SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Chelsea Cain led a balanced scoring effort with 16 points Sunday afternoon, but a strong-shooting second half propelled Missouri State past the Sycamores 89-71 inside Great Southern Bank Arena.
 
Indiana State finished with five players in double-figures, as Bella Finnegan tallied 14, Kiley Bess and Ella Sawyer had 12 each and Mya Glanton finished with 10. Glanton finished one rebound shy of a double-double, while Cain and Sawyer also dished out four assists apiece.
 
The Sycamores used a strong-shooting opening half to lead for a majority of the first 20 minutes, led by eight first-quarter points from Sawyer and eight in the second quarter from Glanton. Indiana State's advantage lasted through the midway point of the third quarter, but a cold spell to end the quarter saw the Trees trail by nine with 10 minutes to go. A 15-2 Missouri State run to start the fourth quarter put the game out of reach for the Sycamores.
  
First Half
Bess opened the game with a 3-pointer, and Sawyer added a pair of layups as the Sycamores maintained pace with Missouri State's strong start. 3-pointers from Finnegan and Sawyer evened the score at 15, and a pair of baskets from Finnegan later gave Indiana State a 19-17 lead. Indiana State's strong start to the game saw the Blue and White take a 21-20 lead after the opening quarter.
 
Baskets from Cain and Glanton early in the second gave the Sycamores a 25-22 lead, and the Trees' lead reached six following consecutive baskets from Glanton midway through the quarter. Bess and Deja Jones each converted layups to put the Sycamores ahead 35-30 with 3:27 remaining in the half. A layup from Glanton was all Indiana State scored for the remainder of the half, though, as Missouri State took a 39-37 lead at the break.
 
Second Half
Indiana State came out of the intermission strong, as three-balls from Cain and Finnegan gave the Trees a 43-41 lead. The Sycamores extended their advantage to 51-47 following baskets from Cain and Finnegan, but Missouri State continued to shoot lights-out. The Lady Bears closed the quarter on a 19-5 run, with Cain and Sawyer contributing Indiana State's points during that span, as the Sycamores entered the fourth down 65-56.
 
Missouri State's momentum carried into the fourth quarter, as the Lady Bears began the period on a 15-2 run to extend their lead to 80-58. Bess connected on a pair of 3-pointers and Glanton added a basket down low, but the home side's hot hand saw Indiana State get no closer than 18 during that span. Indiana State outscored Missouri State by two over the final three minutes, but it was too little, too late as the Lady Bears defeated the Sycamores 89-71.
 
News and Notes

• Sunday's game marked the first time this season that Indiana State had five players score in double-figures.
• The Sycamores' 3-point shooting has continued to improve during conference play, as Indiana State shot 58.3 percent (7-for-12) from behind the arc.
• Indiana State finished with a season-high 37 bench points.
• Lily Niebuhr made her first career start, while Savannah White drew a starting nod for the second time this season.
• Both teams shot the ball at a high level, with Indiana State shooting 49.1 percent (28-for-57) and Missouri State hitting on 60.7 percent (34-for-56) of its attempts.

 
Up Next
Indiana State returns to Hulman Center to face Valparaiso Friday evening at 6 p.m.
 
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