Indiana State?s riveting come-from-behind 75-73 victory over Illinois State on Sunday resonated days after the fact. Even Drake coach Mark Phelps had the game on his mind during Tuesday?s Missouri Valley Conference teleconference.
?They had a terrific win. Watching it on TV, what struck me was their competitive spirit for a team that lost a few in a row. I was impressed with how [ISU coach Kevin] McKenna had them ready,? Phelps said.
From Jay Tunnell?s record-breaking 3-point shooting (his 88.8 percent clip was a school-record), to his MVC Player of the Week honors, to Youtube video links showing how ISU overcame a late 12-point deficit, reminders of the Sycamores? seven-game losing streak-breaking victory are hard to shake. But with Drake visiting Hulman Center tonight, the Sycamores know they must channel the good of what they did against the Redbirds in a productive way against the Bulldogs.
?The most meaningful thing [from Saturday] was that we got a win. In the locker room after the game, it was a sense of relief more than anything,? McKenna said. ?Time will tell what it meant. We?ve been telling our guys that a win can catapult us. We?ll see.?
ISU players were very loose in practice on Tuesday ? transfer Dwayne Lathan gave each of his teammates, and anyone else who happened to be in Hulman Center, a pre-practice shout-out as the team stretched.
During practice itself, the players showed more emotion than they did during the losing streak. Guard Tyler Cutter, who didn?t make the trip to Illinois State with the flu, was back in action.
Drake was the last team to control the Sycamores from start-to-finish as the Bulldogs took an early lead in the Jan. 7 meeting and were never headed. The Bulldogs have won five in a row in the series and have won 10 of 12 overall.
?They?re very active defensively and that?s what sets them apart. They play zone for 40 minutes and they challenge you to shoot over them. [Josh] Parker has stepped up his game a lot,? McKenna said.
Parker was inserted into Drake?s starting lineup on Jan. 21 against Missouri State. After he struggled in his first three starts, Parker has averaged 17.3 points per game. He joins Josh Young (16.2 points) as a formidable duo in Drake?s backcourt.
Yet Drake has struggled of late, though not to the extent the Sycamores did before ISU?s win. The Bulldogs had lost six of seven until they controlled Bradley in a 68-54 victory on Saturday. The Bulldogs are bunched among six teams with Missouri Valley Conference records ranging from 8-5 to 5-8.
ISU has lost five of its six conference games at Hulman Center.
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Around the MVC ? Illinois State guard Lloyd Phillips has indefinitely left the team due to personal reasons, according to the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph. Phillips nearly finished the Sycamores off before they could start in Sunday?s game. He had a bucket-and-foul in regulation, but missed the foul shot, which led to Rashad Reed?s game-tying shot for the Sycamores. In overtime, Phillips made a 3-pointer with 1:44 left to pull the Redbirds within one. ? Southern Illinois is 1-1 without guard Bryan Mullins, who is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his foot. Justin Bocot, Mullins? replacement, struggled with a 1 of 9 performance in an overtime SIU loss to Illinois State last Tuesday, but recovered to pour in 28 points in SIU?s 72-64 victory over Missouri State on Saturday. Bocot was the MVC Freshman of the Week. ? In its last five MVC games, ISU plays no one but the four teams tied or in front of them in the MVC race. If the Sycamores were to miraculously have all of the cards fall right to avoid Thursday in St. Louis for the MVC Tournament, they would have to win out, have Drake and Southern Illinois lose two additional games and Wichita State would have to lose one additional game. No matter whether ISU avoids Thursday or not, the Sycamores need to root for Northern Iowa and Illinois State victories to help in any potential tiebreaker scenarios.
?They had a terrific win. Watching it on TV, what struck me was their competitive spirit for a team that lost a few in a row. I was impressed with how [ISU coach Kevin] McKenna had them ready,? Phelps said.
From Jay Tunnell?s record-breaking 3-point shooting (his 88.8 percent clip was a school-record), to his MVC Player of the Week honors, to Youtube video links showing how ISU overcame a late 12-point deficit, reminders of the Sycamores? seven-game losing streak-breaking victory are hard to shake. But with Drake visiting Hulman Center tonight, the Sycamores know they must channel the good of what they did against the Redbirds in a productive way against the Bulldogs.
?The most meaningful thing [from Saturday] was that we got a win. In the locker room after the game, it was a sense of relief more than anything,? McKenna said. ?Time will tell what it meant. We?ve been telling our guys that a win can catapult us. We?ll see.?
ISU players were very loose in practice on Tuesday ? transfer Dwayne Lathan gave each of his teammates, and anyone else who happened to be in Hulman Center, a pre-practice shout-out as the team stretched.
During practice itself, the players showed more emotion than they did during the losing streak. Guard Tyler Cutter, who didn?t make the trip to Illinois State with the flu, was back in action.
Drake was the last team to control the Sycamores from start-to-finish as the Bulldogs took an early lead in the Jan. 7 meeting and were never headed. The Bulldogs have won five in a row in the series and have won 10 of 12 overall.
?They?re very active defensively and that?s what sets them apart. They play zone for 40 minutes and they challenge you to shoot over them. [Josh] Parker has stepped up his game a lot,? McKenna said.
Parker was inserted into Drake?s starting lineup on Jan. 21 against Missouri State. After he struggled in his first three starts, Parker has averaged 17.3 points per game. He joins Josh Young (16.2 points) as a formidable duo in Drake?s backcourt.
Yet Drake has struggled of late, though not to the extent the Sycamores did before ISU?s win. The Bulldogs had lost six of seven until they controlled Bradley in a 68-54 victory on Saturday. The Bulldogs are bunched among six teams with Missouri Valley Conference records ranging from 8-5 to 5-8.
ISU has lost five of its six conference games at Hulman Center.
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Around the MVC ? Illinois State guard Lloyd Phillips has indefinitely left the team due to personal reasons, according to the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph. Phillips nearly finished the Sycamores off before they could start in Sunday?s game. He had a bucket-and-foul in regulation, but missed the foul shot, which led to Rashad Reed?s game-tying shot for the Sycamores. In overtime, Phillips made a 3-pointer with 1:44 left to pull the Redbirds within one. ? Southern Illinois is 1-1 without guard Bryan Mullins, who is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his foot. Justin Bocot, Mullins? replacement, struggled with a 1 of 9 performance in an overtime SIU loss to Illinois State last Tuesday, but recovered to pour in 28 points in SIU?s 72-64 victory over Missouri State on Saturday. Bocot was the MVC Freshman of the Week. ? In its last five MVC games, ISU plays no one but the four teams tied or in front of them in the MVC race. If the Sycamores were to miraculously have all of the cards fall right to avoid Thursday in St. Louis for the MVC Tournament, they would have to win out, have Drake and Southern Illinois lose two additional games and Wichita State would have to lose one additional game. No matter whether ISU avoids Thursday or not, the Sycamores need to root for Northern Iowa and Illinois State victories to help in any potential tiebreaker scenarios.
