TERRE HAUTE —
Entering Tuesday’s game against Evansville, nothing was off the table as far as what Indiana State’s men’s basketball needed to improve upon.
For one game at least, ISU removed a few items off that table in an 80-78 Missouri Valley Conference victory over Evansville at Hulman Center. Effort was chief among them. Better offensive execution was another.
“I just felt like we got our effort back where it needs to be. We played far from perfect at either end, or near well enough to get where we want to get, but our effort got back tonight. That’s the biggest thing we’ve been trying to concentrate on,” ISU coach Greg Lansing said.
ISU’s offense was executed much crisper than it had been in losses to Northern Iowa and Missouri State last week. The Sycamores shot 55.3 percent from the field and had 20 assists on 26 field goals.
The resulting balance served the Sycamores well. Jake Odum led the way with 15 points, but every Sycamore who played scored and 28 points were produced by the ISU bench.
“Those guys [on the bench] are working hard in practice every day and they can help us. For us to get where we want to get, we have to be deep,” Lansing said. “The bench was huge tonight when some of our starters struggled.”
Lucas Eitel stood out the most. The sophomore scored a career-high 12 points on 4 of 5 shooting.
“We’re cutting hard and screening well. Guys are getting other guys open,” Eitel said.
Though Lansing praised ISU’s improved effort and offensive execution, Evansville still nearly left a season-high Hulman Center crowd of 6,790 disappointed after a late rally.
ISU (11-5, 2-3) led 73-67 with 1:46 left in the game, but the Purple Aces – vampiric in their relentless inability to stay alive – drained a trio of 3-pointers, the last from Jordan Nelson trifecta to make it 79-78 with 7 seconds left.
Dwayne Lathan was fouled in transition with 5.1 seconds left after the Nelson three, but made just one of two at the line. Evansville’s Kenny Harris got off a clean would-be game-winning 3-point attempt, but it went long off the rim.
Colt Ryan – Evansville’s leading scorer at 21.3 points per game – scored 17 and was 5 of 16 from the field. Evansville’s Ned Cox led all scorers with 22 points and the Aces had four players who scored in double-figures, but Evansville (7-8, 2-3) suffered its third straight loss by less than a possession.
“It was a tough game. Indiana State executed better than us and played very well. But I’m pretty proud of my team. There was a few times in that second half we could have cashed it in and we didn’t,” Evansville coach Marty Simmons said.
ISU entered the game wondering whether it could outtough Evansville. Early on, the answer was a resounding no. ISU had six turnovers in the first six minutes of the game. Evansville scored 10 points off those turnovers and enjoyed and early 13-4 advantage.
ISU came to the rescue. Eitel made a 3-pointer and a 15-footer in a 9-0 run that got ISU’s deficit to 17-15. After Evansville went back up six, it was Justin Gant and Jake Kitchell’s turn. Gant hit buckets on consecutive possessions to cut the Aces’ lead to 25-23 with 6:46 to go.
“Evansville was playing great at the beginning. Our role is to give energy and try to get a spark. We just tried to come in, hit open shots and take care of the ball,” Eitel said.
Gant’s buckets ignited a 19-5 ISU run, which included a stretch of 12 unanswered points. Kitchell started that rally with a 3-pointer and a Jordan Printy 3-pointer at 4:21 put ISU in front for the first time. By the end of ISU’s surge, the Sycamores led 38-30. ISU would go on to lead 44-35 at the break – the Sycamores’ most bountiful first half of the season. ISU shot 57.1 percent in the first half.
While the first half hummed along at a nice pace, the second half was a slog in the mud. Not atypical of an ISU-Evansville game, fouls were abundant and both teams paralleled the other in terms of alternating spates of good defense and offense. ISU still led by 10 six minutes into the half when Evansville began to chip away.
ISU led 60-56 when action was stopped by the officials after ISU’s R.J. Mahurin and Harris came together at the ISU timeline. By rule, the officials are allowed to stop play and use replay review to determine whether there was illegal contact. Mahurin was deemed to have thrown an elbow. A flagrant foul was called and Harris hit a pair of free throws to make it 60-58.
However, the flagrant foul seemed to serve as a launching pad for the Sycamores, rather than the Aces. ISU went on a 9-0 run to take it biggest lead – 69-58 – with 5:16 left in the game.
ISU would not score from the field the rest of the way which allowed Evansville’s late spate of three’s to make it close.
ISU, along with the rest of the MVC, plays two games in three days this weekend. The Sycamores travel to Southern Illinois on Friday and will play host to Wichita State on Sunday night in a game to be broadcast on ESPNU.
EVANSVILLE (78) – Sawvell 0-1 0-0 0, Harris 3-11 7-9 14, Taylor 4-5 4-4 12, Ryan 5-16 5-6 17, Holmes 2-4 2-2 6, Nelson 1-2 0-0 3, Jones 2-4 0-0 4, Moore 0-0 0-0 0, Cox 7-14 4-4 22, Cesnulevisius 0-0 0-0 0. 24-57 FG, 22-25 FT, 78 TP.
INDIANA STATE (80) – Richard 2-6 2-2 6, Walker 4-6 1-3 9, Odum 3-5 8-8 15, Lathan 4-8 6-7 14, Printy 3-5 0-0 8, Kitchell 1-1 0-0 3, Eitel 4-5 3-3 12, Gant 2-4 0-0 4, McWhorter 1-2 0-0 2, Mahurin 2-5 3-3 7. 26-47 FG, 23-26 FT, 80 TP.
Halftime score – ISU 44-35. 3-point goals – UE 8-13 (Cox 4-4, Ryan 2-4, Harris 1-3, Nelson 1-2), ISU 5-11 (Printy 2-3, Odum 1-2, Eitel 1-2, Kitchell 1-1, Richard 0-1, Lathan 0-1, Mahurin 0-1). Rebounds – UE 30* (Taylor 10, Harris 5, Team RB 4*, Sawvell 3, Jones 3, Holmes 2, Ryan, Cox, Cesnulevisius). ISU 30* (Lathan 6, Walker 5, Odum 5, Team RB 4*, Gant 3, Richard 2, Printy 2, Kitchell, Eitel, Mahurin). Assists – UE 17 (Taylor 7, Harris 4, Ryan 4, Cox 2), ISU 20 (Odum 7, Lathan 4, Printy 4, Eitel 2, McWhorter 2, Richard). Steals – UE 9 (Harris 3, Ryan 3, Taylor, Nelson, Cox), ISU 6 (Odum 3, Printy, Eitel, Mahurin). Blocks – UE 0, ISU 5 (Walker 2, Kitchell 2, Mahurin). Turnovers – UE 13 (Ryan 3), ISU 16 (Richard 4, Walker 4, Odum 4, Printy, Kitchell, Eitel, McWhorter). Total fouls – UE 23, ISU 21. Fouled out – Holmes. A – 6790.
Next – ISU (11-5, 2-3) plays at Southern Illinois on Friday. Evansville (7-8, 2-3) plays host to Drake on Friday.
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