TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Kiley Bess led Indiana State with 16 points Saturday afternoon, but an early double-digit deficit proved to be the difference in a 72-63 defeat for the Sycamores against Wright State at Hulman Center.
 
Chelsea Cain added 14 points for the Sycamores, while Mya Glanton and Bella Finnegan were also in double-figures with 11 and 10, respectively. Glanton finished one rebound shy of a double-double, while Ella Sawyer dished out six assists.
 
Indiana State took an early lead following a pair of free throws from Finnegan, but Wright State hit six 3-pointers in the first half on their way to an 11-point lead at the break. The Sycamores cut the deficit to single-digits on multiple occasions in the third quarter but Wright State had an answer every time. Bess, Cain and Finnegan combined for 18 points in the fourth quarter to get the Trees within five, but Indiana State ultimately ran out of time to complete its comeback attempt.
  
First Half
Indiana State got off to a good start with Cain scoring five early points and Finnegan adding a pair of free throws, but Wright State jumped out to an early lead on the strength of three 3-pointers. Savannah White added a layup midway through as the Sycamores got within two, but a 5-0 Wright State run to close the opening quarter saw the Raiders ahead 17-10 after one.
 
Bess started the second quarter scoring with a second-chance basket, but an 8-0 run for the visitors saw Indiana State's deficit swell to double-digits. Baskets from Bess and Glanton helped the Trees cut into Wright State's lead, and Chloe Williams added a deep two to cut the Sycamore deficit down to nine with less than three minutes remaining in the period. Bess added another layup inside the final minute, but the Sycamores went into the locker room facing a 38-27 deficit.
 
Second Half
A pair of free throws from Glanton, along with a layup from Finnegan, saw the Sycamores cut Wright State's lead to nine early in the third quarter, but the Raiders had an answer for every basket Indiana State made. Indiana State got within eight at the media timeout following makes from Bess and Williams, but consecutive 3-pointers from the visitors saw the Sycamores facing a 51-37 deficit. Cain added a layup with just over two minutes remaining, but Indiana State entered the fourth quarter trailing 53-39.
 
Indiana State got a spark in the fourth quarter, with Bess opening the frame with a 3-point frame and Sawyer and Cain following with layups. Finnegan knocked down a 3-pointer as part of a personal six-point run spanning less than a minute to get the Trees within 58-52, but Wright State went on a run of its own and led by as many as 11 late. Four straight points from Glanton, along with a layup from Bess, saw Indiana State cut the Raider lead to 68-63 inside two minutes, but the Sycamores ran out of time to complete their comeback. Wright State scored the last four points and held on to win 72-63
 
News and Notes

• Indiana State's 24-point fourth quarter marked the Sycamores' highest-scoring quarter this season.
• Four of Indiana State's starting five scored in double-figures Saturday. It marked the first time since the opening round of the 2022 MVC Tournament that Indiana State had four in double-figures in a game.
• Mya Glanton grabbed nine rebounds for the third time in the first four games.
• Indiana State had a 36-32 advantage in points in the paint, with both starting frontcourt players finishing in double-figures for the second straight game.
• Indiana State had a positive rebound margin for the third time this season, finishing plus-three (34-31) on the glass.
• Ella Sawyer became the second Sycamore with five or more assists in a game this season, with her six assists representing the most for a Sycamore in a game this season.
• Three of Indiana State's five starters played more than 30 minutes (Mya Glanton, Ella Sawyer, Kiley Bess).

 
Postgame Press Conference Presented by Team Green Law: Chad Killinger, Kiley Bess and Mya Glanton


Up Next
Indiana State heads to San Jaun, Puerto Rico, for the Puerto Rico Clasico. The Sycamores face Radford on Thanksgiving Day and Northern Illinois on Nov. 25, with both games slated for an 11 a.m. ET tip.
 
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