Hoops in the Heartland Game One - Southern Illinois
Date	Thursday, Mar. 11 | 5:30 p.m. ET
Location // Venue	Moline, Ill. // TaxSlayer Center
Preview Info	Indiana State Notes
Live Stats	Live Stat Feed
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	97.9 WIBQ
Social Media	@IndStWBB // @IndStAthletics

MOLINE, Ill. – Indiana State women's basketball will begin their postseason journey on Thursday evening when they open Hoops in the Heartland against Southern Illinois.
 
Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. ET and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
MOLINE MADNESS
The Sycamores are still looking for their first victory in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament since the tourney moved to Moline, Ill., in 2016. The past three attempts, however, have been close as the Trees fell by two to Valparaiso in 2019, two against Southern Illinois in 2018 and seven to Illinois State in 2017. ISU was slated to play Loyola Chicago in 2020 prior to the COVID-19 cancellation. The cold-streak in March dates back to March 14, 2014. That was the last time the Blue and White claimed a March win with a 62-51 victory over Loyola in the MVC Tournament in St. Charles, Missouri.
 
AGAINST THE SALUKIS
Indiana State and Southern Illinois have met five times in the MVC Tournament, with SIU holding a 3-2 advantage in those matchups. The Salukis won the previous and only game in Moline, defeating the Sycamores 69-67 in 2017. Both of ISU's wins have come as the better seed.
 
MVC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
Adrian Folks was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention team earlier this week. The sophomore carries a 4.0 in nursing while also putting up 10.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. She also connects on 45.0% of her attempts from the field. She is the first Sycamore to make an MVC Scholar-Athlete team since Tamara Lee was a part of the Honorable Mention team during the 2018-19 campaign.
 
WINNING TRENDS
As Indiana State looks towards Hoops in the Heartland, there are three key themes to the season to help ISU advance for the first time since 2014. All five of the Sycamores' victories have occured when the Trees hold a halftime lead. ISU is also 0-11 when being outrebounded, so taking care of the glass is crucial for a Moline victory. The Sycamores are also 4-1 when shooting better than their opponent. 
 
PRESSURE
Sycamore women's basketball has managed to turn up the heat on the defensive side of the floor, averaging 8.21 steals per game which is third in the Valley. Caitlin Anderson is currently sixth in the MVC with 1.6 per game while Jamyra McChristine is also in the top-10 at 10th with 1.4 steals per game.
 
TAKING CARE OF THE GLASS
The Sycamores find themselves at second in the conference in offensive rebounds per game, pulling down 12.6, partially thanks to Jamyra McChristine's Valley-leading 3.6 offensive boards per game which is also 31st in the nation. McChristine is third in the Valley in total rebounds per game at 7.3.
 
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.