INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana State got off to a slow start Thursday night and never recovered, as the Sycamores were defeated 101-56 by Butler inside Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Tierney Kelsey paced the Blue and White with 14 points, while
Clemisha Prackett tacked on 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season.
Samiyah Briggs added eight points, five rebounds and three steals.
Indiana State attacked the basket early to take a two-point lead in the opening stages of the game, but a 17-1 Butler run had the Sycamores down by double digits early. The home side followed that by outscoring the Trees 26-7 in the second quarter and never looked back. Kelsey and Prackett combined for 17 points in the third quarter to give the Trees life, but Butler shot better than 50 percent in all four quarters to secure a lopsided win.
First Half
Briggs opened the scoring with a layup right off the opening tip, and Kelsey drove downhill for a quick basket to keep the Trees on even footing. Another bucket from Briggs gave the Blue and White a 6-4 lead just over three minutes into the first quarter, but the Sycamores' early success was short-lived. Butler went on a 17-1 run to take a 21-7 lead, with a three-point play from Prackett late in the quarter momentarily ending the bleeding. Indiana State faced a 22-10 deficit after the opening 10 minutes of play.
Kennedy Claybrooks started the second quarter with a layup, but a 10-0 Butler run followed as the Sycamores found themselves down 32-12. Kelsey knocked down a pair of free throws to stop the run, while
Jayci Allen added a three-ball near the midway point of the period, but the Trees went ice-cold from the field in the later stages of the frame. Indiana State went scoreless for the last five minutes of the half, as Butler took a 48-17 lead into the intermission.
Second Half
Prackett started the third quarter strong with a pair of baskets down low, while Kelsey added an early layup to give the Sycamores a sliver of momentum to start the second half. Kelsey hit jumpers on back-to-back possessions midway through the frame, while
Amerie Flowers tacked on another basket down low as the Trees went on a 7-2 run. Layups from
Kayla Smith and Prackett, along with free throws from Kelsey, gave the Sycamores a strong close to the quarter but Indiana State faced a 72-39 deficit after three.
Smith knocked down a trey early in the fourth, but the Sycamores' struggles continued as Indiana State went nearly three minutes before its next basket, a layup from Briggs. Free throws from Smith and a jumper from Briggs added to the Trees' tally past the midway point of the frame, but the game was well out of reach by then.
Camariyana Tavares hit a pair of late baskets and scored five points in the final three minutes, as the Sycamores slumped to a 101-56 setback.
News and Notes
- Clemisha Prackett's 15 rebounds were a career high, and marked the second time this season that a Sycamore tallied 15 rebounds in a game (Amerie Flowers – 15 at IU Indy).
- Prackett's double-double was her team-leading fourth of the season, a figure which ranks second in the MVC.
- Prackett's eight offensive rebounds were the most by a Sycamore in a game this season.
- Indiana State finished plus-four on the glass (43-39), despite the lopsided score going against the Sycamores.
- Indiana State entered Thursday's game leading the MVC in field goal percentage and ranking second in scoring, but the Sycamores shot just 27.9 percent from the field and were held below 65 points for the first time since the season opener at IU Indy.
- The Sycamores entered the day with a top-20 3-point defense nationally, but Butler hit 10 treys while shooting 40 percent from behind the arc, both season-highs against the Sycamores.
- Camariyana Tavares tallied a season-high five points in less than five minutes of action, a number which was one off her career high set last season while at Alabama State.
- Tierney Kelsey scored in double-figures for the eighth straight game and is the only Sycamore to hit double-digits in every game this season.
- Indiana State head coach Marc Mitchell was whistled for a technical foul in the fourth quarter, which was his first as the Sycamores' head coach.
Up Next
Indiana State opens MVC play Wednesday night, as the Sycamores welcome Drake for a 7 p.m. tip inside Hulman Center.
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