INDIANAPOLIS — Ryan Conwell matched his career high with 27 points and Robbie Avila had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help top-seeded Indiana State take advantage of a heavily partisan home-state crowd to beat second-seeded Utah 100-90 on Tuesday night and advance to the NIT championship game.
Isaiah Swope added 15 points — all in the second half — and eight assists for Indiana State (32-6), which reached its first national tourney title game since Larry Bird took the unbeaten Sycamores to the 1979 NCAA title game against Magic Johnson and Michigan State.
A win Thursday in Indianapolis against top-seeded Seton Hall (24-12) would allow the Sycamores to tie the 1978-79 team's single-season school record for victories.
Deivon Smith had a career high 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists to lead the Utes (22-15), the last Pac-12 men's team still playing in the league's farewell season. Branden Carlson scored 17. Utah made 17 3-pointers, with Smith going 6 of 6.
It certainly wasn't easy for Indiana State to take control. But once it did, turning a 10-2 run midway through the second half into a 63-56 lead, the Sycamores never trailed again and extended the margin to as much as 15.
"We're a bunch of winners. Simple as that," Avila said after the game.
Avila got it all started, scoring 11 points in the first eight minutes to help Indiana State build a 28-17 lead. But Smith led Utah back and helped the Utes take a 34-33 lead late in the first half. Then it became a back-and-forth contest until Indiana State's decisive second-half push.
BOX SCORE
UTAH (22-15)
Br.Carlson 7-13 1-2 17, Lovering 0-3 0-0 0, Bajema 5-8 2-2 14, Madsen 3-9 0-0 8, Smith 10-16 2-4 28, Be.Carlson 4-5 0-2 11, Erickson 4-9 0-0 10, Keita 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 34-65 5-10 90.
INDIANA ST. (32-6)
Avila 11-14 1-3 26, Conwell 9-16 5-6 27, Larry 4-9 6-8 15, Swope 6-14 1-2 15, Kent 4-7 0-0 9, Bledson 3-5 1-1 8, Wolfe 0-0 0-0 0, Vorst 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-65 14-20 100.
Halftime: 44-44.
3-Point Goals: Utah 17-29 (Smith 6-6, Be.Carlson 3-4, Bajema 2-4, Br.Carlson 2-4, Erickson 2-5, Madsen 2-6), Indiana St. 12-34 (Conwell 4-11, Avila 3-5, Swope 2-9, Bledson 1-2, Kent 1-3, Larry 1-4).
Rebounds: Utah 26 (Smith 7), Indiana St. 34 (Avila 10).
Assists: Utah 20 (Smith 6), Indiana St. 22 (Larry 8).
Total Fouls: Utah 17, Indiana St. 16.