DES MOINES, Iowa – Natalia Lalic scored a career-high 20 points Thursday night, including 16 in the second half, to lead Indiana State past Drake, 78-70, inside the Knapp Center in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams.
 
Del'Janae Williams (17), Marie Hunter (15) and Anna McKendree (10) all scored in double-figures for the Sycamores, who trailed by as many as 13 in the contest. Tonysha Curry led the Sycamores with four rebounds, while six different Indiana State players had multiple steals in the contest.
 
Drake led by nine in the fourth quarter before a 19-3 Sycamore run gave Indiana State a lead that it would never relinquish. Lalic hit four 3-pointers during the run, which included a 9-0 Sycamore surge in a 54-second span. Indiana State shot 61.5 percent from the field in the second half to win its third straight game and improve to 6-6 on the season.
 
First Half
Hunter and Lalic were the hot hands for the Sycamores in the first quarter, combining for nine of Indiana State's 11 points. Hunter opened the scoring with a three-point play and had five points in the opening 10 minutes, while Lalic had four. Drake got off to a quick start and built an early six-point lead. Caitlin Anderson cut the Sycamore deficit down to two midway through the quarter with a midrange jumper that banked in, but Drake closed the period on a 9-2 run and took a nine-point lead, 20-11, into the second.
 
Williams got into the scoring act in the second quarter with a pair of early 3-pointers, but Drake continued its hot start from the field and increased its lead to as many as 12. Indiana State's defense tightened late, though, and McKendree and Williams combined for a 5-0 run to make it a six-point deficit, 37-31, at the break.
 
Second Half
Lalic opened the third quarter with back-to-back baskets to quickly cut Indiana State's deficit to two. Drake managed to increase its lead to seven before the Sycamores went on an extended 11-3 run to take the lead for the first time since the opening minutes. Williams, Hunter, McKendree and Mya Glanton all scored during the run for Indiana State. Drake managed to take a slim 50-49 lead into the fourth quarter after hitting a late 3-pointer.
 
The home team opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run to extend its lead to nine, but it was all Sycamores after that. Indiana State outscored Drake 29-12 over the last 7:35 of the game, with Lalic going on a 3-point barrage in the quarter. The Adelaide, Australia, native connected on four straight from long range, the last of which gave the Sycamores the lead for good. Caitlin Anderson converted a three-point play, followed by a pair of baskets by Hunter to put Indiana State in front by seven, 68-61, with less than four minutes left in the game. Drake never got closer than four points after the ISU scoring run, as the Sycamores were able to close out their third straight win and second consecutive road win.
 
Inside the Statistics

• Indiana State forced 30 Drake turnovers, marking the second time this season that the Sycamores forced 30 or more turnovers (Stephens (Mo.) - 33).
• The Sycamores hit a season-high 10 3-pointers, with Lalic, Williams and McKendree all making three or more from deep.
• Indiana State shot 50 percent from the field Thursday, marking the third time this season the Sycamores were 50 percent or better from the floor. ISU is 3-0 in those games.
• Drake entered Thursday's game as one of the top offenses in the nation at more than 81 points per game. The Sycamores held the Bulldogs to their second-worst percentage from beyond the arc Thursday.

 
News & Notes

• Indiana State opened Missouri Valley Conference play with a win for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
• Lalic's career-best 20-point night also included career-highs of eight made baskets and four made 3-pointers.
• Lalic is the fourth different Sycamore to score 20 or more in a game this season, joining Williams, Glanton and Adrian Folks.
• Hunter and McKendree each scored in double-figures for the second straight game.
• Indiana State surpassed its win total from each of the last two seasons with its sixth win of the season Thursday.

 
Up Next
Indiana State begins a three-game Missouri Valley Conference homestand January 7 against Illinois State.
 
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