was the MSU margin at the break, 47-37.
 
Murray State shot 50.0% from the field in the half and 47.1% from three (8-for-17) and ended the half making their last 6-of-7 field goal attempts. Indiana State shot 45.5% from the field but an impressive 66.7% (6-of-9) from downtown. Players from both sides were creating their own shots, as the two teams combined for 11 assists on 33 made field goals in the half.
 
Murray State hung onto their lead before a Young three-pointer cut into the deficit, 49-44. A Scott layup before the media made the score 53-46 with just under 15 minutes on the clock.
 
With 14 minutes to play, Hunter Harding drilled a three-pointer to make it a one-possession game, 53-50. After two scores by MSU, Scott scored off a layup and Van Buggenhout swiped the ball from the Racers' ball handler. Scott grabbed the offensive board and put it back in to trail by three, 57-54, with 12:49 remaining. About two-and-a-half minutes later, back-to-back dunks by Wagner and Enel St. Bernard – a one-handed alley-oop slam for St. Bernard – gave Indiana State their first lead of the game. The lead would be short-lived, as MSU scored on the ensuing possession to make it 60-59 with 9:58 on the clock.
 
By the seven-minute mark, Murray State crawled out to a 71-60 lead. Indiana State stalled their momentum with a 12-5 run from the 6:40 mark to the 3:49 mark, shooting perfect on the floor – 4-for-4 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
 
MSU got back to an eight-point, 81-73 lead by the two-minute mark, over the next 1:53 of game time, Indiana State fought back with an 8-2 run – six points from Wagner and two from Young – and trailed 83-81 with 19 seconds left.
 
Murray State made the basket out of the timeout and held on for the 85-81 victory.
 
News & Notes

• The Sycamores in conference play moved to 2-6. In conference games alone, the average margin in -5.1. Since the start of 2026 (five games) the average margin is -2.6
  • Five of the eight conference games have been decided within five points; three games decided within three points
• Saturday afternoon was the first time Indiana State shot above 50.0% from three as a team (8-for-16).
• The 44 points in the paint for the Sycamores continue to make their average rise. Indiana State scored 40+ points in the paint in four of the last five game. Before that in the prior 14 games, the Sycamores did so in only four games
• The 17 second-chance points are the second most against a Division I opponent this season (23 against Illinois Tech, 18 against Alcorn State)
• Camp Wagner's 20 points are his most since he scored 21 against Bradley on December 18
  • His eight rebounds ties for his second-most this season (nine at Milwaukee on December 14)
  • It's only the third time this season he scored 20 points or more
• Sterling Young recorded a season high six rebounds
• Hunter Harding returned to play 14.5 minutes, shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from the field. He scored eight points in the game
• Last three games:
  • Ian Scott is averaging 17.0 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game
  • Camp Wagner is averaging 13.7 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game, and 3.0 assists per game.
  • Sterling Young 11.0 points per game on 50.0% from both the field and three
  • The Sycamores are just above their season average in scoring at 81.3 points per game
  • The Sycamores have scored a total of 244 points in the last three – opponents have scored 246
• Murray State recorded 13 blocks on the Sycamores, tying for most in the season (13 at #4/4 Duke on November 14)

 
Up Next
Indiana State will travel to Bradley on Wednesday, January 21 with a 7 p.m. ET start time.
 
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