TERRE HAUTE, Ind. –
Karmani Gregory and
Duce Paschal combined for 27 second-half points for Indiana State in their 2026-27 season debut, but the Sycamores were unable to answer a late Charlotte three-point barrage on opening night inside the Hulman Center in Monday evening's 78-70 loss to the 49ers.
The Sycamores (0-1) and 49ers (1-0) went back-and-forth through a majority of the contest as both teams countered the others' offensive output. The game featured eight lead changes and four ties, with Indiana State fighting its way back from a seven-point deficit with 12:36 remaining in the second half.
Trailing 50-43 following an Arden Conyers three-pointer after a Sycamore turnover,
Maguire Mitchell jumpstarted the Indiana State offense with a three-pointer at the 12:05 mark to cut the deficit down to four points. Dorian Finister connected on a layup on Charlotte's next trip down the court to make it a six-point game, before Paschal drove the lane for back-to-back baskets to cut the deficit down to 52-50 with 9:37 to play.
Gregory added a layup to keep it a two-point game at 54-52 and Paschal added a trio of free throws to keep the game within one possession at 56-55 with 7:00 to play. The momentum stayed with the Sycamores as Paschal stripped the ball from Keyshuan Tillery and passed ahead to Gregory for the short jumper at the 6:27 mark to give the Sycamores the 57-56 lead.
Tillery immediately swung the advantage back to Charlotte on the ensuing possession with an assist on Frank Oguche's three-pointer, before draining back-to-back threes to put the 49ers back ahead 65-57. The Sycamores battled back throughout the remainder of the contest, but another Tillery three-pointer at the 2:53 mark put the score at 72-65. Finister hit the biggest shot of the night with a three-pointer from the left wing with 1:03 remaining to seal the game and secure the eventual 78-70 win.
Indiana State and Charlotte battled throughout the first half with five lead changes and three ties over the first 20 minutes. The teams fought through a defensive stalemate early before the lid came off the basket late in the first half.
The score was tied 16-16 with 5:24 remaining in the first half following a Gregory jumper as the teams went back-and-forth in the contest. Charlotte went up 23-20 on a Dylan Grant tip-in off a Michael Walz missed three-pointer before the Sycamores went on a three-point spree just before the halftime buzzer.
Mitchell (twice) and
Chance Puryear both converted from behind the arc late in the first half with Mitchell's second three-pointer with 32 seconds remaining in the half making it a 30-24 Sycamore lead. The Mitchell three-pointer capped a 10-0 run over a 1:49 span to give the Sycamores their largest lead of the half, before Tillery converted a late three-pointer just before the buzzer sounded to send the teams into the locker room with Indiana State leading 30-27.
Karmani Gregory finished the contest with an Indiana State-high 29 points and eight assists, shooting 11-of-22 from the floor, while adding three rebounds. Mitchell added 15 points, including a trio of three-pointers, while Paschal scored nine points and had a team-high five rebounds off the bench.
Jackson Cooper added eight points and two assists on the floor.
News & Notes
- Karmani Gregory's 29-point performance marked the fourth consecutive season an Indiana State player has scored 20 or more points in their Sycamore debut on the floor.
- Gregory joins Ian Scott (24 points, 11 rebounds – Nov. 3, 2025, at Charlotte), Samage Teel (21 points, 5-of-10 3PT – Nov. 4, 2024, vs. Florida Atlantic), Isaiah Swope (26 points, 5-of-10 3PT – Nov. 6, 2023, vs. SMWC) and Ryan Conwell (25 points, 7 rebounds – Nov. 6, 2023, vs. SMWC) to achieve the feat in his first game in the Sycamore Blue & White.
- Indiana State had 10 different players make their Sycamore regular debut on Monday night, including the starting lineup of Karmani Gregory, Maguire Mitchell, Jackson Cooper, EJ McQuillan, and Alessio Calamita.
- Duce Paschal, Kade Speckman, Chance Puryear, Aleksa Vlajic, and Meechie White all made their debuts off the bench in the contest.
- Gregory went 11-of-22 from the floor in the contest, marking the first Sycamore to convert double-digit field goals in their Indiana State debut since Isaiah Swope converted 10-of-17 from the floor on Nov. 6, 2023, against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
- Gregory's eight assists on Monday night marked the most assists by a Sycamore on opening night since Xavier Bledson handed out 11 assists on Nov. 6, 2023, in the season-opening win over SMWC.
- The Sycamores shot over 40.0% from the floor in both halves on Monday night, hitting 41.9% (13-31) in the first half and 46.7% (14-30) in the second half, on their way to converting 44.3% (27-61) from the floor.
- Indiana State led the way on points in the paint, 36-26, and had the 17-7 edge in points off turnovers on Monday.
Postgame Press Conference
Up Next
Indiana State hits the road for the first time in the 2026-27 season on Friday, November 6, as the Sycamores travel to Muncie, Ind. and Worthen Arena to take on Ball State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
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