TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Anna McKendree scored a game-high 23 points Wednesday evening and Natalia Lalic added a career-high 22 off the bench, leading Indiana State past visiting Central Michigan, 84-71, inside Hulman Center.
 
Del'Janae Williams also finished in double-figures with 12 points for the Sycamores, who led by as many as 28. Indiana State's defense forced 23 Central Michigan turnovers and had 17 steals.
 
Central Michigan led for most of the first quarter, but Indiana State took control in the second with a 13-2 run to close the half and never looked back. The Sycamores caught fire from behind the arc in the middle quarters, going 7-for-10 from distance across the second and third quarters to build a 68-48 lead through the first 30 minutes. Indiana State's defense often led to offense and the Trees' ability to push the ball up the court in transition gave Central Michigan fits, allowing the Sycamores to win their second straight game.
 
First Half
McKendree scored Indiana State's first 10 points of the game, but it was Central Michigan that took the early lead. A Lalic 3-pointer midway through the opening quarter put the Sycamores in front, while Hattie Westerfeld and Caitlin Anderson added layups late in the quarter. Central Michigan took a narrow 19-17 lead into the second.
 
Neither team built more than a two-possession lead early in the second, but that changed following the media timeout. A Westerfeld hook shot kickstarted a 13-2 Sycamore run to close the half, with Lalic and Ella Sawyer adding 3-pointers during the run. Sawyer's trey was a buzzer-beater to close the half, giving the Trees a 46-36 lead at the break.
 
Second Half
Indiana State's momentum carried into the third quarter, with Williams and Lalic draining 3-pointers to extend the Sycamore lead to 54-41. Lalic started a 10-0 Sycamore run out of the media timeout with a layup, which was followed by a jumper and a 3-pointer by McKendree. Williams added to the run with a layup in transition, allowing the Trees to take a 68-48 lead through three.
 
The Sycamores continued to tack on to their lead in the fourth quarter, with the highlight being a hustle play early on. McKendree got a steal and kept the play inbounds as she crashed into the press row table by throwing the ball to Chelsea Cain. Cain and Williams teamed up for the back half of the play with Williams feeding Cain for a layup to make it 73-51. Indiana State pushed its lead to as big as 82-54 following a McKendree layup midway through the quarter. Central Michigan got shots to fall inside the final four minutes but the game was out of reach by that point, as Indiana State improved to 2-0 with an 84-71 win.
 
Inside the Numbers

• Natalia Lalic's 22 points were a career high, and it also marked the second 20-point game of her Sycamore career (20 at Drake, Dec. 30, 2021).
• Indiana State was plus-six (20-14) in rebounding in the second half despite giving up size at both post positions.
• Anna McKendree's 23 points were her most in a Sycamore uniform, surpassing the 19 she had in the season-opening win over Saint Louis.
• Not only did Indiana State force turnovers, the Sycamores also took care of the ball. ISU finished with just nine turnovers, and had 14 assists for a 1.6 assist-turnover ratio.

 
News & Notes

• Anna McKendree and Natalia Lalic were the first Sycamore teammates to score 20-plus points in the same game since Mya Glanton (26) and Marie Hunter (23) accomplished the feat in the first round of the 2022 MVC Tournament against Evansville.
• Indiana State's 84 points were its most in a home game against a Division I opponent under head coach Chad Killinger.
• Indiana State is 2-0 for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The last time the Sycamores started the season with two home wins was the 2012-13 season. ISU won its first two home games of the 2020-21 season, but opened that campaign with a loss on the road.

 
Up Next
Indiana State hits the road for the first time this season when it takes on Purdue Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
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