TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State begins postseason play Thursday as it faces No. 9 seed Valparaiso in the opening game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
The eighth-seeded Sycamores will tip-off at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT) at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois. Scott Warmann (play-by-play) and Laura Leonard (analyst) will have the call on ESPN+ while Andrew Kappes will be on the mic on the Sycamore Radio Network.
Series History
- This will be the 11th meeting between the two Indiana schools and the first in postseason play.
- Indiana State holds an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series and has won five straight in the series.
- Last season marked the first time the two teams met in league play and just the third and fourth times since the turn of the century.
- The Sycamores are 2-1 in neutral site games against the Crusaders.
Five Things to Know
- Seeing Double
If Thursday's matchup looks familiar to Sycamore fans, you're not entirely off-base. The No. 8 Indiana State vs. No. 9 Valparaiso tilt also took place one week ago at Arch Madness, the men's MVC Tournament in St. Louis. But Hoops in the Heartland is a different tournament in a different city with different players and we're hoping for a different outcome.
- Scholar-Lee
Indiana State guard Tamara Lee received honorable mention honors as the MVC Scholar-Athlete Teams were released on March 12. A fifth-year senior, Lee has achieved a 3.5 grade point average while in graduate school at Indiana State.
- D3f3nsiv3 Team
Indiana State guard Ashli O'Neal, wearing jersey No. 3, was named to the Missouri Valley Conference's All-Defensive Team on March 13. O'Neal, nicknamed "Biggie" for her imposing stature (listed at 5-foot-5), leads the Sycamores with 25 drawn charges and 68 steals this season.
- Close Calls
How close has Indiana State come this season? In 13 of Indiana State's 18 Missouri Valley Conference games this season, the outcome has been decided by an average of 3.0 points. The catch? Indiana State posted a 4-9 record in those games. Opponents are averaging 67.9 points while the Trees are averaging 64.9 points per game.
- March Off
"March On" may be the official hashtag and battle cry for Sycamore Athletics (and common phrase used in the school's fight song) but for Indiana State Women's Basketball, it's been more like March Off for the past five years. That is because it has been nearly five years and 14 games since ISU has won a game in the month of March – a streak that dates back to March 14, 2014. That was the last time the Blue and White claimed a March win was with a 62-51 victory over Loyola in the MVC Tournament in St. Charles, Missouri. Not only are the Sycamores hopeful to beat Valpo Thursday and extend the season but the team is eager to end that streak.
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.
