TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State and Eastern Illinois face off for the 64th time in program history Friday evening when the Sycamores make the short trek to Charleston to face the Panthers.
Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. and will be carried on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Chloe Williams paced Indiana State with 17 points Tuesday night and
Keslyn Secrist added 16, but homestanding Marquette's offense clicked on all cylinders in an 83-67 defeat for the Sycamores inside the Al McGuire Center.
Williams also led Indiana State with seven rebounds, while
Mia Simpson finished with 10 points for her first double-figure scoring game in a Sycamore uniform.
Indiana State got off to a slow start, trailing by double-digits within the first four minutes of the game, and never fully recovered. The Sycamores' offense started to turn things around in the middle stages of the game, but Marquette scored 20-plus points in each of the first three quarters, including a 31-point outburst in the third, to take full control of the game. Despite outscoring Marquette 15-7 in the fourth quarter, the Sycamores dug themselves in too big a hole to overcome.
On The Road Again
Indiana State is in the midst of a 45-day span between home games, with the Sycamores not returning home until their Dec. 29 conference opener against Northern Iowa. The 45 days between home games is the second-longest stretch between home games in all of Division I.
Despite the long stretch on the road, the Sycamores have performed better away from Terre Haute in recent years. Indiana State's lone win this season came on the road, while the Trees have a 18-28 record in away games since the start of the 2021-22 season, compared to a 14-31 mark at home during that stretch.
Taking Advantage
Indiana State has taken full advantage of extra possessions in recent games, with the Sycamores scoring 14 or more bench points in four of the last five games. Included in that stretch is a season-high 19 second chance points against Marquette.
Indiana State is averaging 12.0 offensive rebounds per game this season, converting those extra opportunities into 12.0 second chance points per game.
Sharing Is Caring
Indiana State dished out 12 assists in its last game against Marquette, the Sycamores' second-highest assist total of the season. Eight different players had at least one assist for the Blue and White, with
Queen Ruffin leading the Trees with three.
The Sycamores assisted on 50 percent or more of their baskets in three of the four quarters against Marquette.
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 39th nationally with 21.1 free throw attempts per game, while the Trees' 15.3 free throws made per game ranks 31st in Division I.
The Sycamores have shot better than 70 percent from the charity stripe in five of the first seven games this season, including marks of 77 percent or better in each of the last three games.
Wreaking Havoc
Indiana State continues to be among the Missouri Valley Conference leaders in forcing turnovers, with Sycamore opponents averaging 17.9 giveaways per game. The Trees rank third in the MVC in turnovers forced during the 2024-25 campaign.
Indiana State has often converted their takeaways into points on the other end, with the Trees averaging 17.4 points off turnovers per game. The Sycamores have scored double-digit points off turnovers in six of the first seven games, including three games with 18 or more points off turnovers.
Eastern Illinois At A Glance
Eastern Illinois enters Friday's game at 2-5 overall, though the Panthers are 2-0 at home with wins over Loyola Chicago and IU Indy. EIU fell 93-40 in its last game at No. 13/12 Kansas State.
Macy McGlone leads the Panthers in scoring and rebounding at 17.1 points and 8.6 boards per game, while Tiny Lewis averages 8.3 points per game off the bench. Kiyley Flowers averages 3.6 assists and 4.1 steals per game for the Panthers, while McGlone also adds 1.3 blocks per game.
Marqus McGlothan is in his first season as the head coach at Eastern Illinois and his third season on the EIU staff. McGlothan spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach and the 2023-24 season as associate head coach for the Panthers.
Series History Against Eastern Illinois
Indiana State is 38-25 all-time against Eastern Illinois, including a 16-14 mark in games played in Charleston.
Friday's game is the first in the series since the 2021-22 season, with the Sycamores' last win in the series coming in Charleston during the 2019-20 season.
Last Meeting Against Eastern Illinois (Nov. 17, 2021)
Indiana State was unable to overcome inopportune turnovers in the contest and Eastern Illinois took advantage down the stretch as the Sycamores fell at home to the visiting Panthers, 64-55.
Indiana State shot 40.7 percent (22-of-54) from the field in the contest and held the 33-31 rebounding edge in a back-and-forth game through the first three quarters in the Sycamores' second home contest of the 2021-22 season. The Panthers took advantage of five Indiana State turnovers down the stretch and scored seven points off the miscues in taking the non-conference win.
Adrian Folks was back in double-digits for the third consecutive game as the junior forward finished with 15 points and five rebounds, while Del'Janae Williams was in double-digits for the second time of the season with 11 points and four rebounds in the loss.
Up Next
Indiana State takes part in the Eastern Kentucky MTE December 15-16 in Lexington, Kentucky. The Sycamores will face Northern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky as part of the three-team event.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Women's Basketball, visit
GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including
Twitter,
Facebook,
Instagram and
YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the
App Store and the
Google Play Store.
- #MarchOn -
