BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Five players scored in double-figures Friday night for Indiana State, as the Sycamores came from behind to defeat Western Kentucky 65-60 inside E.A. Diddle Arena
 
For the third game in a row, a Sycamore off the bench led the Sycamores in points as Jayci Allen recorded 14. Samiyah Briggs added 13, Kennedy Claybrooks had 12, Tierney Kelsey tacked on 11 and Amerie Flowers finishing with 10. Flowers also recorded her first double-double of the season, adding 10 rebounds, while Clemisha Prackett also added 10 boards.
 
The Sycamores jumped out to an early 8-2 lead; however, the Trees did not control the lead for the majority of the game. The first half went back-and-forth, with neither team able to fully separate itself. The Sycamores entered the half down just four, but WKU used a 9-2 run in the third to take the largest lead by either team at 44-35. Indiana State went on a tear when it mattered most, hitting six threes in the final 15 minutes and outscoring the Lady Toppers 30-16 in that span to claim its second straight win.
 
First Half
The opening quarter of play was a back-and-forth battle for both teams. A three from Claybrooks along with a basket down low from Flowers keyed an 8-0 run for the Blue and White as Indiana State led early. WKU bounced back with a run of its own to tie the game up late in the frame. The teams would trade off shots before the opening quarter would end 13-all, after a last-second basket by the home side.
 
Indiana State found itself playing from behind after a 7-0 Lady Topper run, but threes from Allen and Kelsey pulled the Trees back within a pair midway through. Briggs added another late trey for the Trees, but Indiana State headed to the break down 31-27.
 
Second Half
Flowers had the hot hand early in the third for the Blue and White with six points in the first three-plus minutes, but a 9-2 Lady Topper run had the Trees trailing by its largest margin, 44-35, midway through the frame. The Trees began to slowly chip away at WKU's lead, with threes from Briggs, Allen and Claybrooks clawing the Sycamores back even. Indiana State went back in front on a Claybrooks three inside the final minute, but a three-point play from the home side saw the teams head to the fourth quarter deadlocked at 50.
 
After a slow start for both teams in the fourth, Briggs drove baseline for a layup and then knocked down a three from the wing to give the Sycamores the lead for good. Allen knocked down a midrange jumper before a clutch three-point play from Kelsey pushed Indiana State's lead to 60-54 with lees than three minutes to play. Kelsey added the dagger, a corner three with less than two minutes to go, as the Trees' defense held strong to seal a 65-60 win, their second in the last four days.
 
News and Notes

• Friday's win snapped a six-game losing streak to Western Kentucky. The Sycamores' last win over the Lady Toppers came in the AIAW era back in 1977.
• Indiana State managed to win despite shooting less than 40% from the field and having a worse shooting percentage than Western Kentucky
• Indiana State out-rebounded Western Kentucky 26-10 in the second half after being a minus-2 in rebound margin in the first half
• Indiana State held WKU to just 10 fourth quarter points, the fewest for a Sycamore opponent in any quarter since Jan. 26, 2024 against Valparaiso (four)
• Indiana State knocked down a season-high 11 threes, with four different Sycamores hitting multiple 3-pointers.
• The Sycamores saw five players with double-digit points for the first time since Feb. 9, 2025 at Southern Illinois
• Friday's game was the second straight where the Sycamores have had two players with 10-plus rebounds and third straight with multiple double-digit scorers off the bench
• Samiyah Briggs made a season-high three three-pointers and pulled down a season-high six rebounds
• Kennedy Claybrooks tallied season highs of 12 points and six rebounds, while tying her career high of five steals
• Tierney Kelsey dished out a career-high seven assists while scoring in double-figures for the third straight game off the bench.
• Amerie Flowers notched her first collegiate double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Flowers has pulled down double-digit boards in each of the first three games.
• Indiana State has two wins through three games after managing just four in the entirety of the 2024-25 season. The Sycamores' two wins have come against teams Indiana State lost to by double digits last year.

 
Up Next
Indiana State continues its three-game road trip Sunday at Austin Peay, with tipoff set for 2 p.m
 
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.
  .