ATHENS, Ohio – Kiley Bess led Indiana State with 18 points Sunday night, but the Sycamores' fourth-quarter comeback fell one possession short in a 65-62 loss at Ohio.
 
Chelsea Cain added 13 for the Sycamores, while Chloe Williams scored a career-high 10 off the bench. Bella Finnegan had nine points, six rebounds and a game-high six assists, while Mya Glanton had seven points and a team-leading eight rebounds.

Indiana State jumped out to an early lead, but Ohio closed each of the first two quarters strong and took a slim one-point lead into the intermission. The home side pushed their lead to nine late in the third quarter as Indiana State had turnover woes and came up empty-handed from the charity stripe on multiple occasions, but the Trees battled back. Indiana State opened the fourth quarter on a 13-5 run to take the lead with less than five minutes remaining, but turnovers haunted the Sycamores late as Ohio protected home court.
  
First Half
Indiana State jumped out to an early 9-2 lead, as Finnegan opened the scoring with a jumper and Bess added a three-ball for the Blue and White. Layups from Glanton and Cain kept the Sycamores in front by six midway through the quarter, but the Sycamore offense stalled in the back half of the opening frame. Ohio went on a 10-0 run to go in front, with Glanton's layup inside the final minute ending the Sycamore scoring drought. Indiana State entered the second quarter trailing 17-13.
 
Similar to the first quarter, Indiana State got off to a good start thanks to baskets from Finnegan and Savannah White. Consecutive buckets from Bess and Williams saw Indiana State pull ahead 22-19, and Williams added another basket down low moments later. Indiana State used an 8-0 run to go ahead 30-24, capitalizing on free throws and a layup from Cain, but Ohio rallied back with a 6-0 run of its own to even the score late. A buzzer-beating basket saw the Bobcats take a 32-31 lead over the Sycamores at the half.
 
Second Half
Free throws from Bess opened the Sycamores' account in the third quarter, and Finnegan knocked down a jumper to put the Trees back in front 35-34 less than a minute in. Ohio retook the lead moments later, but a fastbreak layup from Glanton evened the score at 39. The home side went on an 8-0 run until Bess ended a two-minute Sycamore scoring drought with a jumper, and the Bobcats extended their lead out to nine with two minutes to go in the third. A late layup from Williams cut into Ohio's lead, but Indiana State faced a 52-46 deficit heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Indiana State's offense came to life early in the fourth, as baskets from Bess and Williams sandwiched around a pair of Williams free throws tied the score at 52-all. Baskets in the paint from Bess and Finnegan kept the Sycamores within reach, and Cain knocked down a three-ball from the corner to give Indiana State a 59-57 lead inside five minutes. Indiana State's offense went cold late, though, as the Sycamores went more than four minutes without a point and allowed Ohio to retake the lead. Bess knocked down a late 3-pointer, but it was too little, too late in a 65-62 loss for the Blue and White.
 
News and Notes

• Turnovers proved costly for Indiana State, as the Sycamores committed a season-high 27 miscues Sunday.
• Bella Finnegan's six rebounds marked a season best, while her six assists were a career-best tally.
• Chloe Williams' 10 points and four field goals were both career-high marks, which she accomplished in just 16 minutes of action.
• Indiana State has been a strong free throw shooting team this season, but the Sycamores were just 15-for-27 (55.6 percent) from the line Sunday night.
• Offensive rebounding continues to be a positive for the Trees, who pulled down 15 offensive boards Sunday. The Sycamores converted those into 10 second chance points.
• Indiana State capitalized on 18 Ohio miscues to the tune of 25 points off turnovers.
• Indiana State dropped to 4-5 overall, 2-2 on the road, 3-2 when wearing blue and 1-2 all-time against Ohio.

 
Up Next
Indiana State closes the non-conference portion of its schedule Wednesday at Purdue, with tipoff set for 11 a.m.
 
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