TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State had four players in double figures and outscored Missouri State in the second half but dropped its regular season finale in a 76-66 decision at Hulman Center Saturday afternoon.
 
Redshirt Tamara Lee led the Sycamores (11-18, 5-13 Missouri Valley) on Senior Day, scoring 13 points including a trio of 3-pointers in the game. In all, three of the program's six seniors reached double figures in their final regular season game as Kierra Isaiah scored 12 and Alexis Delgado added 11. Sophomore Ty Battle posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The team's Senior class was honored after the game.
 
"These games are always difficult for everyone because there is always a lot of emotion going on and I was very proud of the way that our team came to battle today," said Indiana State Head Coach Vicki Hall. "It's clear, we are undersized, but I think that we played with a lot of heart and a lot of effort and I think that goes a long way."
 
Missouri State (20-9, 16-2) used a healthy 47.4 percent (9 of 19) shooting from 3-point range to buoy their scoring and keep the Sycamores at bay. Shooting 47.4 percent overall (27-for-57), the Lady Bears were dangerous by shooting a 50 percent clip in three of the game's four quarters.
 
"We lost some people in transition for threes," explained Hall. "What really hurt us at half was they were 7 of 11 for threes. That's 14 points right there. That's what kind of put us in a hole. We had to try to battle back from that and it's very difficult against a good team."
 
While Indiana State never led in the game, the Sycamores were never fully out of it. While the second quarter proved fateful for ISU – getting out-scored 24 to 12 – Missouri State went cold in the third quarter, allowing the Trees to keep the game within reach.
 
After a 46-31 deficit at halftime, the Sycamores gained momentum out of the break by limiting Missouri State. The Lady Bears were just 4 of 14 (28.6 percent) from the field in the third quarter, allowing ISU to cut that 15-point deficit to as little as 11 in the third quarter. But seemingly every time Indiana State would get on a run, Missouri State would respond with a 3-pointer to kill the momentum.
 
The Sycamores still were a fly in the ointment for Missouri State, refusing to lay down. ISU would cut its deficit to 10 on three separate occasions. It was not until the final minute of the game when options for a comeback became exhausted and a round of substitutions put all five active seniors on the floor for one final time at Hulman Center.
 
"It felt good, I also feel like we didn't want to go out and give up," Lee said of her team's performance in their final game at Hulman Center. "That's not in us. Coach Hall didn't teach us that. I feel like we played to our best ability and we can play with anybody. We have to go out there and play our game."
 
The Sycamores are the No. 8 seed in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament that starts on Thursday. The final pairings and bracket will be announced Saturday evening but the Sycamores are expected to face Valparaiso in the first game.
 
"We could have packed it in, and just said it's done, it's over," Hall said of her team. "They didn't do that, I think they wanted to show some pride and play hard on their home court for the last time. I think we're going to play Valpo. Our sights are set on them, now we would love to win and do something that hasn't been done since 2014, is win a game in March. That's our goal. I hope we can reach that, we will work for that."
 
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.