By Mark Bennett
Life as a 50-points-a-game team was a bit of a culture shock
to the Indiana State Sycamores.
In their first four games, all losses, they scored 54, 54,
49 and 50 points. Last season, they averaged 73 points a game
and won 22 times.
Then Saturday, they beat IUPUI 66-56, followed by a 74-66
win over Murray State on Monday.
Winning games with 54 points or less isn't easy, Coach Royce
Waltman acknowledged.
"My preference would be for us to be in the 80s and [opponents]
in the 40s. That's what I'd really like," he said. "But
I do think it helps a teams morale when you can score points.
Maybe some coaches feel good about being a knock-down, drag-it-out,
we're-tough team. But if you're a player, you'd like to think,
hey, we can score some points.
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"I don't that we have to score in the 70s, but I feel
a heck of a lot better when we're score and the players feel
better," he added.
Good stat, bad stat -- ISU had just 11 turnovers vs.
Murray State, a season low. The Sycamores are shooting just 29
percent from 3-point range.
What Coach Waltman says -- About Terence Avery's added
rebounding this season: "That's been a help for us."
Up next -- ISU (2-4) opens its Missouri Valley Conference
schedule at 3:05 p.m. Sunday against Drake (2-2) at Knapp Center
in Des Moines (Fox Sports Net).
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