EDWARDSVILLE – A near-capacity crowd of 2,482 at First Community wasn't enough to will SIUE men's basketball to a win Monday night. Indiana State limited SIUE to just 34 percent shooting and the Sycamores scored a 64-55 win in a defensive battle.
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SIUE dropped to 2-1 with the loss. Indiana State also is 2-1.
The crowd was the largest nonconference crowd at First Community Arena since December 2018.
SIUE will face a second straight Missouri Valley Conference team when it travels to Drake for a Friday night contest. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
The Sycamores looked like they would run away with the game early in the first half building a 21-8 lead with 13:08 to play in the first half thanks in part to a 10-0 run.
Indiana State led 30-19 with 4:59 to play in the first half when SIUE called a timeout. The Cougars proceeded on a 13-0 run and took the lead (32-30) on a running layup by Jack Campion with 1:11 left in the half.
The teams went into halftime tied at 32.
Another extended scoreless stretch in the second half for SIUE proved costly. After a Campion layup made it 43-39 Indiana State, the Cougars didn't score again for nearly six minutes when CJ Hall jumper made it 50-41.
SIUE cut the lead back to five (54-49) with 4:37 to play on a layup by Ring Malith before ISU pulled away again. A three-point play by Campion and another layup by Malith cut the Sycamore's lead to 58-54 with 30 seconds remaining, but ISU sank six free throws over the game's final half minute to seal the win.
Malith led SIUE with 15 points. Campion pitched in 12.
Camp Wagner led Indiana State with 16 points. Sterling Young scored 12.
Indiana State shot just 37 percent for the game and outrebounded SIUE 43-40. ISU turned the ball over 17 times while the Cougars had 15 turnovers of their own.
