TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State heads to the Circle City for the second time this season Thursday night when the Sycamores face Butler for a 7 p.m. tip inside Hinkle Fieldhouse. The game will be carried on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Indiana State picked up its fourth win of the season, using a high-scoring first quarter to outlast Northern Illinois 69-61 inside the Hulman Center.
Tierney Kelsey led the Sycamores with 22 points, with
Amerie Flowers posting 15 points and 10 rebounds to secure her second double-double of the season.
Kennedy Claybrooks contributed 11 points and four assists, while
Samiyah Briggs paced the defensive effort with a game-high four steals.
Indiana State controlled the pace early, using a 16-0 first-quarter run to build a double-digit lead behind strong starts from Briggs and Kelsey. NIU battled back in the second and third periods, trimming the margin to single digits, but the Sycamores responded each time with steady scoring from Kelsey, key defensive stops, and timely baskets from Flowers. After the Huskies briefly took the lead in the fourth, Indiana State closed with clutch shots from Flowers and Claybrooks and sealed the game at the free-throw line, securing a hard-fought home win.
Lockdown
Indiana State's offense has been one of the best in the Missouri Valley Conference, but the Sycamore defense has played a major factor into each of the Trees' four wins this season.
The Sycamores are 4-0 this season when holding opponents under 70 points. Indiana State also ranks second in the MVC and in the top 75 nationally in field goal defense (36.4 percent), while owning the top 3-point defense in the conference (24.1 percent).
Indiana State's 3-point defense has been the definition of lights-out this season. The Sycamores rank 17th nationally in 3-point defense, with three opponents shooting below 20 percent from behind the arc.
Flip The Script
Indiana State's statistical numbers have all taken a significant step in the right direction compared to the 2024-25 season, and those numbers are even further increased when comparing the first seven games of both campaigns.
The Sycamores' scoring is up by 17 points per game compared to the start of the 2024-25 season (76.3 this season, 59.3 in first seven games of last season), while the defense has improved by three points per game (66.4 this season, 69.7 last season).
The current uptick for the Blue and White has led to Indiana State owning the top scoring margin in the MVC this season at plus-9.9. The Sycamores rank second in the conference in scoring offense, while also sitting in the top half of the league in scoring defense.
Sophomores Stepping Up
Indiana State had a pair of underclassmen lead the charge in its 69-61 win over Northern Illinois, as sophomores
Tierney Kelsey and
Amerie Flowers combined to score more than half of the Sycamores' points.
Kelsey, who ranks third in the MVC in scoring this season at 18.1 points per game, tallied a game-high 22 points and recorded her third 20-point game of the season. She knocked down a pair of treys and was also 8-for-9 from the charity stripe. Kelsey has already outproduced her entire 2024-25 scoring total from Jackson State in just the first seven games this season.
Flowers registered her second double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field while going 5-for-8 from the free throw line. The 10 rebounds marked her team-leading fourth game with double-digit boards this season, the third-most in the MVC this year.
Attack, Attack, Attack
Indiana State's offense ranks among the best in the MVC in most statistical categories this season, with the Sycamores sitting in the top three in the conference in points per game (second), field goal percentage (first), free throws attempted (second), free throws made (second), offensive rebounds (second), bench points (first) and scoring margin (first).
After ranking near the bottom of the MVC in most statistical categories in the 2024-25 season, the Trees have quickly turned things around to start the 2025-26 campaign. Not only do the Sycamores rank among the best in the MVC in most offensive stats, they also rank among the top 75 nationally in bench points (second), free throws attempted (34th), free throws made (58th) and scoring offense (60th).
Going The Other Way
Indiana State's defense has been the best in the MVC this season when it comes to forcing turnovers, with Sycamore opponents averaging 19.7 giveaways per game. The Sycamores sit inside the top 100 nationally in turnovers forced and also rank third in the MVC in turnover margin at plus-2.1.
The Sycamores have often converted opposition miscues into points on the other end, with Indiana State averaging 20.9 points off turnovers per game. The Trees have three games this season with 25-plus points off turnovers.
Off And Running
Indiana State has shown an ability to score in bunches this season, as the Sycamores have recorded five different quarters with 25-plus points this season. The most recent occurrence came in the Trees' last win against Northern Illinois, as the Sycamores tallied 26 points in the opening quarter against the Huskies.
The Sycamores have also tallied 50-plus points in a half on two different occasions this season, a feat which had not been done since the 2017-18 campaign. Indiana State had 51 points in the second half of its last road game against SIU Edwardsville, then followed that with a 53-point second half in the first game of its recent homestand against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. The Trees have scored 40 or more points in a half in six of their first seven games this season.
On This Date
Indiana State is 4-4 in program history in games played on December 11, with the Sycamores' lone road win on this date coming at Indiana during the 1989-90 season.
1981 – Marquette (W, 77-47)
1982 – Missouri State (W, 83-66)
1988 – Saint Louis (W, 63-45)
1989 – at Indiana (W, 75-73)
1993 – at Purdue (L, 58-102)
2003 – Miami (Ohio) (L, 80-92)
2016 – at Butler (L, 48-66)
2021 – at Nebraska (L, 50-78)
Butler At A Glance
Butler enters Thursday's game at 4-6 overall and 0-2 in Big East play following consecutive road setbacks at Seton Hall and Marquette. The Bulldogs are 3-2 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season.
Lily Zeinstra leads the Bulldogs with 11.9 points and 3.3 assists per game, with Butler's offense being a balanced effort. Eight different players average at least five points per game. Caroline Dotsey and Mallory Miller both average more than four rebounds per game, with Miller also adding one block per game. Saniya Jackson leads Butler in steals at 2.0 per game.
Austin Parkinson is in his fourth season as head coach at Butler and owns a 46-60 record at the helm of the Bulldogs. Parkinson previously turned IUPUI (now IU Indy) into a mid-major contender and has 270 career wins as a head coach.
Series History Against Butler
Indiana State is 16-17 all-time against Butler, including a 13-16 mark in the Division I era. The Sycamores are 6-10 in games played in Indianapolis in the series.
Butler has won each of the last four meetings in the series, including an 80-55 decision last year in Indianapolis. The Sycamores' last win was a 70-63 overtime victory in Terre Haute during the 2015-16 season, while the Trees' last win at Hinkle Fieldhouse was by a 66-51 margin during the 2014-15 season.
Last Meeting Against Butler (Nov. 20, 2024)
Indiana State had four players score in double-figures for the third straight game, but Butler used a strong third quarter to down the Sycamores by an 80-55 margin inside Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Deja Jones led the Sycamores with 13 points and dished out a team-high four assists.
Keslyn Secrist added 11 points and a career-high three assists, scoring in double-figures for the fifth straight game.
Queen Ruffin and
Saige Stahl each had 10, with the latter coming off the bench to score in double-figures.
Savannah White pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
Indiana State rode the hot hand of Jones early, with the senior floor general scoring six points in the opening quarter to help the Trees go in front. The Sycamores kept pace with the Bulldogs in a low-scoring second quarter before the home side took off in the third. Butler came out of the intermission and outscored the Sycamores 26-9 in the third quarter to break the game open. Despite Indiana State outscoring the Bulldogs in the final frame, largely in part to Jones, Secrist and Stahl combining for 18 in the last 10 minutes, Butler protected its home court in a double-digit loss for the Trees.
Up Next
Indiana State opens Missouri Valley Conference play December 17 when the Trees play host to Drake for a 7 p.m. tip inside Hulman Center.
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