TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State closes the month of February on the road Sunday afternoon when it travels to Bradley for a 3 p.m. tip.
The game will be carried on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Last Time Out
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.
Double Trouble
Indiana State had a pair of players register double-doubles in its 69-66 win over Evansville.
Chelsea Cain finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while
Kiley Bess had 12 points and a career-high 10 boards.
Bess and Cain became the first Sycamore teammates to record a double-double in the same game since Feb. 24, 2021, when
Adrian Folks () and Marie Hunter accomplished the feat against Evansville.
Sycamores Reign Supreme
Indiana State has recorded two season sweeps in conference play this season, and both have come over in-state foes. The Sycamores swept the season series against Valparaiso and Evansville, going 4-0 against the other Indiana schools in the MVC.
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.
Twice As Nice
Indiana State has an opportunity to complete a 2-0 weekend for the first time this season. The Sycamores have won back-to-back games just once this season, with that stretch being non-conference wins over Central Michigan and Southeast Missouri State.
The Sycamores have won at least one game during every MVC road trip this season and have a 5-7 record on the road this season. Indiana State has also won each of the last two times it has played in Peoria.
Get To The Line
Indiana State has fared well when it gets to the free throw line this season, connecting on 74 percent of its attempts from the charity stripe during the 2023-24 campaign. The Sycamores were 17-for-20 (85.0 percent) from the line in Thursday's win over Evansville.
Since the start of conference play, Indiana State's free throw percentage has improved to 75.7 percent. Over the last eight games, the Sycamores have gone 113-for-139 on free throw attempts, equating to an 81.3 percent clip.
No Fly Zone
Indiana State's 3-point defense has been among the best in the MVC since the start of conference play, as Valley foes have hit just 70 of their 272 attempts from behind the arc against the Blue and White.
The 70 3-pointers allowed are the fewest among any school in the conference since the start of league play, while the Trees' 25.7 percent clip that they allow opponents to shoot from 3-point range is also the best in the conference.
Bradley at a Glance
Bradley enters Sunday's game at 6-20 overall and 2-13 in conference play. The Braves have lost each of their last five games, with their MVC wins coming over Evansville and Southern Illinois.
Halli Poock leads Bradley in scoring and assists at 13.5 points and 3.0 assists per game and also has a team-high 54 3-pointers. Alex Rouse (9.7) and Isis Fitch (8.1) both average more than eight points per game, with Fitch also leading Bradley in rebounding at 6.0 per game. Similar to Indiana State, Bradley has a young roster with just three seniors.
Kate Popovec-Goss is in her second season as the head coach at Bradley and owns a 6-42 record on the Hilltop. Popovec-Goss is 0-2 in her career against Indiana State, with the Sycamores sweeping the season series last year.
Series History Against Bradley
Indiana State owns a 53-31 advantage in the all-time series and has won each of the last four meetings. Bradley has fared better at home, going 21-21 against the Sycamores in Peoria, though ISU has won each of the last two meetings at Renaissance Coliseum.
Last Meeting Against Bradley (Mar. 2, 2023)
Del'Janae Williams scored a career-high 30 points and
Chelsea Cain tied her season-high with 21, leading Indiana State to an 87-71 win over Bradley inside Hulman Center.
Williams also led the Sycamores with eight rebounds and five assists, becoming the first Sycamore to score 30 points in a regular season game since 2014.
Anna McKendree finished with 12 points, while Indiana State shot better than 50 percent both overall and from 3-point range.
Both teams shot the ball well in the first half, but it was Bradley who took the lead into the locker room off the strength of 10 first-half 3-pointers. Indiana State dictated the tempo in the second half, though, as the Sycamores went on a 22-2 run spanning parts of the third and fourth quarters to put the game out of hand. Indiana State set season-best marks in most offensive statistics on the way to its seventh home win of the season.
Up Next
Indiana State heads south for its next two games to close out the road portion of its schedule, starting Friday night at Belmont.
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 -
