TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State opens a two-game road swing Friday night when it faces Missouri State for a 7:30 p.m. tip inside Great Southern Bank Arena.
 
Friday's game will be carried on ESPN+ with Don West (play-by-play) and Carly Stubblefield (analyst) on the call. John Sherman will also have the radio call on WVIG-FM/105.5 The Legend
 
Last Time Out
Savannah White recorded her first career double-double, but Indiana State couldn't sustain its strong start in a 58-53 defeat to UIC inside Hulman Center.
 
White tallied career highs of 13 points and 11 rebounds, the latter statistic leading all players in the game, and also added two assists, two steals and two blocks. Keslyn Secrist added 13 points for the Trees, who had five players score six-plus points in the contest.
 
Indiana State jumped out to an early double-digit advantage with Secrist and Deja Jones leading the charge. The Trees led 18-8 after the first quarter, but UIC's full-court defense gave the Sycamores problems over the final 30 minutes. Indiana State struggled from the field in the middle quarters, being outscored 34-20 in the second and third, before a rally in the fourth brough the Sycamores within two. The Trees' comeback effort came up two possessions short in the end, though.
 
One Final Time
Friday's game is Indiana State's final trip to Springfield before Missouri State departs the Missouri Valley Conference. The Lady Bears are moving to Conference USA starting with the 2025-26 year.
 
The Sycamores will be content with the long haul west being removed from their future schedules. In addition to the distance between Springfield and Terre Haute, Indiana State hasn't beaten Missouri State since the 2013-14 season.
 
Off And Running
Although the result didn't go the Sycamores' way, Indiana State put together a productive opening quarter in its most recent game against UIC.
 
The Sycamores' defense gave the Flames fits in the opening 10 minutes, with UIC making just 28.6 percent of its attempts from the field. Indiana State, by comparison, shot better than 47 percent from the field in the opening quarter and built a double-digit lead.
 
Surging Savannah
Indiana State forward Savannah White's numbers have taken a major step forward since the start of conference play. White is averaging nearly eight point per game against league foes, compared to just 2.5 points per game during the Sycamores' non-conference slate. In addition, White's rebound numbers have risen to 5.3 per game in MVC play.
 
White recorded her first career double-double in Indiana State's last home game against UIC, finishing with career highs of 13 points and 11 rebounds against the Flames. She also tallied a season-high six blocks against Valparaiso in the same homestand as her double-double.
 
Rejected
Indiana State junior forward Savannah White posted six blocks in Thursday's game against Valparaiso, the most for a Sycamore in a game this season and the second-most for an MVC player in a game this season.
 
The Sycamores set a season high of eight blocks against the Beacons and are the top shot-blocking team in conference play this season at 4.20 per game. Indiana State is the only team in the MVC averaging at least four blocks per game against league foes. The Sycamores have recorded three or more blocks in 16 games this season, including 12 of the last 13 games dating back to mid-December. 
 
Stock Up For Secrist
Indiana State sophomore guard Keslyn Secrist registered her second double-double of the season in last week's game against Valparaiso, finishing with 12 points and tying her career-high of 11 rebounds.
 
Secrist's 11 rebounds led all players in the game against the Beacons, while the double-double was her second in the last five games. She also had a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double against Southern Illinois in mid-January.
 
Secrist is Indiana State's leading scorer at 12.7 points per game and has scored in double-figures in 18 of the Sycamores' 21 games.
 
Missouri State At A Glance
Missouri State enters Friday's game at 16-5 overall and 8-2 in conference play. The Lady Bears had an eight-game win streak snapped in their last game at Illinois State, but boast a perfect 9-0 record at home this season.
 
Lacy Stokes leads a balanced Lady Bear offense with 12.3 points per game, with Kyrah Daniels (11.9), Sarah Linthacum (11.6) and Kaemyn Bekemeier (10.7) all averaging double-digit scoring. Bekemeier leads the team with 5.9 rebounds per game, while Stokes has dished out more than four assists per game.
 
Beth Cunningham is in her third season as head coach at Missouri State and owns a 59-27 record at the helm of the Lady Bears. Cunningham is 4-0 in her career against Indiana State, and has led Missouri State to postseason appearances in each of her first two seasons.
 
Series History Against Missouri State
Indiana State is 18-70 all-time against Missouri State, including a 6-37 mark in Springfield. The Lady Bears have won 21 straight in the series.
 
The Sycamores' last win in the series came in the 2013-14 season, when the Sycamores swept the two games against the Lady Bears.
 
Last Meeting Against Missouri State (Jan. 19, 2025)
Saige Stahl scored a career-high 17 points as part of her sixth double-double of the season, but visiting Missouri State's steady offense was too much for Indiana State to overcome in a 73-57 loss inside Hulman Center.
 
Stahl added a game-high 14 rebounds, while Bella Finnegan added 16 points. Deja Jones finished with six points and eight rebounds for the Sycamores.
 
Indiana State kept things competitive in the first quarter, Missouri State used a strong start to the second quarter to build a double-digit lead. Back-to-back baskets inside the final minute of the half for the Lady Bears saw the Sycamores trailing 41-27 at the break, and Missouri State extended that lead with the first two baskets of the third quarter. Indiana State rode the hot hands of Stahl and Finnegan in the third quarter, going on a 15-2 run to pull within seven, but the Sycamores never got closer. A 17-5 Lady Bear run spanning parts of the last two quarters put the game out of reach.
 
Up Next
Indiana State faces Southern Illinois Sunday at noon in Carbondale.
 
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