TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State closes its two-game weekend homestand Sunday afternoon when it welcomes UIC to Hulman Center for a 1 p.m. tip. The game will be carried on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Gameday Sponsor and Promotions
Indiana Army National Guard is the game sponsor for Friday's contest. For more information on our game sponsor, click
HERE.
Sunday's game is Indiana State's Shoot for a Cure game in recognition of breast cancer awareness. Fans are also encouraged to wear pink, while breast cancer survivors will be recognized on court during a timeout. Terre Haute's pink Engine of Hope fire truck will be present at the south (Cherry Street) entrance.
Indiana State will recognize head coach
Chad Killinger's 300th career win as a head coach in a pregame presentation.
Last Time Out
Indiana State was unable to get in a rhythm on the offensive end Friday evening, as the Sycamores dropped a 54-47 decision to visiting Valparaiso inside Hulman Center.
Chelsea Cain led the Sycamores with 12 points, while
Del'Janae Williams added 10 for the Blue and White.
Mya Glanton and
Bella Finnegan grabbed a team-leading six rebounds each.
Indiana State trailed for most of the second half, but managed to get within two early in the fourth quarter following an
Anna McKendree fastbreak layup. The Sycamores went on a scoring drought of more than five minutes following that basket, though, which proved to be the difference as Valpo went on a 10-0 run during that span. Despite a pair of late baskets, Indiana State's struggles were too much to overcome.
Milestone Moments
This season has seen a trio of Sycamore reach career milestones, including two which happpened during Indiana State's recent road trip.
Del'Janae Williams became the 29th player to score 1,000 points at Indiana State by scoring each of the Sycamores' first nine points at Belmont.
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 272 points for the Sycamores this year, giving her 1,129 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.
All-Conference Charge
After earning honorable mention all-conference honors last season, Indiana State guard
Del'Janae Williams has seen her numbers continue to go in the right direction this season as she looks to earn another conference honor.
Williams leads Indiana State in scoring at 13.5 points per game and also adds 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Blue and White. She has scored in double-figures a team-leading 17 times this season, with a season-high 25 points at Valparaiso.
Three's Company
Indiana State has often found success with a balanced effort, as six of the Sycamores' 10 wins this season have come when three or more players have scored in double-figures. The Sycamores are 6-3 this season, and 14-9 in head coach
Chad Killinger's tenure, when three or more players score in double-digits.
Lockdown
Indiana State often wins games where it limits the opposition to a low scoring output. The Sycamores are 6-2 this season, and 12-3 in head coach
Chad Killinger's tenure, when opponents have scored 60 points or fewer.
On the flipside, the Sycamores are 4-0 when scoring 70-plus points this season.
Crunch Time
With five games left before the MVC Tournament, Indiana State has a chance to play itself up the standings heading into the Quad Cities.
The Sycamores currently own the ninth seed, but could reach as high as sixth depending on the outcomes of their final five games.
UIC at a Glance
UIC enters Sunday's game at 14-12 overall and 6-9 in MVC play. The Flames enter the back half of this weekend road trip after a 68-65 overtime loss to Evansville in their last contest.
Josie Filer leads the Flames in scoring and rebounding this season with 12.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, with Jaida McCloud right behind her at 11.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
UIC is no stranger to low-scoring games this season, as the Flames rank among the MVC's best in scoring defense at 58.2 points per game allowed. The Flames average 56.7 points per game.
Head coach Ashleen Bracey has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in her first season at the helm. UIC already has 12 more wins (14) than it did last season (two).
Series History Against UIC
Indiana State owns a 14-3 advantage in the all-time series, including a 7-0 mark in Terre Haute. The Sycamores also won the earlier contest between the teams this season 59-48, and have won four straight in the series.
Last Game Against UIC (Jan.5, 2023)
Chelsea Cain led all scorers with a season-high 21 points, leading Indiana State to a gritty 59-48 win over UIC inside Credit Union 1 Arena.
The win was Indiana State's first MVC win of the season and was also the first road win of the year for the Sycamores. Nine different players scored in the game for the Trees, with
Del'Janae Williams and
Mya Glanton chipping in seven points apiece and
Anna McKendree adding six. Indiana State forced 20 turnovers and limited UIC to a 28.3 percent clip from the field.
Indiana State closed the opening quarter on a 5-0 run and led for the remainder of the game. The Sycamores limited the Flames to a shooting percentage below 30 percent in three of the four quarters and hit timely shots on the offensive end when it mattered. Cain scored 17 of her game-high 21 points in the second half.
Up Next
Indiana State heads back on the road for its next two games, starting with a Thursday night tilt at Southern Illinois. Tipoff against the Salukis is set for 7 p.m.
