EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Indiana State men's basketball earned a decisive 84-63 victory over the University of Evansville on Tuesday night.
 
Markus Harding and Enel St. Bernard led the Sycamores with 18 points apiece, while Sterling Young added 10. St. Bernard also paced the game on the glass with a game-high nine rebounds, followed by Bruno Alocen with seven and Harding with five. Jo Van Buggenhout dished out a game-high seven assists, and Ian Scott contributed four steals.
 
Evansville scored first with a two-point jumper, but Indiana State answered immediately with a 10-0 run over the next 2:05 behind baskets from Xavier Hall (5), Scott (3), and Harding (2); the Sycamores assisted on all four made baskets. After a brief scoring drought that lasted until the first media timeout, the Purple Aces connected on another jumper, but the Sycamores responded with a 14-6 run over the next 4:47 knocking down 4-of-5 three-pointers to build a 14-point lead with 10:30 remaining in the first half.
 
Evansville trimmed the deficit to single digits with a 9-2 run, making the score 26-19, before Indiana State pushed back with a 10-3 surge to regain a 14-point advantage with 5:17 left in the half. The Sycamores maintained control the rest of the way, closing the first half on a 10-7 run behind seven points from Harding and three from Scott to take a 17-point, 46-29 lead into the break.
 
Sterling Young opened the second-half scoring with a fast-break layup. Evansville responded with a quick 7-0 run over the next 1:12, but Indiana State quickly regained momentum, rattling off an 11-0 run to extend its lead to 59-36. The Purple Aces attempted to rally with a 9-4 run, but a second-chance dunk from St. Bernard halted the push and gave the Sycamores a 20-point, 65-45 advantage with 9:38 remaining.
 
Indiana State continued to extend its lead with a 13-6 run, highlighted by baskets from Harding (6), Van Buggenhout (2), Young (3), and St. Bernard (2), pushing the score to 78-51 with 4:26 left. Evansville closed the game on a 12-6 run, but the outcome was never in doubt as the Sycamores secured the 84-63 win.
 
News and Notes

• Tonight's game marked game No. 3,000 in the program. Indiana State Basketball is 1,619-1,381 in the program's history following the win at Evansville.
• Indiana State scored 80-plus points for the first time since Murray State (1/17/26), finishing with 84 points. The 84 points are the best since scoring 94 against Illinois State on January 14.
• The Sycamores shot 55.0% from the field, their best effort since shooting 56.1% against Illinois State on January 14.
  • The 33 made field goals are the most against a Division I opponent this season.
  • The Sycamores finished with an effective field-goal percentage (eFG%) of 65.8%, the best against a Division I opponent this season. (This is a statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points, while field goals only count for two points.)
• Indiana State finished with a 48.1% clip from three, the best since going 8-for-16 (50%) at Murray State on January 17.
  • The 13 made threes are the most since making 13 against Bradley on December 18, doing so in triple overtime. In regulation, 13 made threes are the most this season against a Division I opponent.
• Indiana State finished with 28 assists on 33 made field goals (84.8%). This is the highest since the 2023-24 season when the Sycamores also recorded 28 assists against IUPUI on November 14, 2023.
• Indiana State scored 20 points off turnovers, the best against a Division I opponent since scoring 23 earlier this season against Alcorn State on November 28. The Sycamores averaged 11.5 entering the game.
• The nine turnovers committed are the lowest through the last six games (six against Illinois State on January 14.
• Nine steals are the most against a Division I opponent since stealing 15 against Acorn State on November 28 earlier this season.
• Over the last five games, Indiana State's defense has held the opponents to an average of 5.8 three-pointers made per game and a 28.4% shooting percentage.
• The Sycamores allowed nine UE offense rebounds, the fewest since giving up seven against Illinois State on January 14.
• The 63 points allowed by Indiana State is the lowest since giving up only 55 on December 7 earlier this season to Southern Indiana. It's the sixth lowest by an opponent this season.
  • Indiana State moved to 7-1 this season when allowing 72 points or fewer (the team is 3-13 when allowing 73 or more.
• Markus Harding set a new scoring mark as a Sycamore with 18 points (his overall career high is 22). His seven made field goals ties for the most he has made in his collegiate career.
• Enel St. Bernard set a new collegiate career high in points with 18, surpassing his previous high of 17 set earlier this season.
  • His stat line of 18 points, nine rebounds, one steal, no turnovers, and five dunks was completed in under 23 minutes on the court.
  • His eight made field goals ties a collegiate career high.
• Four Sycamores turned in respectable stat-lines across the board.
  • Jo Van Buggenhout tied his career high with seven assists. He scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds along with his assists, while committing no turnovers.
  • Camp Wagner set a new career high in assists with six. He added eight points and four rebounds.
  • Xavier Hall recorded eight points and five assists with no turnovers.
  • Bruno Alocen finished with season highs seven rebounds and four assists.
• Hunter Harding recorded his first MVC steal.
• Sivert Nordheim recorded his first collegiate block
• Ian Scott recorded an MVC high with four steals, which tied his season high.

 
Up Next
Indiana State returns to the Hulman Center on Monday, February 9, to host Southern Illinois. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
 
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