TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State plays its first game in seven days Sunday afternoon when it welcomes Illinois State to Hulman Center for a 1 p.m. tip.
The game will be carried on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Gameday Promotions
Sunday's game is a part of Indiana State Basketball Alumni Weekend. Women's basketball alumni will take part in a Sunday brunch with the 2023-24 Sycamores and will also be recognized during Sunday's game.
Indiana State is also retiring the No. 20 of Barbara Graves at halftime of Sunday's game.
Last Time Out
Indiana State led for nearly all of the first half, 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.
To The Rafters
Indiana State will retire the No. 20 of Barbara Graves in a halfime ceremony at Sunday's game. 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).
Second Half Surge
Indiana State's second half against Valparaiso was one of its best this season, as the Sycamores outscored the Beacons 42-17 over the final 20 minutes of play. The Sycamores shot better than 60 percent from the field across the third and fourth quarters, while limiting Valpo to a 4-for-20 clip from the field in the second half.
The second-half outburst from the Blue and White came courtesy of a balanced effort. Eight different players scored for the Sycamores over the final 20 minutes of play, with four of those players tallying six or more points across the third and fourth quarters.
Finnegan Finding Her Stroke
Indiana State guard
Bella Finnegan has found her stroke from behind the arc since the calendar flipped to conference play. Finnegan is connecting on 44.2 percent of her 3-point attempts against MVC foes this season, going 19-for-43 from behind the arc.
Finnegan's has knocked down multiple 3-pointers in seven of Indiana State's first nine conference games, including five games with three 3-pointers.
Resurgence
Indiana State forward
Mya Glanton has stepped up when the Sycamores have needed her this season, posting career-best numbers across the board for the Blue and White this year.
Glanton is one of four Indiana State players averaging double-digit scoring this season at 10.3 points per game and also leads the Sycamores in rebounding at 8.0 per game. Her numbers have gone up since the start of conference play, averaging a team-high 11.2 points and 8.2 rebounds against MVC foes.
Record-Setting Swats
Indiana State tied a program single-game record with 10 blocked shots in its 64-63 win over Southern Illinois. The last time the Sycamores had 10 blocked shots prior was Dec. 16, 2019 against Northern Kentucky.
In addition,
Savannah White matched the program single-game record with seven blocked shots against Southern Illinois. White tied Shannon Thomas, the program's all-time blocks leader, while her seven rejections were the most by an MVC athlete this season.
White jumped into the top five in the MVC in blocks per game following her record-setting night against Southern Illinois. She is currently third in the conference with 1.6 blocks per game against MVC foes.
Sharp-Shooting Sycamores
Indiana State has started to find increased success on the offensive end in recent games, as the Sycamores have shot better than 40 percent from the field in five conference games this season. The Trees have also shot better than 50 percent from 3-point range in three games during that span.
As a team, Indiana State has shot 38 percent from the field against conference foes, while shooting 31.7 percent from behind the arc in MVC games. Indiana State's scoring has also been a balanced effort, with four of the Sycamores' five regular starters averaging double-digit scoring this season.
No Fly Zone
Indiana State's 3-point defense has been on a new level since the start of conference play, with MVC foes struggling behind the arc against the Sycamores. Through the first seven games of the conference schedule, Indiana State's opponents have made just 42 of their 169 3-point attempts, equating to a 24.9 percent mark from distance.
The Sycamores lead the MVC in opponent 3-point percentage in conference play and are currently the only team in the conference to limit league foes to a 3-point clip below 25 percent.
Milestone Moments
A pair of Indiana State players reached career milestones during the Sycamores' most recent homestand, as
Mya Glanton reached the 500-rebound mark for her career and
Chelsea Cain scored her 500th point at Indiana State.
Glanton became the 22nd player in program history to reach 500 rebounds for her career, and pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds last week against Murray State. Cain's 500 points at Indiana State came in 44 games, with the senior forward averaging double-digit scoring in each of her two seasons as a Sycamore.
Illinois State at a Glance
Illinois State enters Sunday's game at 13-6 overall and 6-3 in conference play. The Redbirds have won two straight games, including a 79-70 win over league-leading Drake in their last game.
DeAnna Wilson lead the Redbirds with 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while Maya Wong is also in double-figures at 12.2 points per game. Seven different players average six or more points for Illinois State. Wong lead the team in assists, averaging more than four per game.
Kristen Gillespie is in her seventh season as the head coach at Illinois State and owns a record of 123-76 at the helm of the Redbirds. The reigning MVC Coach of the Year, Gillespie has won more than 200 games as a head coach, with previous stops at Lewis and Benedictine. She is 10-2 all-time against Indiana State.
Series History Against Illinois State
Illinois State leads the all-time series 59-45 and has won each of the last nine matchups. Indiana State's last win in the series came in the 2018-19 season. The Sycamores have a 23-21 advantage in games played in Terre Haute.
Last Meeting Against Illinois State (Mar. 4, 2023)
Indiana State's regular season came to a close with an 82-71 loss to visiting Illinois State, inside Hulman Center.
Anna McKendree led the Sycamores with 22 points, while
Del'Janae Williams added 16.
Caitlin Anderson and
Hattie Westerfeld combined for 15 points off the bench for the Sycamores, while each of Indiana State's healthy seniors scored in their final home game of their careers.
Indiana State was aggressive in the early stages and it paid dividends in the first 15 minutes. The Sycamores jumped out to a 35-25 lead midway through the second quarter, hitting five 3-pointers to storm in front. Illinois State had an answer, though, and after tying the game just before halftime, led for most of the second half. Indiana State was within five early in the fourth following, but the visitors countered every punch the Sycamores had to earn a share of the MVC regular season crown.
Up Next
Indiana State starts its two-game road trip Friday with an in-state battle at Valparaiso tipping off at 7 p.m.
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