TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State women's basketball returns to action Sunday afternoon, as the Sycamores continue their five-game homestand against Purdue Fort Wayne at 1 p.m. The game will be carried on ESPN+.
Gameday Sponsor and Promotions
US Lawns is the gameday sponsor for Sunday's contest. U.S. Lawns is the country's leading provider of commercial landscape management services, snow removal, irrigation systems, tree care and more.
Sunday's game has been designated as the Sycamore Kids Club game. All kids in attendance are invited to stick around after the game to receive a signed poster from the team. To register, click
HERE.
Last Time Out
Anna McKendree led Indiana State with 16 points Thursday and
Chelsea Cain added 13, but visiting Western Kentucky used a fourth-quarter run to narrowly defeat the Sycamores, 58-51, inside Hulman Center.
Cain added a season-high six rebounds, while McKendree had four rebounds and five steals for the Sycamores.
Del'Janae Williams had six points, six assists and five rebounds for the Trees, who welcomed more than 1,000 middle school students from around Vigo County for the contest.
In what became a defensive slugfest where neither team led by more than two possessions in the opening half, Indiana State managed to take an eight-point lead late in the third quarter. Western Kentucky responded in the final minutes of the third and took control in the fourth, as the Sycamores made just two field goals in the final 10 minutes. Down by two with less than two minutes remaining, a layup by McKendree just missed and WKU iced the game with free throws down the stretch.
A Day to Remember
Indiana State came up on the wrong end of the scoreboard against Western Kentucky, but the Sycamores still made an impact that day despite the loss.
Indiana State welcomed over 1,000 sixth grade students from Vigo County middle schools to the game, and the Sycamore student-athletes went into the stands following the game to interact with the sixth graders.
In addition, the Sycamores had their highest-attended home game in seven years Thursday, as 2,321 saw Indiana State play Western Kentucky. The last time Indiana State drew a larger crowd was Dec. 8, 2015, when 2,340 saw the Sycamores face Indiana.
Etched in History
Former Indiana State star Melanie Boeglin was announced as part of the Missouri Valley Conference's 2023 Hall of Fame Class earlier this week.
Boeglin was one of the best players in MVC history, leading the Trees to a pair of regular season titles and earning all-conference honors four times. She was the 2006 Jackie Stiles MVC Player of the Year and also earned All-America honors that season.
Thievery
Indiana State continues to be among the best in the MVC when it comes to generating turnovers. The Sycamores' 19.3 turnovers forced per game lead the conference, while their 10.1 steals per game are second in The Valley.
The defense often translates on the other end, as Indiana State is averaging 18.4 points off turnovers per game. The Sycamores have scored double-digit points off turnovers in every game this season, with a season-high 24 against Chicago State.
Guards Getting it Done
Indiana State's play is dictated by guards
Del'Janae Williams and
Anna McKendree. Williams leads the Sycamores in scoring (13.0) and is second in rebounds (4.4) and assists (2.1), while McKendree leads the team in rebounds (4.9) and assists (3.1) and is second in scoring (12.4).
Indiana State's leading scorer has been either McKendree or Williams in six of the first seven games this season, including each of the last three games (Williams vs. Chicago State (14) and at Western Michigan (23), McKendree vs. Western Kentucky (16)).
Purdue Fort Wayne at a Glance
Purdue Fort Wayne enters the weekend at 4-6 overall and 1-1 in Horizon League play. The Mastodons dropped a 79-64 decision to St. Thomas (Minn.) on the road in their last game.
Amellia Bromenschenkel leads the Mastodons in scoring (13.5) and rebounding (4.9) through the first 10 games. Bromenschenkel is the only Mastodon averaging double-figures this season. Secondary scoring has been a collective effort for Purdue Fort Wayne, with seven different players averaging between four and eight points per game this season. Ryin Ott (7.6) and Destinee Marshall (7.4) are second and third on the team in scoring this season.
Maria Marchesano is in her second season at the helm of Purdue Fort Wayne, as she led the Mastodons to a 9-21 record in her debut campaign. The nine wins were an eight-win improvement from the 2020-21 season, where Purdue Fort Wayne went just 1-22, including a 20-game losing streak to start the season.
Winning on the road has been a struggle for the Mastodons in Marchesano's tenure. Purdue Fort Wayne is 3-14 away from home since the start of last season, including an 0-2 mark on the road this year.
Series History Against Purdue Fort Wayne
Indiana State has won all four previous meetings in the series, including a 55-53 win last season in Fort Wayne. The lone game in Terre Haute between the teams prior to Sunday came during the 2002-03 season, a 96-28 win for the Sycamores.
Last Game Against Purdue Fort Wayne (Dec. 20, 2021)
Anna McKendree scored 14 points off the bench and
Marie Hunter added 12 to lead Indiana State past Purdue Fort Wayne in comeback fashion, 55-53, inside the Gates Sports Center.
The win was the second straight for the Sycamores, who improved to 5-6 on the season.
Caitlin Anderson hit the go-ahead free throw for the Blue and White with 1:08 left in the game, while Indiana State's defense forced 26 Purdue Fort Wayne turnovers, which the Sycamores turned into 21 points on the other end.
Purdue Fort Wayne led by as many as seven in the fourth quarter, but ISU always remained within striking distance. The Sycamores closed the game on a 6-0 run over the final 3:41 and kept Purdue Fort Wayne off the scoreboard for the final four minutes of the contest.
Up Next
Indiana State's final game before the holidays is Wednesday evening against Detroit Mercy, with tipoff from Hulman Center set for 6 p.m.
