TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State starts a two-game road trip Friday night when it travels to in-state foe Valparaiso for a 7 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, but visiting Illinois State survived a gritty effort from Indiana State in a 64-59 setback for the Sycamores inside Hulman Center.
Chelsea Cain added 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds for the Sycamores, who also got 11 points from
Kiley Bess and eight from
Ella Sawyer. Sawyer dished out four assists for the Trees without a turnover.
Indiana State jumped out to an early 9-2 lead thanks to six quick points from Glanton, but Illinois State responded to lead 13-11 after a quarter. The Redbirds led by as many as eight and took a 33-27 lead into halftime, but early third-quarter baskets from
Bella Finnegan and Cain got the Sycamores within a point. Five straight points from Sawyer kept it a one-possession game into the fourth quarter. The Sycamores took a lead early in the final frame following a basket from Glanton and pair of free throws from Bess, but a 7-0 run for the Redbirds followed and Illinois State never trailed from there. Indiana State was within two possessions for the majority of the quarter thanks in part to a late scoring surge from Cain, but the Sycamores' comeback fell just short.
No Fly Zone
Indiana State continues to be one of the best teams in the MVC when it comes to defending the 3-point line. Sycamore opponents have gone just 47-for-186 from behind the arc in conference play, equating to a 25.3 percent clip from distance.
Indiana State is one of just two teams to hold conference foes below 30 percent from distance, and the only team in the conference to hold teams below 28 percent from three.
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 six games, Sawyer has averaged 8.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 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).
Round Two
Friday's game against Valparaiso marks the first game against a conference foe that Indiana State has already faced this season. The Sycamores defeated the Beacons 70-49 in Terre Haute in January.
Indiana State has a chance to sweep its first season series with a win Friday night.
Upward ARC
Indiana State has found plenty of success at Valparaiso, as the Sycamores are 5-1 all-time against the Beacons on the road.
Included in that record are road wins for the Sycamores in each of the last two seasons. Indiana State won 85-65 at Valpo in the 2021-22 campaign and won 66-58 in the ARC last season.
Valparaiso at a Glance
Valparaiso enters the weekend at 4-15 overall and 3-7 in conference play. The Beacons come into Friday's contest having won each of their last two games, defeating both Evansville and UIC on the road.
Leah Earnest leads the Beacons in scoring, rebounding and assists at 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Olivia Brown also averages double-figures for Valpo at 11.1 points per game, while four other Beacons average at least five points per game. Saniya Jackson and Raeven Raye-Redmond both average nearly two steals per game, with Valpo among the league leaders in steals (9.8).
Mary Evans is in her sixth season as the head coach at Valparaiso and owns a 59-106 record at the helm of the Beacons. Evans is 5-5 all-time in her career against Indiana State.
Series History Against Valparaiso
Indiana State owns an 11-7 advantage in the all-time series, including a 70-49 win in Terre Haute earlier this season. The Sycamores have won in Valparaiso each of the last two seasons.
Last Meeting Against Valparaiso (Jan. 26, 2024)
Bella Finnegan led a trio of Indiana State players in double-figures with 17 points, helping the Sycamores defeat visiting Valparaiso 70-49 inside Hulman Center.
Mya Glanton added 12 points and five rebounds, while
Ella Sawyer joined her in double-figures with 10.
Chelsea Cain finished just shy of a double-double with eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while Indiana State outscored Valpo 42-17 in the second half.
Indiana State led for a majority of the first half, thanks largely in part to eight points from Finnegan, but four 3-pointers from the visitors in the opening 20 minutes saw the Sycamores trail by four at the intermission. The Trees ratcheted up the pressure in the third quarter, outscoring the Beacons 19-4 and holding Valparaiso without a field goal in the quarter. Balanced scoring in the last 20 minutes propelled the Sycamores, who led by as many as 23, to their third conference win of the season.
Up Next
Indiana State remains on the road to face UIC Sunday at 1 p.m.
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