TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Kiley Bess and Chelsea Cain both registered double-doubles Thursday night, leading Indiana State to a 69-66 win over visiting Evansville inside Hulman Center.
 
Cain was one of three Sycamores to finish with 14 points and also pulled down 10 rebounds. Bess finished with 12 points and a career-high 10 boards, while Mya Glanton and Ella Sawyer had 14 points apiece.
 
Indiana State trailed after the opening quarter, but layups from Bess and Sawyer started a 12-2 run to put Sycamores ahead for the remainder of the half. The Trees went into the locker room up 38-27 thanks to an 8-0 run to close the second quarter, but Evansville battled back in the second half. Indiana State led by 10 early in the third following baskets from Finnegan and Glanton, but Evansville halved the Sycamore lead by the end of the quarter. The Purple Aces rallied to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter, but each of the Sycamores' four double-digit scorers contributed to an 9-0 run which put the Trees ahead for good. Sawyer knocked down four late free throws and Evansville's last-second shot was off the mark to seal the series sweep for Indiana State.
  
First Half
Indiana State went to its inside game early, with Cain and Glanton both connecting on baskets within the first two-plus minutes for the Sycamores. A pair of free throws from Bella Finnegan and a layup from Glanton kept the Blue and White in front late in the first quarter, but Evansville scored the last four points of the opening period to take a 14-12 lead over Indiana State heading into the second.
 
The Trees quickly got in a rhythm on the offensive end in the second quarter, with Bess, Sawyer and Cain converting on layups to put the Sycamores in front. Indiana State kept up the pressure, with Sawyer hitting a three-ball on the fastbreak and Cain converting a three-point play to give the Sycamores a 24-16 lead. Evansville cut Indiana State's lead to three late in the second quarter, but Keslyn Secrist connected on a 3-pointer from the wing to start an 8-0 run for the Sycamores to close the half. Cain converted another three-point play and Secrist hit a jumper to close the half, as Indiana State took a 38-27 lead into the intermission.
 
Second Half
Early baskets from Finnegan and Glanton kept the Sycamore lead in double-digits early in the third, but Evansville slowly worked its way back. Layups inside from Glanton and Bess helped the Trees stay in front, but the Purple Aces managed to cut their deficit to five just past the midway point of the period. Bess scored Indiana State's last four points of the quarter on a pair of free throws and a layup, as the Trees took a 50-45 lead into the final quarter.
 
Sawyer and Glanton pushed Indiana State's lead to 54-48 less than 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, and Glanton tacked on a layup minutes later to keep the Syamores in front by two possessions. Evansville went on a run to take its first lead since the first quarter, but Indiana State upped its pressure and went back in front. Glanton started an 9-0 run with a layup, and Bess gave the Sycamores the lead for good with a pair of free throws. Cain added a layup that was created from a turnover due to Indiana State's press, and Sawyer converted a three-point play off a turnaround jumper to make it 65-59 in favor of the Blue and White. Evansville cut Indiana State's lead to one late, but Sawyer went 4-for-4 from the line inside the last 15 seconds to keep the Trees in front. The Purple Aces had one final attempt to tie the game, but a 3-pointer from Lexie Sinclair was off the mark to seal Indiana State's season sweep.
 
News and Notes

• Chelsea Cain (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Kiley Bess (12 points, 10 rebounds) became the first Sycamore teammates to record a double-double in the same game since Marie Hunter and Adrian Folks accomplished the feat on Feb. 24, 2021 against Evansville.
• Indiana State went 4-0 against the Indiana schools in the MVC this season, marking the first time since the 2017-18 season that the Sycamores swept both season series from the in-state schools in the conference.
• Indiana State improved to 4-1 this season when four players scored in double-figures
• Indiana State's ability to get to the free throw line was a big difference, as the Sycamores were 17-for-20 (85.0 percent) from the charity stripe.
• Indiana State forced Evansville into 21 turnovers Thursday, the Sycamores' most turnovers forced against an MVC opponent this season. Seven of those turnovers came in the fourth quarter, which set up the Sycamores' go-ahead run.
• Lily Niebuhr was a game-high plus-10 in 12 minutes of action, finishing with four points, four rebounds and a block.
• Indiana State's 12 steals were the most by the Sycamores since their Thanksgiving Day win over Radford, in which the Trees had 13.

 
Up Next
Indiana State heads west to face Bradley Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
 
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