TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State closes a two-game road trip Sunday afternoon in the Windy City when it squares off with UIC in a 1 p.m. tip.
The game will be carried on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Last Time Out
Mya Glanton led all players with 17 points Friday night and
Kiley Bess added 15 off the bench, as Indiana State withstood a late Valparaiso rally to defeat the Beacons 70-65 inside the Athletics-Recreation Center.
Chelsea Cain was also in double-figures for the Trees with 12 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists, while
Ella Sawyer had eight points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Indiana State took an early five-point lead following 3-pointers from Cain and
Keslyn Secrist, and 3-pointers from Bess and
Asia Donald kept the Sycamores in front. A back-and-forth second quarter saw the Trees take a one-possession lead into the intermission. Indiana State exploded for 21 points in the third quarter and led by as many as 15 following a three-ball from Donald midway through the fourth quarter, but Valpo put together a comeback attempt late. The Beacons got within two inside the last three minutes, but Indiana State went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in crunch time and Cain iced the game with a layup in the final minute.
Road Warriors
Indiana State has fared better on the road this season compared to at home. Five of the Sycamores' eight wins this season have come on the road, and the Trees also have a neutral-site win on their resume.
Since the start of the 2021-22 season, more than half of Indiana State's wins have come either on the road or at a neutral site.
Thievery
Indiana State guard
Kiley Bess notched a career-high six steals in the Sycamores' road win at Valparaiso, accounting for 60 percent of ISU's swipes in the game.
Bess' six steals were also the most by a Sycamore in a game this season. Indiana State finished with 10 steals against Valparaiso.
Windy City Vibes
Indiana State forward
Chelsea Cain had one of her best performances in a Sycamore uniform the last time the Trees paid a visit to Chicago.
Cain set her Indiana State high of 21 points in the Sycamores' win at UIC last season, doing that damage in just 22 minutes of playing time.
Breaking Out The Brooms
Indiana State picked up its first season sweep of the season with its most recent win, as the Sycamores downed Valparaiso for the second time in a two-week span.
The third quarter proved to be a major difference in both of the Sycamores' wins over the Beacons. Indiana State outscored Valpo 40-16 in the third quarter across two meetings this season.
Picking Up The Pace
Indiana State guard
Ella Sawyer has stepped up for the Sycamores in recent games, as her numbers in all three major statistical categories have continued to trend in an upward direction.
Over Indiana State's last seven games, Sawyer has averaged 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, with three double-digit scoring games in that span. Sawyer has also found success from behind the arc in recent games, hitting four of her last eight 3-point attempts dating back to Jan. 19.
Honoring A Legend
Indiana State retired the No. 20 of Barbara Graves during Indiana State's most recent homestand. Graves becomes the third player in program history, alongside Melanie Boeglin and Amy Hile, to have her jersey retired.
Graves, who played for the Sycamores from 1979-83, ranks among the top five in program history in points (1,498), rebounds (898) and steals (315).
UIC at a Glance
UIC enters Sunday's game at 13-9 overall and 6-5 in conference play. The Flames defeated Evansville 65-57 at home in their most recent game to snap a two-game losing streak.
Makiyah Williams leads a balanced scoring effort for UIC at 12.7 points per game, while Keimari Rimmer (10.7) and Danyel Middleton (10.0) also average double-digit scoring. UIC features five players averaging more than seven ppoints per game. Rimmer also adds a team-leading 6.7 rebounds per game, while Kristian Young dishes out more than thre assists per game for the Flames.
Ashleen Bracey is in her second season as the head coach at UIC and enters Sunday's game with a 32-26 record at the helm of the Flames. Bracey is no stranger to the MVC, as she played collegiately at Illinois State.
Series History Against UIC
Indiana State owns a 14-5 advantage in the all-time series, though UIC has won each of the last two. The Sycamores won the last meeting in Chicago, with both of the Flames' recent wins coming in Terre Haute.
Last Meeting Against UIC (Jan. 28, 2024)
Indiana State led for nearly all of the first half Sunday afternoon, but a third-quarter scoring surge from visiting UIC propelled the Flames past the Sycamores, 76-48, inside Hulman Center.
Keslyn Secrist led the Sycamores with a career-high 14 points, including a perfect 8-for-8 mark from the charity stripe.
Mya Glanton corralled a game-leading eight rebounds to go along with six points, while
Chelsea Cain and
Kiley Bess added seven points apiece.
Indiana State led by a point after the opening quarter and extended its advantage to 30-19 late in the second following an 8-0 run, but UIC took full control of the game from there. The Flames ended the second quarter on a 7-0 run and outscored the Sycamores 30-6 in the third to take a 20-point lead. A
Bella Finnegan jumper to start the fourth was followed by a 7-0 Flames run, effectively putting the game out of reach.
Up Next
Indiana State begins a three-game homestand Thursday at 6 p.m. against Missouri State
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