Box Score TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State put four players in double figures and held first place Drake to a two-year low as it picked up the 68-53 Missouri Valley Conference victory in Sunday afternoon's “Pink Out” game.
ISU was led by redshirt sophomore Ashley Taia who dropped 17 points on a 5-for-9 clip from 3-point range as she helped her team hit 10 on the afternoon. Taia also added two steals, two assists and two rebounds to go along with zero turnovers to help her team snap a four-game losing streak in the series with the Bulldogs.
Redshirt senior guard Cierra Ceazer added 13 points and nine boards and a career-high four assists. Senior guard Alexis Newbolt chipped in 11 points – all of which came in the fourth quarter – and added five rebounds and four assists. Freshman guard Jennifer Mackowiak also posted double-figures with 11 points and redshirt junior forward Joyea Marshall grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with five points, four assists and two blocks.
On the afternoon, Indiana State shot 41.4 percent from the floor including a 38.5 percent clip from beyond the arc. Collectively, they dished out 15 assists and turned the ball over just 11 times – one high of a season low.
ISU showed why it's the MVC leader in scoring defense, holding the Bulldogs to a nearly two-year low on the offensive end (vs. Wichita State in MVC Championship on March 16, 2014). The Sycamores D also held their visitor to a season-low 30.9 percent effort from the floor, and held them well under their average (81.3 points per game) this season.
A Drake three-minute scoring drought led to a five-point lead for the Sycamores early in the first quarter, as Marshall hit back-to-back baskets. The Sycamores led by eight at the first media timeout, 15-7, after a Ceazer putback and 3-pointer. Indiana State then went cold but a Mackowiak buzzer beater helped her team take a 19-12 lead after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Indiana State stretched its lead to 11 after back-to-back 3-pointers from Taia with 5:39 to play. But the Sycamores failed to score a field goal for the remainder of the half, but hung on to a 28-23 halftime lead.
Coming out of the break, Indiana State hit back-to-back buckets from Smith before going on a 7-0 run to extend the lead back into double digits with 7:18 to play. The Sycamores led by as many as 13 (40-27) and Mackowiak did it again to end the third quarter, as she beat the clock to give Indiana State a 46-35 lead.
The fourth quarter proved another commanding effort by the Sycamores, as it outscored Drake in three of four quarters on Sunday afternoon. They won the fourth quarter, 22-18, and led by as many as 19 in the final 10 minutes of play as it rolled to victory and salvage a split on the weekend.
POSTGAME PRESSER
Hear from Coach Wells:
GAME CHANGER
Indiana State beat the Bulldogs at their own game, hitting 10 3-pointers on the afternoon and allowing just three fall in on the opposite end. ISU held the Bulldogs to its lowest offensive performance in two years and a season-low 30.9 percent effort from the floor.
SYCAMORE LEADERS
Points – A. Taia (17)
Rebounds – J. Marshall (10)
Assists – Newbolt/Ceazer/Marshall (4)
Steals – Newbolt/Taia (2)
Blocks – R. Smith (2)
ABOUT THE SQUAD
Field Goal % - 41.4
3-Point FG % - 38.5
Free Throw % - 71.4
Rebounds - 35
Assists – 15
Steals – 8
RECORDS
Indiana State: 10-13, 6-6 MVC
Drake: 17-7, 10-3 MVC
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
1 – First win for second year head coach Joey Wells over the Drake Bulldogs
4 – Indiana State snaps a four-game skid versus the Bulldogs and splits the yearly series
7 – ISU's leading rebounder Joyea Marshall posted her seventh game in double-digit rebounds on Sunday afternoon with a game-high 10 boards
18 – Redshirt senior forward Cierra Ceazer recorded her 18th game in double-digits this season with 13 points on Sunday afternoon
37 – The Sycamores led for 37+ minutes in the win, taking over the lead early in the fourth quarter
53 – Indiana State held the Drake Bulldogs to a season-low 53 points and its lowest output in two years – holding the league's highest scoring offense to nearly 30 points under its average (81.3)
UP NEXT
Indiana State hits the road to face Bradley (Friday, 8 p.m. ET) and Loyola (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET). Both games will be live on The Valley on ESPN3.
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.
