TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State opens the month of December on the road, as the Sycamores head to Central Michigan for a Satuday afternoon showdown.
Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET, with the game being broadcast on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Mya Glanton recorded her second straight double-double Saturday afternoon and
Kiley Bess led Indiana State with 18 points, but it came in a 67-62 defeat to Northern Illinois at the Puerto Rico Clasico.
Glanton finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Bess added seven rebounds and four assists in addition to her scoring output.
Asia Donald and
Chelsea Cain had six points apiece for the Sycamores.
Northern Illinois used a 3-point barrage in the first half to go in front, as the Huskies hit seven threes in the opening 20 minutes and led by as many as 16. Indiana State whittled its deficit down to 10 at halftime, and the Sycamores turned things on in the third quarter. Bess scored 10 of her 18 in the third, while Indiana State went on a 14-0 run that extended into the fourth quarter to take a 53-49 lead. NIU rallied back go in front late in the fourth, and a deep 3-pointer inside the last two minutes proved to be a dagger, as Indiana State never got in a rhythm offensively after its lengthy scoring run.
Weekly Winner
After leading Indiana State in scoring against Northern Illinois and having the highest plus/minus against Radford, senior guard
Kiley Bess was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week Monday afternoon by the conference office.
Bess was instrumental in the Sycamores earning a split on their trip to Puerto Rico, averaging double-digit scoring for the third straight week while adding significant contributions on both ends of the court. She was a team-high plus-14 against Radford, finishing with four points, five rebounds, three assists, four steals and a block in the win over the Highlanders. Bess found her stroke from behind the arc against Northern Illinois, scoring a team-high 18 points, 12 of which came from 3-pointers, to go along with seven rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.
Get Some MACtion
Saturday's game against Central Michigan is the second straight game against a Mid-American Conference opponent for the Sycamores.
Indiana State faced Northern Illinois in its most recent test, falling 67-62 to the Huskies in the finale of the Puerto Rico Clasico. The Sycamores will also face Ohio on Dec. 17.
Balanced Attack
Indiana State has featured a balanced lineup this season, as three different Sycamores are averaging double-figure scoring.
Kiley Bess leads the way at 12.2 points per game, while
Bella Finnegan and
Chelsea Cain are both averaging 11.7 points per game.
Mya Glanton is nearly averaging a double-double for the Sycamores with 9.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season, and has recorded double-doubles in each of the last two games.
Magic Numbers
Indiana State has been tough to beat when scoring 70 or more points under
Chad Killinger. The Sycamores have scored 70-plus points 17 times under Killinger and are 14-3 in those games.
Included in that mark is a perfect 8-0 record when scoring 80 or more points. Indiana State has won those seven games by an average of 19 points, which includes the Sycamores' season-opening win at Northern Kentucky.
Conversely, the Sycamores have also been hard to beat when their opponents fail to put up high point totals. Indiana State is 13-4 over the last two seasons when allowing fewer than 60 points, including a 4-0 mark in games where the Trees allowed less than 50 points. All of Indiana State's wins when allowing less than 50 points have come by double-digits, while Indiana State's most recent win against Radford saw the Sycamores allow just 52 points.
Balancing Act
Indiana State showcased a balanced offense to close out November, as four Sycamores scored in double-figures against both Wright State and Radford.
Bella Finnegan and
Mya Glanton have been in double-figures in each of the last two games, with
Chelsea Cain and
Kiley Bess hitting double-digits against Wright State, and
Asia Donald and
Ella Sawyer scoring 10-plus points against Radford.
Indiana State has also made it hard to key in on particular players on offense. No Sycamore has led the team in scoring in back-to-back games through Indiana State's first five contests of the season.
Central Michigan at a Glance
Central Michigan enters the weekend at 1-4, with the Chippewas' lone win this season coming against Concordia Ann Arbor. Indiana State is the second MVC foe Central Michigan has seen this season, as the Chippewas previously fell to Bradley in November.
Madisen Wardell leads the Chippewas in scoring at 12.0 points per game, while Tamara Ortiz adds 10.8 points per game and a team-leading 2.4 assists per game for CMU. Rochelle Norris leads Central Michigan with 8.2 rebounds per game. Taylor Anderson averages a team-best 2.4 steals per game.
Kristin Haynie is in her first season as a head coach, after previously spending time as an assistant coach at Michigan State, Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan. Haynie's most recent stop was with the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA.
Series History Against Central Michigan
Indiana State has a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series after winning last year's matchup 84-71 in Terre Haute.
The Sycamores are looking for their first win in Mount Pleasant, as Indiana State is 0-3 all-time in games played at Central Michigan
Last Meeting Against Central Michigan (Nov. 16, 2022)
Anna McKendree scored a game-high 23 points and
Natalia Lalic added a career-high 22 off the bench, leading Indiana State past visiting Central Michigan, 84-71, inside Hulman Center.
Del'Janae Williams also finished in double-figures with 12 points for the Sycamores, who led by as many as 28. Indiana State's defense forced 23 Central Michigan turnovers and had 17 steals.
Central Michigan led for most of the first quarter, but Indiana State took control in the second with a 13-2 run to close the half and never looked back. The Sycamores caught fire from behind the arc in the middle quarters, going 7-for-10 from distance across the second and third quarters to build a 68-48 lead through the first 30 minutes. Indiana State's defense often led to offense and the Trees' ability to push the ball up the court in transition gave Central Michigan fits, allowing the Sycamores to win their second straight game.
Up Next
Indiana State plays its final home game of the non-conference slate Dec. 10 against Southeast Missouri State.
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