SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Four Indiana State players scored in double-figures Thursday afternoon, as the Sycamores overcame an early deficit to defeat Radford 64-52 in the opening game of the Puerto Rico Clasico.
 
Bella Finnegan led the Trees with 16, while Asia Donald added 11 off the bench. Ella Sawyer and Mya Glanton had 10 points apiece, with Glanton also grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
 
Indiana State shook off a slow start but ended the opening quarter on a 9-2 run thanks in large part to 11 points between Finnegan and Donald. The Sycamores took their first lead of the game early in the second with a 9-2 run spearheaded by Sawyer and Donald, and closed the opening half strong to take a six-point lead into halftime. Radford rallied back to even the score midway through the third, but consecutive baskets from Glanton and Savannah White put the Trees ahead for good. The Sycamores put away the win by going 13-for-14 from the line in the fourth quarter.
  
First Half
Radford jumped out to an early 10-2 lead in the opening quarter, as the Sycamores got off to a slow start on the offensive end. Consecutive baskets from Finnegan and Donald got things going late for the Blue and White, as Indiana State closed the period on a 9-2 run. Donald hit a pair of layups to make it a 14-10 game, and Finnegan knocked down a trey inside the final minute, as the Sycamores faced a narrow 14-13 deficit after the opening 10 minutes.
 
Layups from Sawyer and Donald to start the second quarter gave the Sycamores their first lead of the game, and Donald added a three-ball on the fastbreak to push Indiana State's lead to 20-14. The Sycamores' lead remained at two possessions following a layup from Sawyer, but Radford battled back to take the lead midway through. Finnegan connected from distance once again late in the period to start an 11-0 run to close the half for the Sycamores. Chelsea Cain and Glanton hit consecutive baskets to give the lead back to Indiana State, and free throws from Glanton and Kiley Bess sent the Sycamores into the locker room with a 35-29 lead.
 
Second Half
Baskets from Sawyer and Glanton opened the Sycamores' second-half scoring, but Radford opened the third quarter on a 10-4 run to tie the score at 39-all midway through. Glanton and White scored the next two baskets to put the Sycamores ahead for good, as the Trees led for the final 13-plus minutes of the game. White added a layup inside the final minute for the Trees, as Indiana State took a 45-41 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
Finnegan started the fourth quarter with a layup, and Cain added the Sycamores' next four points to make it a 51-44 advantage for the Sycamores midway through. A layup from Bess with just over three minutes remaining made it a 55-46 lead for Indiana State, and the Sycamores converted nearly every free throw opportunity down the stretch. Indiana State went 13-for-14 from the charity stripe in the final frame on its way to a 64-52 Thanksgiving Day win.
 
News and Notes

• Eight of the nine players to see the floor for Indiana State Thursday had a positive plus/minus.
• Ella Sawyer's 10 points were her most in an Indiana State uniform.
• Mya Glanton has grabbed nine or more rebounds in four of the first five games, with Thursday's double-double being her first of the season.
• Indiana State shot a season-best 82.6 percent from the free throw line, going 19-for-23 from the charity stripe.
• Indiana State limited Radford to a 31.7 percent clip from the field and a 21.1 percent mark from 3-point range, both of which represented the lowest marks an opponent has shot against the Sycamores this season.
• Indiana State was plus-10 in turnover margin (21-11) and recorded 13 steals Thursday.
• The Sycamores' strong presence in the paint this season continued, as Indiana State finished with 30 points in the paint.
• Thursday's contest was the first-ever meeting between Indiana State and Radford.

 
Up Next
Indiana State closes play at the Puerto Rico Clasico Saturday against Northern Illinois, with tipoff slated for 11 a.m.
 
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