SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Bella Finnegan led a trio of Indiana State players in double-figures with 19 points Saturday afternoon, but Missouri State defeated the visiting Sycamores 77-66 inside Great Southern Bank Arena.
 
Anna McKendree finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals, while Caitlin Anderson scored a season-high 12 points off the bench for the Sycamores. Indiana State outscored Miss.
 
The second quarter proved to be the difference Saturday, as Indiana State was outscored 21-8 in the period. Facing a 69-47 deficit heading into the fourth, the Sycamores turned up the intensity defensively and limited Missouri State to just eight points in the last 10 minutes. The Trees outscored the Lady Bears 19-8 in the final period but ran out of time to complete the comeback.
 
First Half
Chelsea Cain opened Indiana State's account on the scoreboard with a second-chance basket, but the Sycamores quickly found themselves in a 15-4 hole. 3-pointers by Del'Janae Williams and Finnegan spearheaded an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to three, and Finnegan added another basket to make it 17-14 late in the quarter. Despite the slow start, the Sycamores only trailed by five, 23-18, after the opening period.
 
Hattie Westerfeld hit a jumper early in the second to make it a 25-20 game, but Missouri State quickly pushed its lead to double-digits early on. McKendree hit a pair of 3-pointers in the quarter, but a 14-3 Missouri State run to close the quarter put the home side ahead 44-26 at the break.
 
Second Half
The third quarter was back-and-forth, as Indiana State regained its rhythm on offense. Finnegan started a 7-0 run for the Trees midway through the quarter to make it 53-37, scoring four points during the run. The Sycamores got within 15 in the quarter after an Anderson jumper made it 56-41, but back-to-back baskets for the Lady Bears pushed their lead back up to 20. Indiana State trailed 69-47 entering the fourth, even after putting up 21 points on a 53 percent clip from the field in the third.
 
Indiana State picked up the intensity in the final frame, as the Sycamores opened on a 9-0 run to get within 13 at 69-56. Mya Glanton opened the quarter with back-to-back baskets, which was followed by a McKendree 3-pointer and a pair of Anderson free throws. An Anderson layup whittled the deficit down to 72-62, but that was the closest the Sycamores got. Despite a strong showing in the final frame, Indiana State fell for the fifth straight game.
 
Inside the Numbers

• Indiana State outscored Missouri State 40-33 in the second half.
• Indiana State scored a season-high 23 second-chance points on 13 offensive rebounds. It's the most second-chance points for the Sycamores since scoring 26 at Valpo during the 2021-22 season.
• The Sycamores had a 16-10 advantage in bench points, with Caitlin Anderson (12) and Hattie Westerfeld (four) combining for all 16.

 
News & Notes

• Bella Finnegan has scored in double-figures in each of the last three games, averaging 19 points per game in those contests.
• Indiana State closes the road portion of its schedule at 4-7. The Sycamores have two home games remaining, with a chance to improve on their 6-9 record inside Hulman Center.
• Caitlin Anderson's 12 points were a season high, and also marked her first double-figure scoring game of the season.

 
Up Next
Indiana State closes out the regular season with a pair of home games, starting Thursday at 6 p.m. against Bradley.
 
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