TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State wraps up a three-game road trip Wednesday morning when the Sycamores visit SIU Edwardsville for an 11 a.m. tip. The game will be carried on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Jayci Allen led all scorers with 19 points off the bench Sunday afternoon, but homestanding Austin Peay overcame an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat Indiana State 77-73 inside F&M Bank Arena.
Tierney Kelsey and
Clemisha Prackett joined Allen in double digits off the bench with 18 and 11, respectively, while
Samiyah Briggs finished with 13. Prackett also added a game-high 11 rebounds to complete her second double-double of the season, with
Kennedy Claybrooks adding seven points and seven assists.
Indiana State started slowly as the home side built a seven-point lead by the end of the first quarter. The Governors extended their lead to double-digits late in the second before four Sycamores combined for a 10-2 run as the Trees faced a four-point deficit at the break. Allen and Prackett combined for 15 points in the third quarter as Indiana State went ahead with 10 minutes to play. The Trees extended their lead to 59-51 early in the fourth, but fell apart late as Austin Peay escaped with a win on its home court.
Newcomer Making Noise
Indiana State sophomore guard
Tierney Kelsey became the first Sycamore to earn an MVC weekly honor in the
Marc Mitchell era, as the Memphis native was named MVC Newcomer of the Week Monday afternoon.
Kelsey was instrumental in a 2-1 week for the Blue and White, averaging 17.0 points, 3.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as the Trees picked up wins over Eastern Illinois and Western Kentucky. She shot an efficient 51.3 percent from the field over the course of the week.
Kelsey set career highs in points (22 at Eastern Illinois), assists (seven at Western Kentucky), rebounds (five vs. Eastern Illinois) and field goals (eight at Austin Peay) during the Sycamores' three-game week. Indiana State has been plus-22 with Kelsey on the floor this season.
No Fly Zone
Indiana State's defense has made life difficult for opposing 3-point shooters in the first two weeks of the season. The Sycamores' first four opponents have combined to shoot just 21.8 percent from behind the arc this season, a number which ranks in the top 30 nationally.
Two of the Sycamores' first four opponents this season have shot below 20 percent from distance, with Eastern Illinois being the only team to shoot better than 30 percent from deep against the Trees. None of the first four opponents have hit more than six 3-pointers against the Sycamores, with opposing shooters going 17-for-78 from behind the arc.
Straight Off The Bench
Indiana State's bench has been one of the most productive in the nation this season, with the Trees scoring 30-plus bench points in three of the first four games this season.
The Sycamores rank seventh in the nation in bench points per game, with Indiana State's reserves averaging 41.8 points per game this season. Included in that total is a 59-bench point performance as part of Indiana State's 90-69 win over Eastern Illinois.
Indiana State's two leading scorers this season come off the bench in
Tierney Kelsey (16.5ppg) and
Jayci Allen (16.3ppg), while
Clemisha Prackett nearly averages a double-double off the bench (8.5ppg, 7.8rpg). The Sycamore bench average of 41.8 points per game is more than 10 points better than any other bench unit in the MVC.
Thieves Avenue
Indiana State forced a season-high 24 turnovers in its most recent game Sunday afternoon at Austin Peay, with the Sycamores turning that into 27 points on the other end. Sunday's game marked the second this season in which Indiana State forced its opponent into more than 20 turnovers, as Eastern Illinois had 22 giveaways against the Trees.
The Sycamores rank second in the MVC in turnovers forced through the first two games of the season, with opponents averaging 19.8 turnovers per game against the Blue and White. Indiana State has capitalized on opposition miscues to the tune of 20.8 points off turnovers per game.
Coming Up Clutch
Indiana State has made a living in the fourth quarter this season, with the Sycamores outscoring their opponents 82-62 in the final frame. The Sycamores have a plus-31 scoring margin in the second half, as the Blue and White have also outscored its opponents 88-77 in the third quarter.
IU Indy was the only team to outscore the Sycamores in the third quarter this season, while Austin Peay was the only team to outscore Indiana State in the fourth quarter. The Sycamores have scored 40-plus points in the second half in three of the first four games this season, with the lone game for the Blue and White scoring less than 40 in the second half coming against Western Kentucky (38).
On This Date
Indiana State has played six games on November 19 in its Division I era, going 4-2 in those games. The Sycamores have won four straight November 19 games, with those wins coming by an average of 15.5 points.
2004 – at Miami (Ohio) (L, 59-62)
2008 – Marquette (L, 53-77)
2009 – at Furman (W, 62-47)
2015 – Eastern Illinois (W, 60-42)
2016 – at Cincinnati (W, 63-55)
2019 – at UIC (W, 61-40)
SIU Edwardsville At A Glance
SIU Edwardsville enters Wednesday's game with a 2-1 record following wins over Missouri Baptist and Eastern Kentucky and a loss at Northwestern.
Lauren Miller leads the Cougars in scoring with 14.7 points per game and also adds 5.7 rebounds per game. Kiyoko Proctor also scores in double-figures for SIUE at 12.0 points per game, while Ava Gugliuzza and Macy Silvey both average more than eight points per game. Adebukola Akomolafe leads the Cougars with 6.7 rebounds per game, while Miller and Proctor both average more than two assists per game.
Samantha Quigley Smith is in her fifth season as head coach at SIU Edwardsville and owns a 35-90 record at the helm of the Cougars. Quigley Smith owns a career record of 219-186 in 14 seasons as a head coach between stops at St. Francis (Ill.), Lewis and SIU Edwardsville.
Series History Against SIU Edwardsville
Indiana State is 2-0 all-time against SIU Edwardsville and 1-0 in Edwardsville. The Sycamores and Cougars' two previous meetings came in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.
Indiana State won 65-49 in Terre Haute in the 2009-10 season and 86-68 in the 2010-11 season
Last Meeting Against SIU Edwardsville (Dec. 22, 2010)
Taylor Whitley led a trio of double-digit scorers for Indiana State with 20, as the Sycamores defeated visiting SIU Edwardsville 86-65.
Brittany Schoen added 19 and knocked down five 3-pointers, while Deja Mattox tacked on 15. Shannon Thomas nearly recorded a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, while Whitley flirted with a triple-double with seven rebounds and seven assists.
Indiana State scored the first four points of the game and never looked back, as the Sycamores led wire-to-wire. Whitley scored 13 of her 20 points in the first half as the Trees took a commanding 42-24 lead at the break. The Sycamores continued to pile on the pressure, with Schoen hitting three treys and scoring 13 points in the second half as strong shooting all around fired the Trees to victory.
Up Next
Indiana State begins a three-game homestand Monday morning when it welcomes fellow Terre Haute institution Saint Mary-of-the-Woods to Hulman Center for Education Day Presented by RJL Solutions, with more than 1,000 middle school students from Vigo and Clay County expected in attendance. Tipoff between the Sycamores and Pomeroys is set for 11 a.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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