URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – An eight-month hiatus from competition came to an end for Indiana State women's basketball on Wednesday when the Sycamores opened their season at Illinois, but a strong second-half from the Fighting Illini proved too much to overcome.
 
Illinois earned a 68-49 victory behind a 38-28 second half advantage. The Sycamores dropped to 0-1 while the Illini improved to 1-0 on the year.
 
Sophomore Caitlin Anderson led the ISU scoring effort off the bench and was the lone Sycamore in double-digits, tallying 19 points. Jamyra McChristine led all athletes with 13 rebounds, 10 of which came in the first half while also adding six points and two steals. While effort was never in question, Indiana State struggled from the field, shooting just 28.6% for the game.
 
A point of emphasis prior to the game, the undersized Trees managed to keep the rebound battle close with Illinois only holding a 42-40 advantage. The Fighting Illini were led by Jeanae Terry with 24 points and eight boards.
 
After a cold start to the game by both teams, Illinois managed to take control early, storming out to an 8-0 lead at the 6:35 mark. The Sycamores picked-up their first bucket of the season from Essy Latu who knocked down a triple with 5:33 in the opening period. After falling behind 15-6, a pair of quick buckets from Hattie Westerfeld and freshman Kallyn Stumbo pulled the Trees to within five and the 15-10 lead is what Illinois would take into the second quarter.
 
Cold beginnings continued into the second period for the Sycamores, with the Trees going scoreless from the 9:06-4:15 mark. Illinois managed to build a 26-12 lead during that time, but back-to-back buckets by Caitlin Anderson, who would pick-up six points in the quarter, got the Trees back to within 26-16. An old-fashioned three-point play by Stumbo would close the gap to eight late for the Blue & White, but the Fighting Illini claimed a 30-21 advantage at the half.
 
After the break, the Illini used a 13-3 run to the first media timeout to pull away from the Sycamores, 41-23. Illinois continued to bolster their lead, reaching 21 points with 3:39 remaining, but ISU responded with a 6-0 run of their own, capped off by an Anderson layup at 2:11 to make it 45-30. That's as close as it would get, however, with Illinois earning the 68-49 victory.
 
The Sycamores are back in action on Sunday, Nov. 29 when they travel north to Detroit, Mich., for a matchup with Detroit Mercy at 2 p.m. ET.
 
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.