TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Del'Janae Williams led Indiana State with 16 points Saturday afternoon, but a strong fourth quarter sent visiting Southern Illinois past the Sycamores, 60-58, inside Hulman Center.
 
Bella Finnegan scored 12 points in her second career start, while Chelsea Cain and Anna McKendree added eight points apiece. Mya Glanton and Adrian Folks had a game-high 11 rebounds each.
 
Indiana State used a strong second quarter to take a lead into halftime and continued that momentum into the second half. The Sycamores built a double-digit lead early in the second half and led by as many as 16 late in the third quarter. Southern Illinois clawed its way back at the end of the third and outscored the Sycamores 19-6 in the fourth to come from behind and win.
 
First Half
Williams scored the game's first five points on a 3-pointer from the wing and a fastbreak layup. The Sycamores pushed their lead to 11-5 just three minutes into the game following another Williams 3-pointer, and Finnegan added a midrange jumper to tack on to Indiana State's advantage. SIU held Indiana State scoreless for the final 4:20 of the quarter, though, and took a 16-13 lead into the second.
 
Indiana State quickly retook the lead in the second on a Glanton layup and a Williams 3-pointer, her third of the half. Folks added a layup down low to push the Sycamore lead to four at 24-20, and McKendree hit a 3-pointer to keep the Sycamores in front late in the quarter. Free throws late in the quarter by McKendree and Williams gave Indiana State a 30-27 halftime lead.
 
Second Half
Glanton and Cain combined to score Indiana State's first six points of the third quarter, and McKendree added another 3-pointer to push the Sycamore lead to double-digits at 39-29. Indiana State's strong run out of the locker room continued on, as Cain scored eight in the third quarter to help the Sycamores build a commanding lead. Finnegan gave the Trees their largest lead at 49-33 following a pair of free throws, but the visitors closed the quarter strong. Indiana State maintained a double-digit lead despite the Saluki run, and took a 52-41 advantage into the fourth.
 
Unlike the third quarter, Indiana State struggled to get in a rhythm in the fourth. The Sycamores made just one shot, that being a Williams three-point play going coast-to-coast, as Southern Illinois mounted a comeback. The Salukis took their first lead of the half on a Shemera Williams 3-pointer with 30 seconds left. Williams had a pair of looks to tie the game in the final moments, but one clanked off the rim and the other was blocked as time expired, as SIU completed its comeback on the road.
 
Inside the Numbers

• Indiana State was plus-15 in rebound margin (49-34), its largest rebound margin of the season. The Sycamores grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and converted those into 13 second chance points.
• Indiana State's six 3-pointers were its most in a game since hitting seven at Western Michigan on December 10.
• Indiana State held Southern Illinois to a 35.7 percent clip from the field.
• Despite the size difference down low, Indiana State had a season-high six blocks Saturday.

 
News & Notes

• Indiana State's plus-15 rebound margin was its best in a game since Feb. 12, 2022 at Evansville, when the Sycamores were plus-18 on the glass (50-32).
• Indiana State dropped to 0-2 in MVC play for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
• Mya Glanton and Adrian Folks both had 11 rebounds, marking the first time the Sycamores had teammates with double-digit rebounds in the same game since Feb. 12, 2022 at Evansville (Tonysha Curry 13, Arianna Smith 11).

 
Up Next
Indiana State begins a three-game road trip Thursday at UIC, with tipoff set for 8 p.m.
 
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