ST. LOUIS -- Jay Tunnell and Gabe Moore each scored 18 points and all five Indiana State starters scored in double figures as the Sycamores beat Wichita State 71-67 Thursday in a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament play-in game.
It was the fourth consecutive year that Indiana State, the No. 8 seed, has won a play-in game. The Sycamores now have won five of their last six play-in games, including a 72-63 win over Drake in 2006.
Indiana State will face the top-seeded Bulldogs at noon Friday in a quarterfinal game. Drake (25-4) is ranked No. 20 in the most recent AP poll and beat the Sycamores in both regular-season meetings this year.
Todd McCoy scored 14 points, Marico Stinson had 11 and Harry Marshall added 10 points for Indiana State (15-15). The Sycamores had no points from their bench.
Aaron Ellis led Wichita State (11-20) with a season-high 19 points and nine rebounds.
Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall was ejected with 12:22 to play after being called for his second technical foul. The first came just over a minute into the second half.
Indiana State led 41-31 with 16:09 to play, but Wichita State came within a point three times, the last at 66-65 with 1:31 remaining.
The Sycamores hit eight of 10 free throws in the final 2:35 to secure the win. For the game, Indiana State was 26-of-31 from the free-throw line.
