TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State wraps up a three-game homestand Thursday evening when it plays host to in-state foe Evansville at 6 p.m.
The game will be carried on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Gameday Promotions
In coordination with Indiana State University's chapter of Dance Marathon's and Riley Hospital for Children, Thursday's game is Childhood Cancer Awareness Night.
Hamilton Center is the presenting sponsor for Thursday's game. For more information on our gameday sponsor, click
HERE.
Last Time Out
Kiley Bess led Indiana State with 19 points and
Ella Sawyer dished out a career-high 12 assists Saturday afternoon, but visiting Southern Illinois scored 50 points in the second half to defeat the Sycamores 80-70 inside Hulman Center.
Sawyer was on triple-double watch by the end of the game, finishing with nine points and seven rebounds in addition to her career-best mark in assists. Bess pulled down five rebounds for the Blue and White, while
Bella Finnegan also finished in double-figures for the Sycamores with 10 points.
Indiana State got off to a slow start, with the visitors jumping out to an early lead in the first quarter. The Sycamores pulled their way back thanks to nine points between Bess and Finnegan in the opening quarter, then used a 3-point barrage from
Keslyn Secrist in the second quarter to take a 33-30 lead at the half. SIU opened the second half on a 7-0 run and never trailed from that point on, though. Indiana State was within three early in the fourth quarter, but a 15-2 Saluki run broke the game open.
Hoosier State Supremacy
Indiana State has an opportunity to go 4-0 against the other Indiana schools in the Missouri Valley Conference should the Sycamores defeat Evansville Thursday night. The Trees already swept the season series against Valparaiso and won the first meeting against Evansville this season on the road.
Indiana State last recorded a perfect 4-0 mark against the other Indiana schools in the conference in the 2017-18 season, which was Valparaiso's first as a member of the MVC.
Dropping Dimes
Ella Sawyer had a game to remember in her most recent outing against Southern Illinois, dishing out a career-high 12 assists against the Salukis while registering just one turnover.
Sawyer also added nine points and seven rebounds, nearly recording a triple-double for the Sycamores. Over her last four games, Sawyer is averaging 8.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
Efficient Model
Indiana State guard
Kiley Bess put together her best game against an MVC foe this season in the Sycamores' most recent contest against Missouri State. Bess missed just one of her seven field goal attempts on the evening and was a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc, finishing with a game-high 17 points.
In addition to her scoring efforts, Bess also pulled down a career-high seven rebounds Thursday night. Two of Bess' rebounds came on the offensive glass, including one which led to an early
Bella Finnegan 3-pointer. Bess was a perfect 6-for-6 from 3-point range in Indiana State's two games against Missouri State this season.
No Fly Zone
Entering Thursday's game, Indiana State's 3-point defense ranks first in the MVC during conference play, as Valley foes have connected on just 25.7 percent of their 3-point attempts. The Sycamores are the only team in the MVC with a 3-point defense better than 28 percent in conference play.
Indiana State's opponents have hit five or fewer 3-pointers in 11 of the Sycamores' 14 conference games, while Sycamore opponents have shot 25 percent or worse from behind the arc on eight occasions in conference play. Only two conference foes have put together a 3-point percentage above 35 percent against Indiana State this season.
Evansville at a Glance
Evansville enters Thursday's game at 4-21 overall and 2-12 in conference play. The Purple Aces had their two-game win streak snapped by Missouri State in their last game. Evansville's conference wins were against Valpo and SIU.
Nevaeh Thomas leads a trio of Aces in double-figure scoring at 14.1 points per game, with Kynidi Mason Striverson (13.0) and Maggie Hartwig (11.0) also averaging double-digit points. Barbora Tomancova (8.1), Hartwig (7.6) and Thomas (6.5) all average more than six rebounds per game, while Mason Striverson averages a team-leading 3.9 assists per game.
Robyn Scherr-Wells is in her third season as the head coach at Evansville and owns a record of 23-62 at the helm of the Purple Aces. Scherr-Wells is 5-5 in her career against Indiana State, including a 1-1 mark in Terre Haute.
Series History Against Evansville
Indiana State owns a 43-22 advantage in the all-time series, including a 23-9 mark in games played in Terre Haute. The Sycamores won the earlier meeting this season 66-49 in Evansville.
Last Meeting Against Evansville (Dec. 30, 2023)
Chelsea Cain led all players with 20 points and
Mya Glanton registered her third double-double of the season, propelling Indiana State to a 66-49 win over Evansville in the conference opener for both teams.
Glanton had 13 points and 11 rebounds, while six different Sycamores had six or more points. Indiana State's defense played a major factor in the win, as Evansville shot just 22 percent from the field for the game.
Indiana State opened the game on an 8-0 run, thanks largely in part to Cain, and never looked back. The Sycamores held Evansville without a field goal for the first 10-plus minutes of the game and built a double-digit lead by the midway point of the second quarter. Indiana State extended its lead with a 14-0 third-quarter run and led by as many as 22. The Trees weathered a late storm from Evansville, and a 7-0 fourth-quarter run put away the conference-opening win for the Sycamores.
Up Next
Indiana State heads west to face Bradley Sunday at 3 p.m.
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