TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Indiana State women's basketball team sets out for its first three-game winning streak of the season Sunday when the Sycamores travel to Indianapolis to take on in-state foe Butler. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
LAST TIME OUT
Indiana State women's basketball did something that hasn't happened in over a year when they defeated Saint Louis, 70-67, at Chaifetz Arena Tuesday night. Ashley Taia and Ashli O'Neal paved the way for the Sycamores with 13 points each.
Every player that entered the game for Indiana State tallied a point. Along with Taia and O'Neal's 13 points, senior Rhagen Smith scored 11 while forward Wendi Bibbins scored nine and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead ISU. Freshman Maryam Wilcher scored a career best eight points off the bench for the Sycamores.
ISU recorded a season high 17 assists in the game, led by Taia who had five. Tierra Webb, Bibbins and O'Neal had three each. The Sycamores improved to 3-0 when Webb assists on three or more baskets.
Saint Louis, the preseason pick to win the A-10 Conference, had won 10-straight regular season contests in their home arena dating back to last season. SLU also came into the game with double-digit win margins during that streak.
It was a tale of two halves as Indiana State trailed by as many as 11 points in the first quarter and led by 13 with 9:12 left in the game. Saint Louis turned it on in the fourth and came within one point with just seconds left to play. Taia drained a pair of free throws to ice the game and secure ISU's first three-game road winning streak since 2014-15 when the team reeled off seven straight.
SERIES HISTORY
Indiana State leads the all-time series with Butler, 15-12 with the last meeting between the two programs coming just a season ago as ISU downed the Bulldogs, 70-63, in Terre Haute. It was the Cierra Ceazer and Ashley Taia show as the duo combined for 51 of Indiana State's 70 points as it needed overtime to pull of the 70-63 win over Butler. Taia went 9-for-14 from the floor, including a perfect first half with 5-for-5 from the field including 3-for-3 from long range.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Junior Wendi Bibbins is putting up the most consistent numbers on the team, averaging nearly a double-double with 10.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Bibbins has recorded two double doubles on the year and has fell one rebound short of a double-double two times.
ROAD WARRIORS
When the nonconference schedule comes to a close, Indiana State will have played eight of their 11 games on the road. The Sycamores finished last season with just four road wins in all, but have already reached that mark nine game into the 2016-17 season. The Sycamores are currently on their first three-game road winning streak since 2014-15 when the team reeled off seven straight.
CONSISTENCY
Ashley Taia, the Sycamores' leading scorer has been the most consistent offense for ISU this season. In nine games, Taia has scored in double-figures six times with a season best 23 points at Miami (OH). The Brisbane, Australia native also scored 19 on 8-of-10 shooting at EIU earlier in the season.
MAGIC NUMBER THREE?
Sophomore guard Tierra Webb has started every game this season for the Sycamores. ISU is 3-0 in games that Webb has recorded three assists or more. Webb went for a career high six dimes against EIU to go along with eight points. The other wins with three assists came against Northern Kentucky and Saint Louis.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Women's Basketball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
