TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Chelsea Cain and Caitlin Anderson scored 14 points apiece Thursday evening, leading Indiana State past Lincoln (Mo.) in an exhibition, 75-66, inside Hulman Center.
 
Bella Finnegan added 11 off the bench, while Anna McKendree finished with 10. Cain led the Trees with eight rebounds, while Adrian Folks had eight points and six boards in her first game action since a season-ending injury last November.
 
After a tight opening 20 minutes, Indiana State pulled away with a 46-point second half, shooting 57 percent from the field in the third and fourth quarters. The Trees cut down on turnovers in the second half and, aside from a late fourth-quarter spurt, kept the visitors in check on the offensive side.
 
First Half
Indiana State was unable to get into a rhythm on offense in the early stages, but Anderson provided a spark for the Sycamores off the bench. Playing against her hometown school, the senior guard scored seven points in a 32-second span midway through the opening quarter to give the Sycamores a lead they never relinquished. Lincoln (Mo.) tied the score with a 3-pointer, but a 3-pointer by Finnegan put the Trees ahead for good with just under three minutes remaining. Despite nine turnovers in the first 10 minutes, Indiana State led 16-13 after one quarter.
 
The back-and-forth affair continued into the second quarter until Finnegan kickstarted a 7-0 Sycamore run with a layup over a two-minute span. The freshman guard scored nine of her 11 points in the first half to help keep Indiana State in front through the opening 20 minutes. The Blue Tigers countered with a late run to close the half, as the teams went to the intermission with Indiana State ahead 29-27.
 
Second Half
Indiana State came out of the break with added intensity, as the Sycamores immediately went on a 6-0 run to start the third quarter. Cain scored the first four points for the Blue and White on a pair of free throws and a fastbreak layup, while Finnegan connected on a pull-up jumper to tack on to the Sycamore lead. Lincoln (Mo.) cut the Indiana State lead to as little as three, but another run for the Trees, started once again by Cain, pushed the lead back out. A 3-pointer by McKendree, followed by a pair of free throws from Alona Blackwell, put the lead at double-digits for the first time at 48-38 with one minute left in the quarter. Del'Janae Williams beat the buzzer with a layup to give Indiana State a 51-40 lead after three.
 
Baskets by Cain and Williams midway through the fourth gave Indiana State its largest lead of the contest at 61-45 but Lincoln (Mo.) came roaring back. The Blue Tigers cut the Sycamore lead to as little as five inside the final minute, but Indiana State's ability to convert from the charity stripe proved to be a difference. The Sycamores were 12-for-15 on free throws in the fourth quarter, giving the home side a 75-66 win.
 
Inside the Numbers

• Indiana State had a plus-17 margin on the glass (42-25), including 13 offensive boards.
• Indiana State shot 45 percent or better from the field in three of the four quarters, including a 75 percent cli; (6-for-8) in the fourth.
• The Sycamores were 29-for-36 (80.6 percent) from the free throw line Thursday after not taking more than 26 free throw attempts in the 2021-22 season.

 
News & Notes

• Thursday's exhibition was the lone exhibition on the slate for Indiana State this season.
• All 13 players who dressed for Indiana State Thursday saw game action.
• Thursday's contest was the lone game against a non-Division I opponent for the Sycamores this season.

 
Up Next
Indiana State's regular season opener is Monday morning against Saint Louis, with tipoff from Hulman Center set for 11 a.m.
 
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