TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State made a big fourth quarter stand, holding Illinois State to just one field goal in the final frame, as the Sycamores claimed the weekend sweep with a 52-49 win Sunday afternoon at the Hulman Center in Missouri Valley Conference play.
 
The momentum of the game swung like a pendulum throughout the fourth quarter with three lead changes but it came down to two things the Sycamores (5-13, 3-4) have not been known for this season – a late-game run and success at the free throw line – to pull out the win and seal the weekend sweep.
 
The visiting Redbirds (8-10, 2-5) would shoot 1-for-12 from the field in the fourth quarter and couldn't stop Indiana State's game-ending 7-0 run, save for two free throws with 0.9 seconds left. But while the Sycamores also struggled from the field in the final stanza, hitting only 3 of 11 shots (27.3 percent), the Trees were 7-for-8 from the free throw line and were perfect from the charity stripe in the final minute as the game teetered on a one-possession differential.
 
"We knew it was going to be a low-scoring affair heading down the stretch," Indiana State interim head coach Josh Keister said. "It was two teams really digging in defensively. I know our program has always gotten a lot of credit for the defensive effort that our kids give and today was no different. Ty Battle has six blocked shots, we have seven steals and we just did a great job there down the stretch in the fourth quarter. We made it hard for Illinois State to get great looks."
 
For Battle, two of her career-best six blocked shots came in that final quarter as her last one came near the start of that last run with 1:47 left to seal the victory.
 
"I think we just realized what was at stake," said Ashley Taia. "Every second counts and every possession we wanted to have the ball. We didn't want to foul and let them get to the line. It started with two fouls with two minutes to go then it got to four and then they were going to the line. We just understood what we needed to do to win but not put them in a position to win. Having everyone on the same page obviously got us that win in the end."
 
For Taia, it seemed a true return to form for the Sycamore senior. She led Indiana State with 12 points and was credited with three rebounds, two steals and two assists while hitting three 3-pointers in the game. But it was her nothing-but-net 3-pointer with 3:23 to go that was the most important of them all.
 
Down by one, Taia was being closely guarded on the wing and beyond the arc. With a defender in her face she stepped back and drained a shot to put the Sycamores up by one.
 
"Ashley Taia, since she has been back, has made the key 3-pointer or the key play in every game so far. And that moment sparks us and has been big for us," Keister said.
 
Taia's 3-for-5 performance beyond the arc was the highlight of the downtown shooting for the Sycamores Sunday but Indiana State did shoot 38.8 percent from the field against the nation's fifth-best field goal defense.
 
"It was a great win today," Keister said of the win. "It wasn't always pretty for our group. They kept their composure and we hung in there. Illinois State is a very good team, they are solid, they play hard and they are much improved from a year ago. They are fifth in the country in field goal percentage defense and after playing against it for 40 minutes I am certainly a believer in how good they are defensively.
 
Illinois State was led by Katrina Beck's 15 points while Hannah Green and Paige Saylor each added 11 points.
 
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