CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Indiana State's three-game road trip got off to a less-than-ideal start Sunday afternoon, as the Sycamores fell 91-51 to Northern Iowa inside McLeod Center.
 
Chelsea Cain led the Blue and White with 14 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, all of which have come on the road. Anna McKendree added 11 points, while Del'Janae Williams had eight. The backcourt duo grabbed seven rebounds each, with Williams also dishing out a team-leading four assists.
 
Northern Iowa quickly built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back, as the Sycamores were unable to generate any sustained offense. The homestanding Panthers shot better than 50 percent from the field in the second half and used a 32-point third quarter to put the game out of reach.  
 
First Half
Cain got Indiana State on the board with a free throw, which was followed by a putback from Williams and a 3-pointer from McKendree to keep the Trees within a point at 7-6 midway through the opening quarter. Northern Iowa followed with a 9-0 run to extend its lead to double-digits. Bella Finnegan connected on a jumper with just over four minutes to go, but that was the last basket for the Sycamores in the opening quarter. UNI scored the last five points of the period and led by double-digits for the remainder of the game, taking a 21-8 lead into the second.
 
Nine of Cain's 14 points came in the second quarter, where she hit three shots and also made three free throws. Northern Iowa had an answer for every basket Indiana State made, though, extending its lead to as many as 20 in the quarter. Lily Niebuhr and McKendree both added field goals late in the quarter, the latter's being a 3-pointer, but the Sycamores faced a 39-23 deficit heading into the intermission.  
 
Second Half
UNI quickly took full control early in the second half, as the Panthers opened the third quarter on a 22-2 run that the Sycamores never recovered from. Cain had the lone points for the Sycamores during the run on an early layup, while McKendree ended the run with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, but the damage was already done by then. Finnegan and Sommer Pitzer both hit 3-pointers in the quarter, with Pitzer's coming just before the buzzer, but the slow start to the second half saw the Sycamores down 71-38 heading to the fourth quarter.
 
Williams gave Indiana State a glimmer of hope early in the fourth with a pair of layups to cut into the deficit, but UNI hit a trio of 3-pointers in less than a minute to dash the Sycamores' hopes of cutting it closer. The Panthers also hit four of their last five shots to close out a commanding 91-51 win over the Sycamores.
 
Inside the Numbers

• Indiana State managed to win the rebound battle (44-43) for the 10th time this season.
• The Sycamores turned 11 offensive rebounds into 10 second chance points, which equaled Northern Iowa's points generated off extended possessions.
• Two-thirds of Indiana State's baskets were assisted (12-of-18).

 
News & Notes

• Del'Janae Williams currently sits 23 points away from reaching 1,000 for her career. Williams would be the 29th player in program history to hit the milestone.
• Each of Chelsea Cain's three double-doubles this season have come on the road. Cain has notched a double-double in each of Indiana State's last three road games.
• Sunday's game was the furthest away game for Indiana State this season and is the only road game for the Sycamores that is more than 300 miles from Terre Haute.

 
Up Next
Indiana State's three-game road trip continues Friday night at Murray State, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.
 
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