TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – After more than a week without a game, Indiana State heads to the Bluegrass State to take part in the EKU MTE Sunday and Monday in Lexington, Kentucky. The Sycamores open play in the three-team event Sunday afternoon against Northern Illinois before facing Eastern Kentucky Monday afternoon.
Both games will tip at 2 p.m., with Monday's game being carried on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Chloe Williams led a trio of Indiana State players in double-figures with 18 points, but the Sycamores couldn't overcome a sluggish start in a 73-60 defeat to Eastern Illinois inside Groniger Arena.
Saige Stahl finished one rebound shy of a double-double, tying her career high of 14 points while also adding nine boards, while
Keslyn Secrist added 12 points to extend her streak of double-figure scoring games to eight. Williams and Secrist each pulled down seven rebounds, while
Deja Jones had nine points and six assists.
Indiana State went more than eight minutes without a basket to start and trailed by double-digits within the first three minutes of the game. The Sycamores' deficit was as many as 19 in the first half, with turnovers and poor shooting plaguing the Blue and White early. Eastern Illinois' lead grew to as many as 26 midway through the third quarter, but the Trees didn't go down without a fight. Indiana State rattled off a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to cut its deficit down to nine, but the Sycamores ultimately ran out of time to complete their comeback.
Picking Up The Pace
Indiana State forward
Chloe Williams put together the best three-game stretch of her career across Indiana State's last three games. Williams is averaging 19 points and seven rebounds per game during that span, which started with the Sycamores' November 30 win at Southeast Missouri State.
Williams has scored at least 17 points in each of the last three games and has shot better than 50 percent from the field across that stretch.
Back In The Rotation
Sycamore sophomore forward
Saige Stahl returned to the starting lineup in Indiana State's most recent game at Eastern Illinois, marking her first time in the starting lineup since the season opener against Western Kentucky.
Stahl returned the favor by tying her career-high of 14 points and also adding a game-high nine rebounds against the Panthers. She went a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, her best free throw shooting performance in her career.
Sharp-Shooting Secrist
Indiana State guard
Keslyn Secrist has scored in double-figures in each of the first eight games this season and currently leads the Sycamores in scoring at 14.4 points per game. She scored a career-high 21 in the season opener against Western Kentucky and has three games this season with three or more 3-pointers.
Secrist has contributed in more ways than just the scoresheet this season, as she also averages 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assists per game. She has four games with five or more rebounds and five games with multiple steals this season.
Attack The Line
Indiana State finds itself among the national leaders when it comes to getting to the free throw line this season. The Sycamores are 23rd nationally with 21.9 free throw attempts per game, while the Trees' 16.1 free throws made per game ranks 16th in Division I.
The Sycamores have shot 73.7 percent from the line this season, with that number rising to 79.4 percent over the last four games. Indiana State has made 20-plus free throws in three of the last five games.
Turned Over
Indiana State forced a season-high 29 turnovers in its last game at Eastern Illinois, and has forced 20-plus turnovers in two of the last three games. The Sycamores are averaging 24 points per game off turnovers during that span.
Indiana State ranks second in the MVC this season with 19.3 turnovers forced per game, with the Trees also averaging 18.6 points per game off turnovers. The Sycamores have forced 15 or more turnovers in six of the first eight games, including four games with 20-plus turnovers forced this season.
Opponents At A Glance
Northern Illinois enters at 3-4 following consecutive losses to UIC (69-66) and Missouri (94-55). The Huskies are shooting nearly 40 percent from 3-point range this season, while eight different players are averaging at least 5.5 points per game. Alecia Doyle (13.4), Chelby Koker (12.0) and Brooke Stonebraker (11.0) are all averaging double-figure scoring for NIU
Eastern Kentucky has won six straight games entering the MTE and owns a record of 7-3. Two of the Colonels' three losses have come to ranked opponents, while six of EKU's seven wins have come by double-digits. Six different players average more than five points per game for EKU, led by Kaitlyn Costner (13.8) and Alice Recanti (12.2) in double-figures.
Series History Against EKU MTE Opponents
Indiana State is 2-4 all-time against Northern Illinois, including an 0-1 mark in neutral-site games. The Sycamores' last win in the series came in the 2012-13 season in Terre Haute.
Indiana State is 4-0 all-time against Eastern Kentucky, including a 2-0 mark in Richmond. The last meeting between the Sycamores and Colonels came in the 2005-06 season.
Last Meeting Against Northern Illinois (Nov. 25, 2023)
Mya Glanton recorded her second straight double-double and
Kiley Bess led Indiana State with 18 points, but it came in a 67-62 defeat to Northern Illinois at the Puerto Rico Clasico.
Glanton finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Bess added seven rebounds and four assists in addition to her scoring output.
Asia Donald and
Chelsea Cain had six points apiece for the Sycamores.
Northern Illinois used a 3-point barrage in the first half to go in front, as the Huskies hit seven threes in the opening 20 minutes and led by as many as 16. Indiana State whittled its deficit down to 10 at halftime, and the Sycamores turned things on in the third quarter. Bess scored 10 of her 18 in the third, while Indiana State went on a 14-0 run that extended into the fourth quarter to take a 53-49 lead. NIU rallied back go in front late in the fourth, and a deep 3-pointer inside the last two minutes proved to be a dagger, as Indiana State never got in a rhythm offensively after its lengthy scoring run.
Last Meeting Against Eastern Kentucky (Dec. 20, 2005)
Indiana State shot better than 50 percent from the field and knocked down 15 3-pointers on its way to a 96-81 win over Eastern Kentucky inside McBrayer Arena.
All five Sycamore starters scored in double-figures, led by Kristen Weddle with 24 and Lisa Verhoff with 23. Melanie Boeglin tallied a double-double with 13 points and a career-high 19 assists
Indiana State's 3-point barrage from Verhoff and Weddle started early, allowing the Sycamores to take a 14-2 lead. The Sycamores increased their lead to 17 midway through the first half following a three-ball from Verhoff before EKU worked their way back to make it a seven-point game at the break. Eastern Kentucky pulled within two midway through the second half, but Indiana State's sharp-shooting performance from distance was too much for the Colonels to overcome.
Up Next
Indiana State closes its non-conference slate December 21 at Purdue, with tipoff from Mackey Arena set for 2 p.m.
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