TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – From warm to windy (with Terre Haute in between), Indiana State is seeing a little bit of everything over this current stretch of the schedule. The tour that began in Cancun now wraps up in the Windy City of Chicago when the Sycamores face UIC on Thursday evening.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT with Brian Jennings on the call on the Sycamore Sports Network. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN3.
UIC (2-2) is coming off a home loss to Santa Clara but hasn't played since Saturday and has only played in two games in the last 11 days, half of the grueling schedule Indiana State (2-4) has faced, a stretch that so far has featured two wins and a near upset bid of South Dakota.
SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's game will mark the 13th meeting between the two schools but the first since the 2012-13 season. Indiana State leads the all-time series, 10-2, and has won three straight in the series.
LAST TIME OUT
Tierra Webb seemingly hit the ground running Tuesday night at the Hulman Center. Maybe that is because in Indiana State's lone home game during an 11-day stretch, she was ready to hit the road again.
Forgive her, because that next road game – Thursday at UIC – is near her native Chicago suburb of Richton Park, Illinois.
Webb led all players with 16 points and was one of five Sycamores to score in double digits as Indiana State routed Missouri S&T, 84-51.
Her prowess on the floor was evident early as she was responsible for almost a third (8 out of 25) of Indiana State's first-quarter points.
By halftime she had 12 points to her credit alongside three rebounds and an assist as the Sycamores took a 51-20 lead into the locker room.
LOOKING AT UIC
The Flames enter Thursday's game with 2-2 mark after dropping a low-scoring 45-36 decision to Santa Clara at home on Saturday. UIC has played an opposite schedule than Indiana State, playing in only two games since Nov. 20 compared to Indiana State's four.
Taylor Toney leads the Flames with 16.8 points per game with a third of her scoring coming from the free throw line (20-25). She leads UIC in steals with 11 and also is a significant rebounder with 7.3 boards per game, second only to Gabryelle Johnson's 10.0 rebound average. Brittany Byrd is also a major scoring threat, adding 14.0 ppg for the Flames.
TAIA BOW ON THAT SHOT
Talk about a success story from a long way away. Not only is
Ashley Taia an Australian native that is one of Indiana State's starters, but she's finding success from downtown on the court. She enters the game ranked 55th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, knocking down 47.8 percent (11-for-23) of her long-range shot attempts.
THIEVING TREES
State doesn't discriminate. It takes and it takes and it takes. Credit the Sycamores as they enter this game ranked 40th in the nation in steals (66) and 41st in the nation in steals per game (11.0). Both of those marks lead the Missouri Valley Conference.
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
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