TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State's three-game road trip heads south Friday night, as the Sycamores travel to Murray State for a 7 p.m. tip. The game will be carried on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Last Time Out
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.
Road Warrior
Indiana State forward
Chelsea Cain has seen success away from the friendly confines of Hulman Center, posting a double-double in each of the Sycamores' last three road games.
Cain had 16 points and 11 rebounds at Illinois State, 11 points and 10 rebounds at Bradley and 14 points and 10 rebounds at Northern Iowa. Over the three-game stretch, she is averaging 13.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
Starting Off Strong
Indiana State's first quarter against Evansville was its most productive opening period against an MVC foe this season. The Sycamores scored 24 points, their second-most in a first quarter this season, while shooting 60 percent from the field (9-for-15) and 75 percent from 3-point range (3-for-4).
Indiana State has now scored 20-plus points in the first quarter on four occasions this season, with three of those coming during non-conference play.
Milestone Watch
Two members of the Indiana State women's basketball programs are nearing career milestones, with one also occurring earlier this season.
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.
Del'Janae Williams is also closing in on 1,000 career points, as she is currently 23 points away from reaching the milestone. Williams would become the 29th player in program history to accomplish the feat and the first since the 2014-15 season.
Head coach
Chad Killinger is also nearing a career milestone on the sidelines, as the Sycamore leader needs just one wins to reach 300 for his head coaching career.
Crashing the Glass
Indiana State has been among the league leaders in rebounding this season, both overall and on the offensive side. The Sycamores are third in the MVC in offensive rebounds with 12.0 per game and also rank fourth in the conference in total rebounds with 38.0 per game. ISU has won the rebound battle on 10 occasions this season, including in each of the last two games.
The Sycamores have found success with their extended possessions off offensive rebounds, averaging 10.4 second chance points per game. Indiana State has scored 10-plus second chance points in 10 games this season.
Murray State at a Glance
Murray State enters the weekend with an 11-10 overall record and a 4-8 mark in MVC play. The Racers have lost each of their last six games, including the first matchup against Indiana State this season.
Katelyn Young is the focal point of the Racer offense and leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Macey Turley (11.2) is also averaging double-figure scoring and leads Murray State with 62 assists, while Hannah McKay, Bria Sanders-Woods and Jordyn Hughes all average at least six points per game.
Now in her sixth season at the helm of her alma mater, Rechelle Turner guided Murray State to its first postseason appearance since 2009 last season when the Racers earned a spot in the WNIT. Murray State won 22 games last season, its most since the 2008-09 campaign.
Series History Against Murray State
Murray State owns a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series and is 2-0 in games played in Murray. Indiana State has won each of the last two meetings, including a 62-56 win in Terre Haute in January.
Last Game Against Murray State (Jan. 29, 2023)
Del'Janae Williams scored a team-high 24 points, helping Indiana State overturn an early double-digit deficit in a 62-56 win over Murray State inside Hulman Center.
Williams led the Sycamores in scoring despite not hitting her first basket until the final minute of the first quarter.
Chelsea Cain added 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Facing a 10-point deficit midway through the second quarter, Indiana State responded by shooting 50 percent from the field over the middle 20 minutes. Williams went on a personal 9-0 run as part of a 17-5 Sycamore run to close the first half, and
Bella Finnegan hit a 3-pointer early in the third to give the Trees the lead for good. Murray State made it a two-point game in the fourth quarter, but Williams knocked down a clutch 3-pointer from the corner inside the final minute to seal Indiana State's first home conference win of the season.
Up Next
Indiana State closes its three-game road trip Sunday afternoon at Belmont, with tipoff set for 3 p.m.
