COLUMBIA, Mo. – Asia Donald led Indiana State with 15 points Thursday night, but the Sycamores closed their two-game season opening road trip with a 98-57 loss to Missouri inside Mizzou Arena.
 
Donald also added four rebounds and two assists, while Bella Finnegan was in double-figures for the second straight game with 12 points. Mya Glanton and Chloe Williams led the Sycamores with five rebounds each.
 
Indiana State held its own in the first quarter, using a 9-2 run to get within three points of its opponent from the SEC. The Sycamores remained within two possessions early in the second quarter thanks to baskets from Donald and Finnegan, but a 17-2 run for the home side midway through broke open the game. Indiana State opened the third quarter strong with early baskets from Kiley Bess and Finnegan, while makes in quick succession from Chelsea Cain and Donald got the Trees closer, but a 21-2 run in the third quaeter for Mizzou ensued, putting the game out of reach.
  
First Half
Cain and Finnegan opened the Sycamores' scoring with early baskets, but a 10-0 Missouri run saw the Sycamores trailing 15-4 less than five minutes into the game. Donald provided a spark for the Blue and White off the bench, knocking down a 3-pointer as part of a 7-2 Indiana State run to inch the Sycamores to within three at 17-14. The late surge for the Trees kept Indiana State within reach of Missouri, as the Tigers' lead after a quarter was just 21-16.
 
Donald and Finnegan connected on baskets early in the second quarter, the latter's being a 3-pointer, as the Sycamores remained within two possessions of Mizzou in the opening stages of the period. Missouri went on a 17-0 run, though, and by the time Williams ended the run with a layup, the Sycamores found themselves down 43-23. Donald cut the deficit back under 20 with four straight points, but a late 3-pointer saw Missouri take a 49-28 lead into halftime.
 
Second Half
Indiana State took advantage of early turnovers in the third quarter, as Bess and Finnegan hit baskets on consecutive possessions to get the Trees within 49-32. Cain and Donald kept the Sycamore deficit under 20 with makes, but a 21-2 Missouri run followed as the Sycamores went down 75-38. Savannah White and Deja Jones got on the scoreboard late in the quarter for the Blue and White, but the Sycamores trailed 77-44 with 10 minutes to go.
 
Jones connected on a midrange jumper on Indiana State's opening possession of the fourth quarter, but an 8-0 Mizzou run followed. Keslyn Secrist and Jones both hit baskets to cut into the Tigers' lead midway through, while Saige Stahl added a pair of free throws just past the media timeout. Secrist and Donald added to their point totals late, but the game was out of reach for the Sycamores by then. Mizzou caught the ire of the Sycamores late, though, hitting a needless 3-pointer as time expired to make it 98-57.
 
Inside The Numbers

• More than 40 percent of Indiana State's scoring came from its freshman class (Asia Donald 15, Keslyn Secrist 6, Saige Stahl 2)
• Despite the loss, Indiana State forced Missouri into 25 turnovers, which the Sycamores turned into 30 points on the other end.
• Indiana State went 18-for-24 from the charity stripe Thursday, marking the second straight game that the Sycamores shot 75 percent or better from the free throw line.

 
Inside The Numbers

• Indiana State got 35 points from its bench Thursday night, marking the first time since last year's MVC opener against Missouri State that the Sycamores had 30-plus bench points in a game.
• All 14 active players on Indiana State's roster have played in at least one game this season.
• Deja Jones, Jailah Pelly, Keslyn Secrist and Leah Yarbrough all made their Indiana State debuts in Monday's game.

 
Up Next
Indiana State plays its home opener Wednesday morning against Illinois-Springfield, with tipoff from Hulman Centerset for 11 a.m.
 
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