TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – In the home opener for Indiana State, Vicki Hall gave Sycamore fans a glimpse of what she is building in the Wabash Valley.
 
But despite her adjustments in a physical, 40-minute chess match that involved 10 players and a basketball against a team ranked 17^th in the Mid-Major poll, the showcase remained just a glimpse.
 
Indiana State allowed a fourth quarter charge by IUPUI as the visiting Jaguars held Ashli O'Neal to just two points in the final period as the Sycamores dropped their home opener, 64-59, in front of 1,659 fans at the Hulman Center Monday night.
 
O'Neal, who reached double digits for the 16^th times in 17 games, scored a team-high 15 points for Indiana State. She also was responsible for two assists, two steals and drew one charge and almost a second one.
 
"Ashli has done a phenomenal job of drawing charges and she gets one every game," Hall said of O'Neal's defensive play. "I tell our team that is the ultimate sacrifice, that and an assist. The ultimate sacrifice is to be able to slide over, stand there and take it for the team. And have your sister's back."
 
But the most prolific scorer for the Sycamores put in nearly half of her point total in a dominating second quarter in which Indiana State (4-2) out-scored IUPUI, 24-11. A remarkable period considering in last year's contest, IUPUI out-scored Indiana State in that same quarter, 25-4.
 
However, limited scoring in the other three quarters would hurt the Sycamores. While Indiana State has been able to rally back from deficits before Monday night's contest – they have often been referred to as the "Queens of the Comeback" – tonight would not be another example as ISU allowed the Jaguars (6-2) to shoot 52 percent from the floor for the game, including 54.5 percent in the final quarter.
 
"We have been in these other games, we've made plays down the stretch. Today we weren't really able to do it. You have to give credit to IUPUI, they defended us well. Their main players got their points. We tried to make sure, defensively, that we hold people to limits. We weren't able to do that with [Macee] Williams and [Holly] Hoopingarner. I think that hurt us. They shot 52 percent from the floor. We shot 44 percent which is good for us, but when you're giving someone 52 percent, it's tough."
 
Williams led all scorers with 18 points while Hoopingarner added 15. Sydney Roule put in another 14 and Tamya Sims added 11. That quartet combined to shoot 58 percent from the floor, scoring 58 of IUPUI's 64 points.
 
Nearly three minutes into the final period IUPUI went on a 7-2 run that gave the Jaguars a six-point lead at 59-53. And as Indiana State fought to bring the score closer, their efforts fell short with just a 23 percent shooting mark in the last quarter.
 
Regan Wentland added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Sycamores, marking just her second career double-double.
 
Indiana State now has a quick turnaround, playing at Illinois (5-2) on Wednesday, Dec. 5. Tipoff time is set for 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network Plus – the league's digital platform – and on the Sycamore Radio Network.
 
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.