TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State closes out its four-game road trip on Wednesday evening as the Sycamores make the trip to the Windy City to take on Chicago State University. Tipoff between the Sycamores and the Cougars is set for 7 p.m. ET at the Jones Convocation Center and will be carried live on ESPN+ and Sycamores All-Access.
Recapping Saturday
Del'Janae Williams scored 13 of her career-high 26 points in the second half to propel Indiana State to the 71-67 win over Georgia Southern on the final day of the GATA Turkey Throwdown. Williams and
Natalia Lalic combined to go 3-for-3 from the three-point line over the fourth quarter to lead Indiana in a back-and-forth final frame that featured three ties and three lead changes before the Sycamores pulled away from the Eagles late.
The Sycamores tied the game up at 64-64 with a
Marie Hunter layup with 1:36 remaining to set up the final stretch of the contest. Indiana State utilized their speed on the break with back-to-back layups by
Mya Glanton and Lalic giving the Sycamores the 68-65 lead with 1:04 remaining.
Taya Gibson scored the final Eagles' basket with 51 seconds remaining to narrow the Indiana State lead down to one point. Williams converted 1-of-2 from the free throw line on the ensuing ISU possession to put the Sycamores back ahead by two with 27 seconds remaining. Both teams missed free throws down the stretch before Williams iced the contest with a pair of conversions from the stripe with 0.8 seconds remaining in the Sycamores' 71-67 win.
About Chicago State
Chicago State enters the midweek contest with a 1-6 overall record on the season and a 0-1 mark at home in the Jones Convocation Center. The Cougars picked up their lone win of the season on November 22 with an overtime victory at Wisconsin, but have struggled the rest of the season and come into the contest with back-to-back losses this past weekend at the Florida International University Thanksgiving Tournament against FIU and Delaware.
Aaliyah Collins is the lone Cougar in double-digits on the season with a team-high 15.6 points on the year. Collins is also second on the team with 5.0 rebounds per game, while adding 27 steals overall. The freshman guard enters the Wednesday contest scoring double-digits in each of the last six games, including back-to-back 20-point contests against Wisconsin and FIU.
Kyjai Miles is the team-leader with 6.1 rebounds per game and nine blocked shots, while Allysah Boothe is the primary outside threat with 16 three-pointers on the year.
Series Review vs Chicago State
Indiana State boasts a 4-0 record against the Cougars in the all-time series dating back to the 1975-76 season. The Sycamores won both contests against Chicago State in 1975-76 and the 1976-77 seasons, and then again in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 years.
Indiana State won the previous matchup on December 18, 2012 in Terre Haute, Ind. when the Sycamores topped the Cougars, 69-35. In the contest, Marina Laramie and Kasey Johnson helped the Sycamores jump out to a 59-22 lead early in the second half on their way to the win.
Twenty-Point Scorers
Indiana State has featured two players that have hit the 20-point mark this season as junior guard
Del'Janae Williams joined
Adrian Folks this past weekend with a career-high 26-point game against Georgia Southern. Williams scored 13 of her team-high 26 points in the second half and went 6-of-11 from the floor, 4-of-7 from the three-point line, and 10-of-12 from the free throw line in the Sycamores' win over the Eagles.
Williams' 26-point outburst was also a season-best for Indiana State this year surpassing Folks' 24-point effort against Saint Louis. The Southgate, Mich. native went 9-of-22 from the floor and added 10 rebounds for her fourth collegiate double-double to pace ISU in the loss to the Billikens. Folks scored 16 points and added nine rebounds in a dominant first-half performance against SLU.
Sycamores' Active 20-point Scorers
Caitlin Anderson – 2
Adrian Folks – 2
Del'Janae Williams – 2
Essy Latu - 1
Check Your Pockets
Indiana State's defense continues to remain among the nation's best as the Sycamores entered the week sitting in the top-30 in three separate team defensive categories. The Sycamores are 21st overall in steals per game (12.2), 30th in total steals (30), and 30th in turnovers forced per game (22.33).
Indiana State made their mark early in the season with a 21-steal contest against Stephens (Mo.) to open the year. Since then, ISU has recorded at least 10 steals in four of the last five contests, including 13 this past weekend in the win over Georgia Southern. Overall, it's been a team effort by Indiana State with three players posting double-digit steals on the year and 10 players overall recording multiple steals.
In addition to getting their hands on the ball, ISU has been constantly harassing the opposition and has posted three games with at least 20 forced turnovers on defense. The Sycamores forced a season-high 36 turnovers against Stephens (Mo.) and carried on with 26 forced turnovers against Saint Louis and 21 more this past Saturday against Georgia Southern.
Defending the 3-Ball
This past weekend's contest against Georgia Southern marked the second time in the 2021-22 season that Indiana State held an opponent scoreless from behind the arc. The Sycamores limited the Eagles to a 0-for-14 performance behind the three-point line to shut down Georgia Southern in the 71-67 win.
ISU previously limited Stephens (Mo.) to a 0-for-12 mark behind the arc to open the year and have held opponents under .300 from the three-point line on four separate occasions this year. Over their last two games entering Wednesday, the Sycamores have held the opposition to a 3-for-33 mark from behind the three-point line. ISU has also held opponents to just a .267 three-point percentage on the year.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Women's Basketball, visit
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