TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State hits the road for the first time this season when it heads to West Lafayette to take on Purdue Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. The game will be carried on BTN+.
Last Time Out
Anna McKendree scored a game-high 23 points 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.
Hot Hand
Indiana State guard
Anna McKendree has led the way for the Sycamore offense through the first two games of the season, producing her two best games in an Indiana State uniform.
McKendree led all players in scoring in both games, starting with a 19-point, six-rebound performance against Saint Louis. She followed that with 23 points and three assists against Central Michigan.
Entering the weekend, McKendree leads the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring and is the only player in the conference averaging more than 20 points per game (21.0). Known for her ability to shoot from distance, McKendree has showcased an ability to score from all levels. She has made 61.5 percent of her shots from the field (16-26) and 60 percent of her 3-point attempts through the first two games.
Sharpshooters
After ranking in the middle of the pack in the Missouri Valley Conference last season in 3-point percentage, Indiana State has found success from distance in the first two games of the 2022-23 season.
As a team, the Sycamores have knocked down 47.4 percent of their attempts from behind the arc through the first two games (18-38). Indiana State ranks first in the Missouri Valley Conference and third in Division I in 3-point percentage.
Anna McKendree leads the way for the Sycamores from deep, hitting six of her 10 3-point attempts this season (60.0 percent).
Natalia Lalic (5-for-9, 55.6 percent) and
Del'Janae Williams (5-for-10, 50.0 percent) have also made at least half of their 3-point attempts this season for the Blue and White.
Second Chances
Indiana State has taken full advantage of extra opportunities on the offensive end this season. The Sycamores have grabbed 28 offensive rebounds through the first two games this season, with 20 of those coming in the season-opening win over Saint Louis.
Mya Glanton leads Indiana State with five offensive rebounds, accounting for half of her season rebounding total.
Chelsea Cain and
Hattie Westerfeld each have four offensive rebounds, while
Adrian Folks and
Lily Niebuhr have two boards apiece on the offensive glass.
Not only have the Sycamores extended possessions with offensive rebounds, they have converted those extra opportunities as well. Indiana State is averaging 16.5 second chance points per game this season, scoring 14 second chance points against Saint Louis and 19 against Central Michigan.
Purdue at a Glance
Purdue enters Sunday's game at 3-0 following wins over Marshall, Murray State and SIU Edwardsville to open the season. The Boilermakers are coming off a season which saw them win 17 games, a 10-win improvement from the 2020-21 campaign, and reach the second round of the WNIT.
Six different Boilermakers are averaging double-figure scoring through the first three games, led by former Bradley guard Lasha Petree leading the way at 17.7 points per game. Abbey Ellis (17.0), Caitlyn Harper (16.3), Madison Layden (10.3), Jeanae Terry (10.3) and Jayla Smith (5.3) are also averaging double-figures, with Purdue averaging 87.7 points per game.
Head coach Katie Gearlds, a Purdue alum, is in her second season and enters with a 20-15 record as the Boilermakers' head coach. Gearlds previously spent 10 seasons as the head coach at Marian (Ind.), winning back-to-back NAIA National Championships in 2016 and 2017.
Gearlds does have a connection to Indiana State, albeit in an unconventional way. She was the head women's basketball coach at Marian at the same time that current Indiana State head volleyball coach Ashlee Pritchard rebuilt the Knights into an NAIA power.
Series History Against Purdue
Indiana State and Purdue have previously met 27 times, with the Sycamores holding a 17-10 advantage in the all-time series. Despite the close proximity between the schools, the Sycamores and Boilermakers have not squared off since the 1999-00 season.
Last Game Against Purdue (Dec. 4, 1999)
Three Sycamores scored in double-figures led by April Kirby with 16, but Purdue narrowly edged past Indiana State 69-67 at the Big Four Classic in Bloomington.
Indiana State got out to a strong start and led by double-digits at the half (42-32) but Purdue outscored the Sycamores 37-25 over the final 20 minutes. The Sycamores led by double-digits for large stretches of the second half before Purdue staged its comeback to win.
Kourtney Mennen (11) and Kiwana Battle (10) also finished in double-figures for the Blue and White. Indiana State had six different players score at least seven points.
Up Next
Indiana State returns to the friendly confines of Hulman Center to face Ohio Saturday, Nov.26 at 1 p.m.
