Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from sports editor Todd Golden’s Down In The Valley blog. It was written at 3 a.m. Sunday after Golden returned to Terre Haute after covering Indiana State’s 75-73 victory at Illinois State. Golden’s blog, updated regularly, can be read at blogs.tribstar.com/downinthevalley/.
I just got home after the drive from Normal, Ill. … and I can’t get to sleep.
Sportswriters — good ones anyway — pride themselves on being objective. We’re not fans, we’re not cheerleaders, we’re there to do a job. Most of the time, we do it coldly and matter-of-factly.
But we are human. Players, coaches and fans live for games like ISU’s 75-73 victory over Illinois State on Sunday. So do sportswriters. If you were geeked because you love the Sycamores, I was geeked because being able to chronicle games like that are what I live for and why I love what I do. I could run on the juice from a game like that for a few weeks.
That was an “I was there, when …” game you cherish having watched, whether you had a rooting interest in the game or not.
Someone on one of the ISU message boards asked why I thought [during the game’s live blog] that this might be the best ISU win I’ve covered. That person astutely pointed out the bizarre nature of the team over the last five years. ISU has packed a lot of all-timers into a short period of time.
ISU has had bigger comebacks since I’ve been on the beat. ISU has beaten bigger name foes. But I think this is one is the best (bumping the 2006 win at Southern Illinois) for a few reasons.
• For starters, this team had all of the markings of a squad circling the drain. Yes, ISU was close in most games during its seven-game losing streak, but whatever deficiency (usually turnovers) that cropped up in those losses was usually so glaringly fatal that it washed over whatever good ISU did.
The frustration of repeatedly coming close can be very damaging to any team and many, including yours truly, wondered whether the Sycamores had the gumption to keep fighting through it. Yes there’ve been close losses, but keep in mind that ISU is also 21 points away from being winless, so there’s a glass-half-full, glass-half-empty element in trying to deconstruct the Sycamores.
• ISU was undermanned. Losing Isiah Martin, especially against Illinois State’s rebounders, ratcheted up the degree of difficulty.
• Illinois State had not lost at home. Illinois State had already been beaten by the Sycamores, so it’s not as if ISU should have snuck up on them.
• Finally, the comeback itself. For 2 minutes, 23 seconds to end regulation, ISU reached basketball nirvana. The Sycamores, one of the most imperfect of teams over the course of 24 games, actually achieved perfection.
This wasn’t like ISU’s win at SIU in 2006, which ended the nation’s longest home-court winning streak and stopped an 11-game ISU losing streak. That was a slow-burn shocker in the sense that the Sycamores controlled the game for most of the second half. In that case, you were waiting for the other shoe to drop and it never did.
This wasn’t like the Jekyll-and-Hyde 2006 MVC Tourney win over Drake. It’s forgotten that ISU only trailed 19-10 at halftime of that game despite shooting 15.4 percent from the field in the first half.
This wasn’t even like a greater statistical comeback last season against Wichita State, when ISU trailed by 21 in the second half and 10 in the final minute. In that case, the Sycamores got plenty of help from a bumbling Shocker team.
Aside from Illinois State’s free throws — four misses out of five in the final two minutes — ISU had to do this one itself. Perfect or nothing, those were the stakes.
You so rarely see basketball perfection in any context, much less the challenges ISU faced — on the road, a 4-win team vs. 19-win team, Illinois State had a 12-point lead — you have to appreciate it in those rare instances you witness it. You know you may never see one like that again.
Overtime confirmed that the Sycamores had the grit to keep the pedal down, another trait that’s not been much seen from the Sycamores as ISU has a bad tendency to rest on its laurels. See its seven home losses after it has led, including three by double-digits, for evidence.
Of course, all of the 3s helped. Eight in a row. I’ve never seen anything like that, certainly not from a team on the road. Remember, Illinois State is the best 3-point defensive team in the conference.
ISU coach Kevin McKenna was asked in the postgame press conference if Jay Tunnell channeled Larry Bird. It looked to me like he channeled Marico Stinson from the 2006-2007 Drake game, and Tunnell nearly caught up to Stinson’s school-record nine 3-pointers the former Sycamore drained that December night at Hulman Center.
Eight of nine from 3-point range? Insane. It was lost in the shuffle of deadline when I did my story, but Tunnell did set the ISU record for single-game 3-point shooting percentage. His 88.8 percent performance knocks Michael Menser and Travis Inman out of the record book; both shot 85.7 percent in a game during their careers.
Tunnell’s season 3-point percentage went from .359 to .425 in one game. The eight 3s are a quarter of his season total of 31.
You know Tunnell was playing at another level when gasps rained down from the Redbird Arena faithful every time he touched the ball in the final minutes. You know he did something off-the-charts sublime if Illinois State coach Tim Jankovich felt the need to put swingman Osiris Eldridge on Tunnell to guard him after Tunnell made six 3-pointers in six minutes spanning regulation and overtime.
The thing of it is, Tunnell had already played arguably his best game of the season long before the 3s started pouring in. He had a double-double early in the second half and was battling in the paint with more grit than he has in recent games.
Harry Marshall ran the show like a pro. Every decision he made in the final 2:23 and overtime was dead-on. Marshall’s final shot was a gobsmacker. At 4 seconds, he was still out near midcourt. As he said in the paper, he read the defense and took the shot himself. From where I was sitting, I looked like a 3, but it was a long 2-pointer.
Just a stunner of a game.
In the big picture, does the comeback mitigate what’s now a five-win season? No. Does it mean ISU is suddenly OK? Not until we see what the response to this game is Wednesday at Hulman Center when Drake visits.
But for everything to go right in a season where nearly everything has gone wrong, this comeback stacks up as the best in five years.
And I still can’t get to sleep.
Todd Golden is the sports editor of the Tribune-Star. He can be reached at (812) 231-4272 or todd.golden@tribstar.com. Check out his blog at blogs.tribstar.com/downinthevalley
College
From the Press Box: ISU’s best win in five years led to sleepless night
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Indiana State baseball now one win from MVC Championship
Indiana State’s Wednesday morning wish list probably read something like this: a dominant complete game effort from starting pitcher Devin Moore, near-immaculate defense to support him, and a steady diet of clutch situational hitting from lineup spots one to nine.
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Terre Haute's Mascari running 10,000 meters for chance to get to Hayward Field
Indiana State freshman and Terre Haute North graduate John Mascari is among the enormous group of Sycamores competing this weekend at the NCAA East Preliminary. The top 48 NCAA track and field competitors in each event on this half of the United States are narrowed down to 12 who will compete at the NCAA meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
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Manaea's shoulder causing him latest pain
Indiana State pitcher Sean Manaea has battled through so many aches and pains during the 2013 season that it can be hard to discern the serious pain from the pain he pitches through.
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ISU's Negele answers call in big way in wake of Manaea injury
When Indiana State starting pitcher Sean Manaea slumped on the mound in obvious pain after he took his warm-up pitches, red flags raised for ISU’s Missouri Valley Conference tournament hopes.
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ISU baseball hoping Manaea can get its MVC Tournament moving in right direction
Indiana State’s baseball team has been waiting all season for its stars to align.
But this is the 2013 Sycamores, after all, and after a season in which seemingly little has gone right, it appears its stars will remain crossed at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. -
ISU track sending record 22 to postseason
On the heels of their thrilling double victory at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships both the Indiana State men and women moved up in the national rankings which were released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
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ISU's athletic treasure trove
Think of every championship that Indiana State has won in each of its sports, past and present. Think of every tournament — postseason or regular season — which the Sycamores have claimed as their own.
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Ort sets ISU RBI record in 16-7 win
Robby Ort celebrated his Indiana State baseball Senior Day on Saturday by becoming the Sycamores’ all-time leader in RBIs as ISU ended its regular season with a 16-7 win over Bradley at Bob Warn Field.
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Bradley ends 16-game MVC losing streak against ISU
Momentum was the only thing riding on Indiana State’s baseball game against Bradley on Friday. With a five-game winning streak going, ISU wanted to keep the good vibes going into next week’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
ISU couldn’t do it. -
Behind 16 hits and Manaea's pitching, ISU beats Bradley
Indiana State’s baseball team rode a wild ride of emotion on Thursday.
First came the public announcement that Bob Warn Field would host the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Later, Sean Manaea’s availability to pitch ISU’s series opener against Bradley was in doubt. -
Indiana State women add five transfers, including experienced D-I point guard
Indiana State coach Teri Moren believes the addition of five more newcomers to the program — in addition to the five who had already joined the program earlier this calendar year — will provide her coaching staff the athleticism and depth it needs to play a successful, up-tempo brand of basketball next season.
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Metro roundup: Woods softball takes seventh in national tournament
The St. Mary-of-the-Woods softball team finished seventh in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association softball tournament on Tuesday at Firestone Stadium.
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Metro Roundup: Indiana State’s Shakir Bell on Performance Awards watch list
College Football Performance Awards has announced its watch list for the 2013 CFPA FCS Running Back Award, and Indiana State’s Shakir Bell earned a spot on the list.
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ISU baseball team builds on success with 14-2 rout
Indiana State’s baseball victory over Alcorn State on Friday would take on more meaning Saturday if the Sycamores could build momentum and pick up on the good work they did in Friday’s ninth-inning rally.
Mission accomplished.
The Sycamores were aggressive from the opening inning at the plate and starting pitcher Devin Moore gave them eight valuable and effective innings on the mound as ISU defeated Alcorn State 14-2 at Bob Warn Field.
“It was a really good experience for everybody. It felt great to finally come out here and put some things together. It’s also really nice when your offense puts a lot of runs on the board,” Moore said.
Moore’s eight innings of work were as valuable as gold to an ISU team that is short on quality arms due to injury and ineffectiveness. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and one of the two runs he conceded was unearned. -
Johnson, Lyke win MVC titles for ISU
Indiana State’s Felisha Johnson and Maurice Lyke were both crowned Missouri Valley Conference champions on Saturday during the MVC Track and Field Championships at Drake University.
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ISU earns badly-needed win
Alcorn State’s baseball team might be ranked in the bottom 10 in RPI and Indiana State might have never lost to a Southwestern Athletic Conference team. So it wouldn’t appear that a quality win was in the offing when Alcorn State visited Bob Warn Field on Friday.
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Metro roundup: RHIT’s Evans sets Div. III record in high jump
For the third time this season, Rose-Hulman senior Liz Evans topped the NCAA Division III all-time national record in the outdoor high jump Friday night.
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ISU’s Mascari and Hope win MVC track & field titles
Indiana State produced two champions during the opening day of action in the Missouri Valley Conference track and field championships Friday at Drake. Freshman John Mascari, a Terre Haute native, won the men’s 10,000-meter race and Nicole Hope won the women’s pole vault for the second time in three seasons.
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ISU pole vault tradition continues with help from its author
Pole vault is track and field for the adrenaline junkie, Indiana State senior Nicole Hope proclaimed during a recent practice at Marks Field.
To catapult oneself about 14 feet into the air with a large $500 fiberglass pole on a daily basis is a risky endeavor.
“We have to be fearless. You can’t be afraid at all,” said Hope, who has also catapulted herself into the NCAA’s elite in the event, ranking 15th in the NCAA with her leap of 13-feet, 9 1/4. -
Sycamores searching for answers after seventh loss in eight games
These are the bad times for the Indiana State baseball team.
The will is there for the Sycamores to pull out of their worst slump of the season, but the results are not. The suffering continued on Wednesday at Bob Warn Field as Eastern Illinois defeated ISU 5-3. -
METRO ROUNDUP: ISU men's track picked first in MVC Championships, women second
The Indiana State men’s track team has won the last two Missouri Valley Conference outdoor championships, but the women have not stood on the top podium since 1999.
That may change this year, but the Sycamores will face some stiff competition in their quest for the championships. -
North grad Welker helps Whitson earn first NCAA bid as coach
Eastern Kentucky girls golf coach Mike Whitson, an alumnus of his employer, enjoyed his stay in Terre Haute as coach of Indiana State, where he started the women’s golf program.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman wins HCAC all-sports trophy
Rose-Hulman has won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s all-sports trophy for the fifth time in the past six year, the league announced Monday.
Rose tallied 66.5 points for its finishes in 11 men’s sports, just ahead of Franklin with 66. Hanover was third with 53 points. -
METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman tennis falls in HCAC semifinal
Rose-Hulman’s hot streak in men’s tennis came to an end Saturday in the semifinal round of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament at the West Indy Racquet Club.
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Manaea fights off bad hip, wet weather to toss four innings
Mother Nature has been the bane of the Indiana State baseball team’s existence all season. Eight games wiped due to weather are a testament to that. So it was no surprise, though no less disappointing, when she didn’t deal Indiana State pitcher Sean Manaea the greatest hand on Saturday as he tries to recover from a hip injury.
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ISU track enjoys big night at IU's Billy Hayes Invitational
The Indiana State Sycamores either won or finished as the top collegian in 12 events, led by the record-breaking performance of senior Brandon Pounds at the 2013 Billy Hayes Invitational Friday at Indiana University.
Pounds broke his own school record to win the men’s hammer throw. -
Lansing looking for more home games for next fall
Indiana State’s men’s basketball team is looking for a few good games.
Home games that is.
The Sycamores have filled in most of the blanks in their nonconference schedule, but as ever, ISU coach Greg Lansing would like to visit the friendly confines of Hulman Center a bit more often. -
Secret weapon: Kelsey Rosselli finishing Woods career with a bang
At Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, reporting game results to the Tribune-Star after a win or a loss is not always a high priority.
So when one of its athletes enjoys an outstanding season, like senior Kelsey Rosselli is doing for the Pomeroys’ softball team in 2013, media publicity doesn’t always follow.
In fact, her efforts almost seem like a government secret.
Rosselli’s name might sound familiar to longtime Terre Haute softball followers because she was a standout for North High School, from where she graduated in 2009.
Since then, she’s helped The Woods finish runner-up in three straight U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) national tournaments in 2010, 2011 and 2012. -
ISU baseball gets back into rhythm with victory
Baseball is a rhythm game. With contests every day or five times a week in the case of many college programs, you have the chance to build on success or wallow in a slump.
Mother Nature took that rhythm away from Indiana State’s team last week. After a 7-1 loss to Indiana on April 24, ISU was supposed to play a three-game series at Tennessee-Martin, but it was wiped out by rain.
So the rhythm was disturbed, but perhaps that wasn’t a bad thing.
ISU was in a five-game losing streak before its unintended vacation and the Sycamores made a move in the right direction Wednesday with a 7-0 win over DePauw at Bob Warn Field.
“It was a disappointing weekend. We went all the way down to Tennessee and didn’t get to play. We sat around in the hotel room. We came here and it was still raining. It was nice to get out and see some live pitching,” ISU center fielder Landon Curry said. -
Metro roundup: ISU hands out spring awards
The Indiana State University athletic community, along with family, friends and fans, paused Tuesday night to honor the spring sports teams at the Terre Haute Savings Bank Spring Sports Banquet.
Most of the ISU teams are still in competition with the baseball team having 13 games left of its regular-season schedule before beginning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament May 21, the softball team with just three games left of the docket this coming weekend against Southern Illinois and the track and field program with just one more meet before beginning its postseason events.
The ISU women’s golf team is the team that has ended at this time, with the group recording a sixth-place finish at the MVC championships one week ago. - More College Headlines
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Indiana State baseball now one win from MVC Championship
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