TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State heads back on the road Friday night when it faces Southern Illinois for a 7 p.m. tip inside Banterra Center.
The game will be carried on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Last Time Out
Indiana State limited Belmont to its worst 3-point percentage and third-lowest field goal percentage of the season Sunday afternoon, but a 6-0 run inside the final 10 seconds of the game allowed the Bruins to squeak past the Sycamores 61-56 inside Hulman Center.
Chelsea Cain and
Bella Finnegan led the Sycamores with 10 points apiece, while
Kiley Bess added nine. All five starters for Indiana State had at least seven points, with four of the five also grabbing three or more rebounds.
Indiana State's lockdown defense gave Belmont fits throughout the game, as the Sycamores built an early nine-point lead thanks in part to a pair of threes from Finnegan. The Trees remained in front after an 8-0 run midway through the second quarter, and extended their lead to double-digits late in the third following a 3-pointer from Finnegan and a layup from Cain. The fourth quarter proved costly, though, as Belmont outscored Indiana State 21-7 to escape with a five-point win.
No Fly Zone
Indiana State's 3-point defense has been on a new level since the start of conference play, with MVC foes struggling behind the arc against the Sycamores. Through the first five games of the conference schedule, Indiana State's opponents have made just 23 of their 104 3-point attempts, equating to a 22.1 percent mark from distance.
The Sycamores are currently the only team in the MVC to hold conference opponents below 24 percent from 3-point range, with three of Indiana State's first five conference foes shooting below 20 percent on 3-point attempts.
Milestone Moments
A pair of Indiana State players reached career milestones during the Sycamores' most recent homestand, as
Mya Glanton reached the 500-rebound mark for her career and
Chelsea Cain scored her 500th point at Indiana State.
Glanton became the 22nd player in program history to reach 500 rebounds for her career, and pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds last week against Murray State. Cain's 500 points at Indiana State came in 44 games, with the senior forward scoring in double-figures in 26 games with the Blue and White.
Hitting From Distance
Indiana State guard
Bella Finnegan has found her stroke from behind the arc in recent games, knocking down three 3-pointers in consecutive games against Northern Iowa, Murray State and Belmont.
Finnegan's 3-point percentage has improved to 40.7 percent (11-for-27) since the start of conference play, and the sophomore sharpshooter has shot 45 percent (9-for-20) from distance over the last two games.
Rebound Machine
Mya Glanton's 18 rebounds in Thursday's game against Murray State represented a career-high and the fourth-highest single-game rebounding mark in Indiana State history. 10 of Glanton's 18 rebounds came on the offensive glass, the most for any MVC athlete in a game this season.
Glanton leads Indiana State with 8.0 rebounds per game, including 3.9 offensive rebounds per game. She ranks first in the MVC in offensive rebounds and fifth in rebounds per game.
Fight To The Finish
Indiana State trailed 26-9 after the opening quarter against Murray State, but the Sycamores never wavered and worked their way back. ISU outscored the Racers 32-25 across the second and third quarters, and managed to cut it to a five-point game midway through the fourth.
The Sycamores' defense played a major role in helping Indiana State get back in the game. Murray State entered Thursday's game averaging 93.9 points per game, but the Sycamores held the Racers to 49 points across the last three quarters.
Southern Illinois at a Glance
Southern Illinois enters the weekend at 6-9 overall and 1-4 in conference play. The Salukis have lost their last two games, dropping road contests to Illinois State and Bradley last week.
Laniah Randle leads the Salukis with 17.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, while Jaidynn Mason (12.2) and Shemera Williams (10.6) also average double-figure scoring. Seairra Hughes adds nine points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while Quierra Love averages more than four assists and two steals per game to go along with 8.7 points.
Kelly Bond-White is in her second season as the head coach at Southern Illinois and has a record of 18-28. Bond-White was a longtime member of the Texas A&M staff.
Southern Illinois has eliminated Indiana State from the conference tournament in each of the last three seasons.
Series History Against Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois owns a 58-45 advantage in the all-time series and has won each of the last 12 meetings. Indiana State's last win in the series came in Carbondale during the 2018-19 season.
Last Meeting Against Southern Illinois (Mar. 9, 2023)
Indiana State rallied from a double-digit deficit to take a late lead in the opening round of Hoops in the Heartland, but the Sycamores' hard-fought effort came up just short in an 81-79 loss to Southern Illinois.
Del'Janae Williams led all players with 27 points and eight assists, while
Anna McKendree had a career-high 25 points and seven 3-pointers.
Chelsea Cain was also in double-figures for the Sycamores with 14 points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double.
Indiana State jumped out to a nine-point lead thanks to Williams and McKendree. SIU responded and led going into halftime, but Cain converted a three-point play to give ISU the lead in the third quarter. The Sycamores trailed by 12 midway through the fourth, but a 15-2 run capped by a Williams 3-pointer put the Trees in front 79-78 inside the last minute. A late foul call with 10 seconds left allowed SIU to take the lead and, eventually, hang on to advance.
Up Next
Indiana State remains on the road to face Missouri State Sunday at 3 p.m.
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