NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Bella Finnegan led Indiana State with 14 points Friday night and Kiley Bess added 13 points and seven rebounds, but Belmont broke open a close game in the second half to defeat the Sycamores 87-62 inside Curb Event Center.
 
Chelsea Cain finished two points shy of a double-double for the Blue and White and led all players with 10 rebounds, while 11 different players scored for Indiana State. The Sycamores were 41.2 percent from 3-point range and shot nearly 90 percent from the free throw line.
 
Indiana State jumped out to a strong start, led by four first half threes from Finnegan. The Sycamores led by three after the opening quarter, and stretched their lead to as high as six early in the second. Belmont rallied back to take a narrow lead at the half, then came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders to break things open in the third. Trailing by 19 entering the fourth, Bess scored seven points in the opening two minutes of the final frame to get the Sycamores closer in an attempt to spark a rally. Belmont countered with an 11-0 run to essentially put the game out of reach.
  
First Half
Indiana State had five different players score its first five baskets, starting with baskets in the paint from both Cain and Mya Glanton. Finnegan tacked on a three-ball to make it 7-2 Trees early on, with Bess and Ella Sawyer adding buckets to keep it a two-possession Sycamore lead. Finnegan connected on a pair of baskets inside the final 90 seconds of the quarter, with one of those coming from behind the arc, as the Sycamores took a 20-17 advantage into the second.
 
Finnegan opened the second quarter with another trey to give Indiana State its largest lead of the contest, and Bess helped the Sycamores maintain their early advantage with a pair of free throws. Belmont took its first lead of the game midway through the second quarter, but a pair of free throws from Sawyer and another 3-pointer from Finnegan put the Blue and White back in front. Savannah White added a late layup for the Sycamores, but a 6-0 run to close the half saw Belmont take a 36-33 lead into the break.
 
Second Half
Belmont came out of the locker room hot, as the Bruins opened the third quarter with a 17-2 run. Bess had Indiana State's lone points during the run and Keslyn Secrist ended the scoring spree with a basket, but Indiana State had dug itself a 53-37 hole at that stage. Asia Donald connected on a 3-pointer and Cain added four points in just over a minute to get the Sycamores within 13 at 57-44, but another Belmont 6-0 run to close the quarter followed. Indiana State found itself with work to do, trailing 63-44 with 10 minutes remaining.
 
Bess tried to will Indiana State back into the game in the fourth, scoring seven points in the opening two minutes of the quarter to pull the Sycamores back within 14 at 65-51. The senior sharpshooter scored from inside, the free throw line and behind the arc during that span, but that was the closest Indiana State got. Belmont followed with an 11-0 run to take a 25-point lead and fully break things open. Indiana State's freshmen scored nine of the Sycamores' last 11 points, but Belmont closed out an 87-62 win on its home court.
 
News and Notes

• All of Bella Finnegan's 14 points came in the first half. Finnegan broke out of a shooting slump with a game-high four 3-pointers, shooting 57.1 percent from distance.
• Indiana State went 17-for-19 (89.5 percent) from the free throw line, continuing its strong trend of shooting well from the charity stripe.
• Nearly half of Indiana State's scoring production came from its bench, with the Sycamores totaling 27 bench points Friday.
• Each of Indiana State's four freshmen got on the scoresheet Friday, with all four also grabbing at least one rebound.
• Despite the loss, Indiana State found success from distance. The Sycamores knocked down seven 3-pointers and shot the ball at a 41.7 percent clip from behind the arc (7-for-17).
• Friday's loss was Indiana State's first on a Friday this season. The Sycamores are now 3-1 in Friday games, all of which have come in conference play.

 
Up Next
Indiana State closes the road portion of its schedule at Murray State Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
 
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