TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State returns to the friendly confines of Hulman Center to face Ohio in a Saturday matinee. The game against the Bobcats is the first of two home games in a four-day span for the Sycamores and will be carried on ESPN3.
Last Time Out
Del'Janae Williams had a game-high 18 points Sunday afternoon, but a lengthy Purdue run across the last two quarters gave the Boilermakers a 77-54 win over Indiana State inside Mackey Arena.
Natalia Lalic added eight points off the bench, while
Adrian Folks had six.
Anna McKendree had five points, six rebounds, three assists and five steals for the Sycamores.
Indiana State gave Purdue fits throughout the first half and took the lead late in the first quarter. The Sycamores led by as many as four early in the second, but a Boilermaker run gave Purdue a lead it never relinquished. A 31-7 Purdue run spanning all of the third and part of the fourth quarter put the game out of reach.
Creating Havoc
Indiana State continues to be among the best in the MVC when it comes to generating turnovers. The Sycamores' 20.7 turnovers forced per game are tops in the conference, while their turnover margin of plus-5.7 per game is second in the MVC.
Indiana State is averaging 13.7 steals per game, a mark that also leads the MVC, with the Sycamores recording at least 12 steals in all three games this season. The steals and turnovers forced have also translated on the other end, with Indiana State scoring 20-plus points off turnovers in both games last week (20 vs. Central Michigan, 23 at Purdue).
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 three games of the 2022-23 season.
As a team, the Sycamores have knocked down 43.3 percent of their attempts from behind the arc through the first three games (26-60). Indiana State ranks first in the Missouri Valley Conference and fifth in Division I in 3-point percentage, while making at least eight 3-pointers in each of the first three games.
Del'Janae Williams has made a team-leading nine 3-pointers this season while shooting at a 50 percent clip from distance. Williams has two games with four 3-pointers, including the Sycamores' last game at Purdue.
Anna McKendree and
Natalia Lalic have seven 3-pointers each this season, with both shooting better than 45 percent from behind the arc.
Second Chances
Indiana State has created a habit of extending possessions early in the season, as the Sycamores have grabbed 40 offensive rebounds in three games thus far. Half of those 40 came in Indiana State's two games last week against Central Michigan and Purdue, with the Sycamores converting those into 21 second chance points.
Eight different Sycamores grabbed at least one offensive rebound over the course of the last two games, with
Mya Glanton recording three offensive boards during that span (one vs. Central Michigan, two at Purdue).
Glanton and
Hattie Westerfeld lead the Sycamores with seven offensive rebounds each, with
Chelsea Cain,
Lily Niebuhr,
Del'Janae Williams,
Bella Finnegan,
Adrian Folks and
Sommer Pitzer all grabbing multiple offensive rebounds this season.
Ohio at a Glance
Ohio enters the weekend at 0-4 overall and 0-2 on the road. The Bobcats have home losses to LIU and Ohio State, and road losses to Longwood and IUPUI. Ohio is coming off a 15-15 season that saw the Bobcats reach the WNIT, falling to eventual winner South Dakota State in the first round.
The Bobcats have big shoes to replace, as Cece Hooks graduated following one of the most decorated careers in program history. Hooks is the MAC's all-time leading scorer, a four-time MAC DPOY and the 2020-21 MAC POY.
Yaya Felder leads the Bobcats in scoring at 16.3 points per game and is the only Ohio player averaging double-figures. Ohio does have balance behind Felder, though, as eight different players are averaging at least five points per game for the Bobcats.
Now in his 10th season as head coach, Bob Boldon has built Ohio into a perennial power in the Mid-American Conference. The Bobcats have four 20-plus win seasons in his tenure, including a 30-6 campaign in 2018-19. Boldon does have previous experience against Indiana State, as he led Youngstown State to a 63-51 win over the Sycamores in the first round of the 2013 WNIT.
Series History Against Ohio
Indiana State and Ohio have met just once in the schools' respective history. That lone previous meeting came during the 1973-74 season, with Indiana State winning 58-43 in Terre Haute.
Up Next
Indiana State closes its two-game homestand Tuesday evening against Chicago State, with tipoff set for 6 p.m.
