TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State continues its three-game road swing Saturday afternoon when it takes on in-state foe Valparaiso at 2 p.m. The game will be carried on ESPN3 and GoSycamores.com.
Last Time Out
Chelsea Cain led all scorers with a season-high 21 points Thursday night, leading Indiana State to a gritty 59-48 win over UIC inside Credit Union 1 Arena.
The win was Indiana State's first MVC win of the season and was also the first road win of the year for the Sycamores. Nine different players scored in the game for the Trees, with
Del'Janae Williams and
Mya Glanton chipping in seven points apiece and
Anna McKendree adding six. Indiana State forced 20 turnovers and limited UIC to a 28.3 percent clip from the field.
Indiana State closed the opening quarter on a 5-0 run and led for the remainder of the game. The Sycamores limited the Flames to a shooting percentage below 30 percent in three of the four quarters and hit timely shots on the offensive end when it mattered. Cain scored 17 of her game-high 21 in the second half, as Indiana State scored 32 points in the paint over the final 30 minutes in imposing its will inside. ISU's ability to keep UIC out of any offensive rhythm allowed the Trees to walk out of Credit Union 1 Arena with its first road and conference win of the season.
Milestone Watch
Two members of the Indiana State women's basketball programs are nearing career milestones, with one having a chance of occurring Saturday.
Chelsea Cain sits 10 points away from reaching 1,000 for her collegiate career. Cain scored 857 points in three seasons at Nicholls State and has 133 points this season.
Head coach
Chad Killinger is also nearing a career milestone, as the Sycamore leader needs just four wins to reach 300 for his head coaching career.
No Fly Zone
Indiana State has been among the best in the conference when it comes to 3-point defense. The Sycamores are second in the MVC in 3-point defense at 27.7 percent and lead the conference in 3-point defense in MVC games at 19.6 percent.
Of Indiana State's last six opponents, only Southern Illinois shot 30 percent or better from distance, as the Salukis hit exactly 30 percent of their 3-point attempts (3-for-10). Three of the Sycamores' last six foes have shot below 20 percent from long range (Purdue Fort Wayne - 4-for-31, 12.9; Detroit Mercy - 1-for-14, 7.1; UIC - 2-for-16, 12.5).
Thieves Avenue
Indiana State has continued its trend from last season of being among the best in the Missouri Valley Conference when it comes to generating turnovers. The Trees rank second in the conference in turnovers forced per game (18.5), turnover margin (plus-2.0) and steals per game (8.5), trailing only Southern Illinois in all three categories.
Indiana State often capitalizes on opposition turnovers, as the Sycamores average 18.2 points per game off turnovers. The Sycamores have scored 20-plus points off turnovers on five occasions this season.
Opportunistic
Despite allowing 18 offensive rebounds in Thursday's win, Indiana State limited UIC to just seven second chance points. The Sycamores actually had mores second chance points than the Flames despite pulling down only nine offensive rebounds.
Indiana State took full advantage of UIC's 20 turnovers, as the Sycamores turned those into 19 points on the other end. The Trees also took care of the basketball, finishing the game with a season-low eight turnovers.
Road Trippin'
Indiana State picked up its first road win of the season Thursday with a 59-48 victory over UIC in Chicago. The Sycamores limited the Flames to a 28.3 percent mark from the field, the lowest for an Indiana State opponent this season. The win was Indiana State's first MVC road win since an 83-63 victory over Bradley on Feb. 4, 2022 and snapped a six-game road losing streak (all scenarios).
The Sycamores fell to Purdue (77-54) and Western Michigan (77-67) in their only non-conference road games of the season. This weekend's road swing is also the first time that the Sycamores will play back-to-back road games this season.
Last season, Indiana State won six games on the road. That total was the most for the Sycamores since the 2018-19 season.
Valparaiso at a Glance
Valparaiso enters Saturday's game at 2-9 overall and 0-3 in MVC play. The Beacons lost to Evansville (57-45) in their last game. Valpo fell on the road to MVC newcomers Belmont and Murray State in the opening weekend of conference play.
Olivia Brown leads the Beacons in scoring at 11.9 points per game, with Leah Earnest (11.7) and Ali Saunders (11.5) also averaging double-figures for Valpo. No other player on the team averages more than 5.5 points per game. Earnest leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game, while Saunders and Ilysse Pitts average 2.6 assists per game each.
Now in her fifth season at the helm, Mary Evans is 55-70 overall and has provided consistency for Valparaiso in recent years. The Beacons have been among the MVC's leaders in 3-pointers made and steals since Evans took over the program.
Series History Against Valparaiso
Indiana State has a 13-3 lead in the all-time series and has won each of the last three meetings. The Sycamores are 6-1 in their last seven games against UIC.
Last Game Against Valparaiso (Feb. 20, 2022)
Mya Glanton had a career-high 25 points along with 14 rebounds, but Valparaiso used a 48-point second half to squeak past Indiana State, 74-69, inside Hulman Center.
Natalia Lalic added 16 points off the bench for the Sycamores, while
Arianna Smith and
Del'Janae Williams had eight points apiece. Lalic and
Caitlin Anderson also had four assists each.
Indiana State led 19-8 after the first quarter, but Valpo responded with a strong second quarter to make it a one-possession game at the halftime break. The Beacons shot 63 percent from the field in the second half while making 20 free throws in the last 20 minutes to eke out a narrow win, despite Glanton scoring 20 in the second half for the Sycamores.
Up Next
Indiana State's three-game road trip concludes Wednesday night at Evansville, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.
