Indiana State shot a sizzling 58.5 percent from the floor en route to snapping a two-game losing streak by trimming No. 12 seed Evansville, 97-58, in the opening round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Thursday at the Enterprise Center.
It was the widest victory margin in MVC Tournament history, eclipsing the previous mark of 30 twice by: Wichita State, 107, Southern Illinois 77 in 1984; and Drake 79, Illinois State 49 in 2008 (Championship Game).
It also marked the first time since 2019 that the No. 5 seed won its first game in the MVC Tournament. This was the first MVC tourney victory for second-year head coach Josh Schertz, who guided the Sycamores to a 13-7 regular season conference this year after going 4-14 in his first year on the ISU campus.
The Sycamores improved to 21-11 while advancing to the 2:30 p.m. quarterfinal round Friday meeting against No. 4 seed Belmont.
Indiana State won 21 games for the first time since 2014, and 15th time in school history.
Indiana State also collected a season-high 29 assists — the most by a team in the MVC Tournament since Illinois State dished out 31 against Southern Illinois Feb. 28, 1998 and the third highest assist total in MVC Tournament history.
Indiana State, coming off a season-low three triples in its regular season loss to Missouri State (66-62), made 13 three-point baskets marking its 12th game this season converted 10–plus treys.
Indiana State freshman center Robbie Avila scored 21 points, making seven of nine shots from the floor, and 6-of-6 from the line. Cooper Neese tied a season high with 19 points— his 19th time in double figures. He also matched his career high with five 3-point baskets.
Indiana State’s Cameron Henry scored 10 points, surpassing his combined total of 7 points (2, 5) in previous two games vs. Evansville this season. Guard Courvoisier McCauley, the 2023 MVC Newcomer of the Year, was held scoreless for the first time this season missing all six shots. He entered the game averaging 16.4 ppg.
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. led Evansville with 12 points. The Purple Aces, suffering their sixth straight loss, closed the season with a 5-27 record.
Avila (16) and Neese (14) combined for 30 of Indiana State’s 37 first half points. Indiana State opened the game making seven of its first 11 shots en route to erecting a 19-7 leading. following a basket by Avila with 13:05 left in the first half.
An 8-0 run extended the Sycamores cushion to 27-9 keyed by two three-point baskets from Cooper Neese. Indiana State shot 53.1 percent from the field, hitting 17-of-32, while limiting Evansville to 34.4 percent shooting (11-of-32).
The Sycamores continued their torrid shooting in the second half, hitting 63.6 percent (21-33) with Xavier Bledson coming off the bench tallying 12 points in the second half.
