TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State's three game road trip concludes Sunday afternoon when the Sycamores face Belmont at 3 p.m. The game will be carried on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Last Time Out
Bella Finnegan scored a career-high 26 points Friday night and
Del'Janae Williams added 17, propelling Indiana State past Murray State, 82-71, inside CFSB Center.
Chelsea Cain also finished in double-figures for the Sycamores with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Indiana State shot a season-best 63.5 percent from the floor and 61.5 percent from distance. Finnegan had seven rebounds and three assists in addition to her 26 points.
Indiana State got out to a strong start from the field, and the offensive attack carried throughout the game for the Sycamores. The Blue and White never trailed by more than four, with a Finnegan basket inside the final minute of the opening half putting the Sycamores ahead for good. Indiana State shot 70 percent from the field in the last 20 minutes, building up a double-digit lead behind eight third-quarter points from Cain and 12 in the fourth from Finnegan. The Sycamores scored 20-plus points in three of the four quarters to complete their season sweep of Murray State.
Bucket Getter
Indiana State guard
Bella Finnegan put together the best game of her young career in the Sycamores' win over Murray State. Finnegan notched career-highs of 26 points and seven rebounds against the Racers, knocking down 11 of her 16 shots from the field and all three of her 3-point attempts.
Finnegan's 26 points were the most by an Indiana State player in a game this season, and the most for a Sycamore freshman since
Caitlin Anderson had 27 against Evansville on Feb. 28, 2020.
Sharp Shooting
Indiana State shot a season-best 63.5 percent from the field against Murray State, knocking down 33 of their 52 shots in the game. The Sycamores also connected on eight of their 13 3-point attempts. Indiana State shot better than 60 percent from the field in three of the four quarters, shooting better than 70 percent in both the first and fourth.
The 63.5 percent clip from the field was Indiana State's best in a game since Nov. 18, 2006 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and it was the Sycamores' first game over 60 percent from the field since Nov. 28, 2016 at Eastern Illinois.
Six of Indiana State's seven players who took a shot finished better than 50 percent from the field, helping the Sycamores post the best shooting game by an MVC team this season.
Milestone Watch
One member of the Indiana State women's basketball program is nearing a career milestone, with two also occurring earlier this season.
Del'Janae Williams is closing in on 1,000 career points, as she is currently six points away from reaching the milestone entering Sunday's game.
Chelsea Cain hit 1,000 points for her collegiate career with a layup in the first quarter at Evansville. Cain scored 857 points in three seasons at Nicholls State and has 241 points for the Sycamores this year, giving her 1,098 career points.
Head coach
Chad Killinger picked up his 300th win as a collegiate head coach with Indiana State's 82-71 win over Murray State.
One and Done
Indiana State continued its trend of being a strong team on the glass, as the Sycamores outrebounded Murray State by a 32-18 margin. The plus-14 rebound margin was Indiana State's best since the opening weekend of conference play.
The 18 rebounds for Murray State were the fewest for a Sycamore opponent this season, with a big reason for the low rebound total being Indiana State's ability to hit shots throughout the game.
Belmont at a Glance
Winners of each of their last seven games, Belmont enters Sunday's contest at 14-10 overall and 10-3 in MVC play. The Bruins downed Evansville 93-53 in their last game.
Destinee Wells and Madison Bartley have led the way for the Bruins, who were preseason favorites in the MVC, this season. Wells leads the team with 16.3 points per game while also dishing out 115 assists this season. Bartley averages 14.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. The duo combined for 39 of Belmont's 65 points in the earlier meeting between the schools this season.
Head coach Bart Brooks has continued to shape the Bruins into one of the elite mid-major programs in the nation. Now in his sixth season at the helm, Belmont has reached the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons.
Series History Against Belmont
Belmont owns a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series and is 2-0 in games played in Nashville. The Bruins won the earlier meeting between the schools this season in Terre Haute, 65-51.
Last Game Against Belmont (Jan. 27, 2023)
Indiana State's three-game homestand got off on the wrong foot, as the Sycamores dropped a 65-51 contest to preseason MVC favorite Belmont inside Hulman Center.
Anna McKendree and
Del'Janae Williams led the Sycamores with 13 points apiece, while McKendree also had a game-high eight rebounds. The backcourt duo combined for more than half of Indiana State's 51 points while also producing the team's leader in rebounds, assists and steals.
Indiana State took an early lead following 3-pointers by
Bella Finnegan and Williams, but the Sycamores played from behind for most of the game. The Trees were within two possessions for most of the first half and kept within distance for most of the game, but a 14-2 Belmont run spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters put the game out of reach for the Sycamores.
Up Next
Indiana State is back home for the next two games, starting with a Friday evening contest against Valparaiso at 6 p.m.
