VALPARAISO, Ind. – Indiana State overturned an early double-digit deficit Saturday afternoon, defeating Valparaiso 66-58 inside the Athletics-Recreation Center to complete its weekend sweep.
 
Del'Janae Williams led all scorers with a season-high 25 points, while Anna McKendree and Chelsea Cain added nine and eight, respectively. Alona Blackwell and Hattie Westerfeld came off the bench to score seven points apiece for the Sycamores, who trailed by as many as 11.
 
Indiana State started slow but came alive for 61 points in the last three quarters, including 43 points in the second half. The Trees led for less than 10 minutes but hit timely shots when it mattered most, making 10 of their last 12 shots. McKendree put the Sycamores ahead for good with a 3-pointer from the wing midway through the fourth quarter. Indiana State's defense held Valpo to just one basket in the last five minutes to seal its second straight road win.
 
First Half
Indiana State got off to a slow start, as the Sycamores hit just two shots in the opening 10 minutes. Valpo had its way in the early going and went up by double-digits thanks to a pair of 7-0 scoring runs. McKendree hit a 3-pointer and Westerfeld added a layup down low, but the Trees trailed 14-5 after one.
 
The Sycamores picked up their intensity in the second, as they opened the quarter on a 10-0 run. Blackwell played a big role in the early run with four points, while Cain and Mya Glanton added baskets in the paint for the Blue and White. Williams gave the Trees their first lead of the game at 15-14 with a fastbreak layup, and the teams stayed within four points of each other for the final four minutes of the half. A Williams midrange pull-up jumper and a pair of Caitlin Anderson free throws sent the teams to the locker room tied at 23.
 
Second Half
Williams put Indiana State in front early in the third quarter with a layup and scored each of the Sycamores' first six points of the quarter. Blackwell and Williams knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 35-34 Indiana State, and Westerfeld followed that with a putback layup to put the Trees ahead by three. Valpo hit a trio of 3-pointers late in the quarter, including one just before the buzzer, to take a 43-41 lead after three.
 
Indiana State's most efficient quarter was the fourth, as the Sycamores hit nine of their 11 shots in the period. Cain and Anderson both hit baskets in the paint to make it 48-45, and Westerfeld made it a one-point game with a pair of free throws. Indiana State seized momentum with a 10-0 run midway through, with McKendree hitting a pair of clutch 3-pointers to put the Sycamores ahead for good. Williams scored eight points in the final 3:11, while the Sycamore defense stood tall in the final minutes to close out Indiana State's second straight road win.
 
Inside the Numbers

• Indiana State limited Valparaiso to just three bench points in Saturday's win, outscoring the Beacons 20-3 in bench points.
• Hattie Westerfeld was a plus-20 in 22 minutes of action, the best mark of any player on either team.
• Indiana State forced 22 turnovers, the second straight conference game that the Sycamores forced 20-plus turnovers.
• Indiana State was 22-for-39 from the field (56.4 percent) in the last three quarters, outscoring Valparaiso 61-44 in the last 30 minutes of the game.
• Del'Janae Williams (25) and Alona Blackwell (seven) both had season-highs in scoring. Blackwell played a season-high 30:35

 
News & Notes

• Saturday's win sealed Indiana State's first weekend sweep in conference play since the 2017-18 season. The Sycamores accomplished the feat in January 2018 on the same road swing as this season's sweep, defeating Loyola Chicago and Valparaiso. Ironically, the Sycamores won three straight on the road that year with Evansville being the last opponent, and this year's team will have the chance to match that with Evansville being the next opponent on the road.
• Indiana State won back-to-back road games for the first time since its first two MVC road contests last season at Drake and Valparaiso.
• Saturday's win was the second this season in which the Sycamores overturned a double-digit deficit, with the other one being the season opener against Saint Louis.
• Chelsea Cain sits just two points away from reaching 1,000 for her collegiate career. Cain scored 857 points in three seasons at Nicholls State and has 142 points this season.
• Indiana State improved to 5-1 when holding opponents under 60 points. The Sycamores are 11-2 under head coach Chad Killinger when opponents score under 60.
• Indiana State has now won five of the six games in the series that were played at Valparaiso.

 
Up Next
Indiana State's three-game road trip concludes Wednesday night at Evansville, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.
 
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