TERRE HAUTE — Sometime during the final 10 minutes of Indiana State’s 68-53 loss to Illinois State on Wednesday, a stretch where the Redbirds scored nine times within 10 feet of the basket, ISU coach Royce Waltman decided enough was enough.
Man-to-man wasn’t cutting it. Time to go zone.
“When we were getting beat so badly in the last game, I made the decision,” Waltman said. “Jay [Tunnell, who did not play] and Trent [Wurtz, who has been bothered for nearly two months by an Achilles injury] are hurt, but that doesn’t take away from the fact [Illinois State’s] three inside guys scored 40 points. We have to do something about it.”
And so the Sycamores, losers of 10 out of 11, embark on a philosophical change as Miami of Ohio visits Hulman Center. The game fulfills both teams’ obligations for the ESPNU BracketBusters series as the Sycamores will play at Oxford, Ohio, next season.
ISU worked on a zone in practice Friday, the only practice since Wednesday’s loss. ISU had to take a NCAA-mandated day off after the team had a Monday practice after a Sunday game.
“We’ve been beaten badly inside and we can offer up a variety of excuses, but the two things we want to do is play tougher in there and have the zone at our disposal that might protect us inside a little bit,” Waltman said.
For a program that holds man-to-man defense in high regard to the point of dogma, there’s little time to acclimate everyone to play a zone defense, though ISU did work on a zone during stretches of the preseason. Is there concern that ISU is a tiger that will have trouble changing its stripes?
“I don’t think from the standpoint of a tiger changing its stripes, you still have to guard someone in your area in a zone. I’m more concerned that we’re trying to put the zone in [the game plan] in a hurry,” Waltman said.
Waltman said ISU won’t play zone for the whole game, the Sycamores will likely use their usual man-to-man defense to see how Miami adjusts to the Sycamores’ usual defense.
ISU guard Gabe Moore surmised that the Sycamores should try anything, including a zone, to get out of their doldrums.
“At this point, you can’t go wrong with it. We need to do anything that will help us get a win,” Moore said.
The Sycamores will be helped by the return of Tunnell, who missed Wednesday’s game with a sprained left ankle. The sophomore practiced Friday and after working through a few post-practice drills was deemed fit to play.
ISU (12-14) can ill afford more interior defense woes. Miami (12-12) does the bulk of its scoring inside. Forward Tim Pollitz is Miami’s scoring leader at 14.8 ppg, right behind is fellow forward Nathan Peavy at 14 ppg. Pollitz has been Miami’s most consistent scorer in MAC play, averaging 18.5 ppg and making 64.1 percent of his shots.
It will be difficult for ISU to get its offense untracked against the RedHawks. Miami, led by veteran coach Charlie Coles, is one of the best defensive teams in the Mid-American Conference, conceding just 57.2 points per game which is eighth-best in the nation. The RedHawks have held every one of their to opponents to 70 or fewer points.
Unlike the Sycamores, Miami’s season has been on a different arc. After struggling to a 6-10 start, the RedHawks have won seven of their last nine games, though Miami lost its last outing 61-45 at Kent State on Wednesday.
Despite the recent woes, ISU seemed loose and upbeat during Friday’s practice.
“I think we’re close to getting out of it, but my old junior high coach had a saying, ‘Everybody has to play the game.’ We have to go out and compete and things will fall into place,” Moore said. “We have do a better job of keeping that going over an entire game.”
College
Sycamores hope to zone in on BracketBusters victory
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Indiana State connects on all 12 of its 3-point shots vs. SIU and sets three NCAA records in process
When you’re a shooter and you’re in a slump, the boilerplate cure is to summon amnesia, forget about your struggles and keep on shooting.
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ISU's Webb wins heptathlon
Indiana State’s Robert Webb captured the heptathlon Saturday at the Grand Valley State Big Meet as he totaled the second most points in ISU history while dominating the event. Webb scored 5,140 points, which is second only to former Sycamore Anthony Bertoli’s 5,189 points in 2008.
Webb, a senior, established three more personal best efforts enroute to the overall victory as he ran 8.45 in the 60 meter hurdles and 2 minutes, 50.73 seconds in the 1,000 meters while also clearing 13-1 1/2 in the pole vault. Webb entered the second day of the event in the lead with 2,893 points after winning three of the four Friday events and setting personal bests in the long jump and shot put. -
Perfect game: ISU shoots NCAA record 12-for-12 from 3-point range in win over SIU
Indiana State set an NCAA record for 3-point percentage and consecutive 3-pointers made Saturday afternoon in Hulman Center, connecting on all 12 attempts during a 78-68 win over Southern Illinois.
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‘Frustrated’ Sycamores regroup to face Southern Illinois
Indiana State’s men’s basketball struggles have hit one Sycamore senior hard.
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Thomas nets double-double as ISU women end losing streak
The halftime speech is one of the most time-worn clichés in sports, but once in a while, it’s meaningful. It certainly was for the Indiana State women’s basketball team on Friday against Bradley.
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Sycamore women looking to snap six-game losing streak
The Indiana State women’s basketball team is in dire need of a victory in Hulman Center this weekend.
Bradley visits Terre Haute tonight looking to sweep the season series from the Sycamores, who are in jeopardy of the program’s first seven-game losing streak since the 1995-96 season.
“I think it should [add to motivation]. There’s no doubt that group in the locker room in there is very disappointed,” Coach Teri Moren said. “As I keep saying, we’re in a rough patch right now, and there’s no group of kids that wants to get right back on track more than they do.” -
Leonard dominates in first half, but IU, Zeller earn the victory
The first half belonged to Illinois’ Meyers Leonard.
The win belonged to Indiana and Cody Zeller.
The 23rd-ranked Hoosiers (19-6, 7-6 Big Ten) took advantage of a glaring free-throw discrepancy to defeat the Illini 84-71 on Thursday. -
Rose women roll; Dickerson becomes all-time assists leader
Rose-Hulman senior Alisa Dickerson became the college’s career leader in assists as the Engineers cruised past Defiance 60-33 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s basketball Saturday afternoon in Hulbert Arena.
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MVC’s worst a tantalizing option for ISU
Even though the Indiana State men’s basketball team has played better of late, having won three of its last four games, there’s only one team with a worse record in the Missouri Valley Conference standings than the Sycamores.
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Sycamores can’t stop Stutz, Shockers
All or nothing. It was that kind of game for Wichita State center Garrett Stutz. Unfortunately for Indiana State’s men’s basketball team, the “all” came in the second half.
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McWhorter’s fortunes rise with ISU’s
More so than any other Sycamore, Steve McWhorter might embody the decline and the recent rise of the Indiana State men’s basketball team.
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Johnson dominates again for ISU track
Felisha Johnson continued to dominate women’s weight throw while two Indiana State hurdlers moved into today’s finals after solid performances in the preliminaries Friday at the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame.
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Indiana State women lose at Illinois State
Playing short-handed again, Indiana State’s women suffered their sixth straight Missouri Valley Conference basketball loss Friday night, falling 78-67 to host Illinois State.
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Indiana, Purdue meet with both looking to regain momentum
Indiana University’s stint in the Top 25 may be coming to an end. Purdue is just looking for a winning streak.
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ISU women looking to end five-game losing streak at Illinois State
Within a few points in the final minutes, Indiana State had chances to win women’s basketball games at Missouri State and Wichita State last weekend.
But the Sycamores lost for the fourth and fifth straight games, also losing freshman Jessica Valley for the season at Wichita State. The promising backcourt player tore the ACL in her right knee and began strengthening exercises this week in order to make plans for surgery. -
ISU Senior Day game to be televised on ESPN
The Missouri Valley Conference announced Thursday that Indiana State’s regular season finale against No. 12-ranked Creighton on Feb. 25 in Hulman Center has been chosen as the MVC’s “wild card” game that will be telecast on either ESPN or ESPN2.
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Hoosiers load up on in-state players
With a 1-11 record in his first season as IU football coach, Kevin Wilson knew there were a lot of holes to fill in terms of personnel.
- Wabash Valley verbal commitments
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It’s on: Sycamores, Bulldogs to play at Hinkle on Feb. 18
How badly did Indiana State want to get Butler as its BracketBusters opponent?
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METRO ROUNDUP: Four from Rose receive weekly honors
Four Rose-Hulman athletes earned Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference weekly honors, the HCAC announced Monday.
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Hoosiers reclaim needed offensive momentum
Indiana hadn’t allowed an opponent to shoot better than 40 percent in three straight games heading into Sunday’s home game against Iowa.
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Sycamores will have to match Aces’ toughness
Indiana State men’s basketball coach Greg Lansing has an enduring respect for the toughness Evansville coach Marty Simmons coaxes out of his Purple Aces.
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Rose, The Woods post weekend victories
Rose-Hulman relied on a balanced scoring attack and a strong defensive effort to earn a 55-44 women’s basketball victory Saturday over Mount St. Joseph.
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ISU's Stacia Weatherford sets school record in 60-meter hurdles
Indiana State junior Stacia Weatherford set the school record in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, while sophomore Greggmar Swift dominated the action in the men’s 60 hurdles during competition Saturday at the Indiana Relays.
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Rose takes first in Engineer Track and Field Invitational
Rose-Hulman relied on nine event victories, 13 top-two finishes and three school records for a strong performance at the ninth annual Engineer Track and Field Invitational on Saturday.
The men’s squad captured first place honors in a meet that featured two of the nation's top 20 NCAA Division III squads and 12 institutions from seven states. The day’s competition also included 10 meet records. -
Mattox’s 31 not enough for ISU women
Indiana State pulled within 63-57 with a 6-0 run with 8 minutes, 50 seconds remaining Friday night at JQH Arena, but the Sycamores lost 84-70 to host Missouri State in a Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball game.
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Mattox, Sycamores staying positive on road trip to Missouri State, Wichita State
Indiana State seniors Brittany Schoen and Deja Mattox are within striking distance of passing 1,000 points in their women’s basketball careers, and they would join classmate Shannon Thomas in that club. Schoen needs just 16 points, while Mattox is 89 points away.
But Mattox has been on a roll of late, scoring a team-high 15.1 points through ISU’s 4-3 start to Missouri Valley Conference play. -
IU triumphs
When Indiana’s Will Sheehey left the floor after receiving his second technical foul, the Hoosier fans cheered.
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ISU women nipped at buzzer
Creighton sophomore Carli Tritz — blanketed by Indiana State senior Brittany Schoen — had just two points at halftime Friday in Hulman Center.
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ISU needs to find chip on its shoulder
When one looks back at the totality of Indiana State’s 2010-11 men’s basketball season, there’s a recurrent theme that tied together the high points in a 20-14 campaign. A recurrent theme that might give ISU a lifeline in what has been a disappointing 2012 season.
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