TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Robbie Avila related on a three-pointer from the highest of the important thing with 1:01 remaining to interrupt a 77-77 tie and Indiana State closed out the sport from the free throw line because the Sycamores topped visiting Cincinnati within the Nationwide Invitation Event (NIT) Quarterfinal Spherical, 85-81.
Ticket Info for NIT Last 4: Indiana State advances to the 2024 NIT closing 4 and can play the winner of tomorrow night time’s contest between VCU and Utah. The NIT Last 4 is hosted by Butler College at Hinkle Fieldhouse with tickets out there for buy on-line by visiting the Butler Athletics Ticketmaster web page or the NCAA NIT web site. The NIT Semifinal is scheduled to play on Tuesday, April 2 and the Championship on Thursday, April 4. There isn’t any designated ISU fan block as tickets are solely being offered and managed by Butler College and the NCAA.
In a recreation that featured eight lead modifications and 9 ties, neither staff was capable of safe greater than a two-possession lead all through a majority of the competition.
Cincinnati (22-15) constructed their largest lead of the sport at eight factors with 16:31 following a Dan Skillings Jr. layup to present the Bearcats the 48-40 lead. The Sycamores (31-6) steadily chipped away on the lead with a 16-8 run capped by back-to-back three-pointers from Ryan Conwell and Jayson Kent to tie the sport up at 56-56 with 11:56 to play and setting the stage for an thrilling 12 minutes of play inside Hulman Middle.
As has been their M.O. this season, the Sycamores went on a second-half run turning a 63-61 deficit right into a 74-65 lead with Isaiah Swope and Xavier Bledson each hitting three-pointers to spark a 13-2 run. Jayson Kent turned a fastbreak move from Bledson right into a dunk as ISU constructed their largest lead of the sport with 7:17 to play.
Cincinnati fought their means again into the sport behind Simas Lukosius’ three-point taking pictures because the junior guard related on a pair of three-pointers, together with an enormous shot from the appropriate wing with 2:54 remaining to tie the sport up at 77-77.
Protection took over for the subsequent minute earlier than the Sycamores took benefit of a pair of offensive rebounds, the second which Conwell despatched to a wide-open Avila on the high of the important thing and the sophomore middle buried the shot to present Indiana State the 80-77 lead.
ISU took over from the free throw line with Kent and Swope changing 3-of-4 in an try and make it a two-possession recreation. Lukosius gave the Bearcats a final gasp hitting a three-pointer with 9 seconds remaining and added a free throw with six seconds left to chop the Indiana State lead all the way down to 83-81.
Bledson secured the late defensive rebound on Lukosius’ missed second free throw and transformed two free throws on the opposite finish of the courtroom to safe the Indiana State win.
It was a back-and-forth first half with each groups buying and selling baskets all through a majority of the opening 20 minutes. Cincinnati went up by 5 with 7:19 to play on a Skillings Jr. dunk to take the 25-20 lead and the Bearcats pushed the result in seven at 29-22 on Jizzle James’ layup on the 6:13 mark for the biggest lead by both staff within the first half.
The Sycamores answered on the opposite finish with Kent and Conwell changing three-pointers on back-to-back possessions, and Conwell added a layup to chop the lead all the way down to 31-30 with 4:28 to play within the first half.
Jamille Reynolds scored the Bearcats’ closing 5 factors of the half, whereas Swope drove in for a layup as Cincinnati went into the break with the 36-32 lead.
Avila led the Sycamores with 22 factors on 7-of-15 taking pictures, together with 4-of-8 from the three-point line. The Sycamore middle added six assists, totally on again cuts to Ryan Conwell (18 factors, six rebounds) because the Sycamores shot 44.8% (26-of-58) from the ground as a staff. Kent didn’t miss from the ground going 5-of-5 from the ground, 2-of-2 from the three-point line, and 4-of-4 from the free throw line on his technique to scoring 16 factors and flattening seven rebounds. Swope was the fourth Sycamore in double-digits with 12 factors.
Lukosius scored a game-high 26 factors aided by 6-of-14 from the three-point line, whereas Skillings Jr. posted a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double. James added 21 factors on 10-of-23 taking pictures from the ground to go together with a team-high 5 assists.
Information & Notes
- Indiana State advances to the NIT Last 4 for the primary time in program historical past. The Sycamores enhance to 31-6 on the 12 months.
- The Sycamores capped the 2023-24 house schedule with a 16-1 report. The 16 house wins ties for the third-most house wins in program historical past (1976-77: 17-0, 1977-78: 17-1, 1978-79: 16-0). It’s simply the fifth time in program historical past with 15+ house wins (1949-50: 15-5).
- ISU scored 19 factors off 13 Cincinnati turnovers, all coming within the second half.
- Indiana State scored 22 fastbreak factors, scoring 19 of twenty-two within the second half.
- For the primary time this season, the Sycamores recorded a three-game stretch with 10 or fewer turnovers (10, 10, 8).
- Tuesday’s victory marked the second time this season Indiana State has received whereas taking pictures worse than the opponent (ISU 44.8%, Cincinnati 50.0%; final time: vs. Toledo 11/24/23).
- Ryan Conwell recorded his second-straight recreation with no turnovers, his first time this season with back-to-back clear video games.
- Jayson Kent within the NIT is taking pictures 21-for-26 within the NIT 80.8% (three video games).
- Robbie Avila has recorded a minimum of six assists in every of the three NIT video games (7, 7, 6).
Comply with the Sycamores
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