EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Mia Simpson tallied a career-high 19 points Saturday night, but Evansville scored 20-plus points in each of the first three quarters on its way to a 79-68 win over Indiana State inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
 
Simpson added six rebounds and six assists, and was joined in double-figures by Keslyn Secrist with 10. Savannah White finished two points shy of a double-double with eight points and 10 boards.
 
Indiana State scored the first six points of the game to force an Evansville timeout just over a minute in, but the Sycamores' momentum subsided after that. Foul trouble plagued the Trees in the first half, and Evansville took advantage to build a double-digit lead by the midway point of the second quarter. Indiana State came out firing in the third quarter with a 14-4 run to retake the lead, but a late five-point swing for the home side to close the third proved costly. The Sycamores pulled within a pair early in the fourth, but couldn't string together a combination of stops on defense and baskets on offense at the opportune time in another loss.
 
First Half
Fastbreak layups from Secrist and Simpson had the Sycamores firing early on, as Indiana State built a six-point lead within the first 90 seconds. Deja Jones tacked on a layup to keep the Sycamores in front early, but Indiana State's momentum was short lived. Queen Ruffin gave the Sycamores a spark off the bench with five quick points in the middle stages of the first, including a corner three, but Evansville closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to go in front 20-17 after the first.
 
Ruffin added another basket early in the second, but foul trouble and depth began to haunt the Trees in the frame. Davina Smith and Simpson hit layups, the former coming on the fast break, but the Purple Aces extended their lead to double-digits by the midway point of the period. Five late points from Simpson gave the Sycamores life, and Semie Brar connected on a three-ball inside the final minute, but Indiana State trailed 41-32 at the break.
 
Second Half
Indiana State struggled early in the third with just one basket in the first three minutes, but the Sycamores came to life after that. A three from Bella Finnegan, along with two layups from White, cut the deficit down to 48-44, and Simpson tied the score moments later with a pair of free throws and a layup. Finnegan gave Indiana State its first lead since the first quarter with a three from the wing late, and Secrist kept the momentum going with a layup, but a pair of late treys for Evansville proved costly. The home side finished the third quarter on an 8-2 run, which saw Indiana State down 61-55 heading to the fourth.
 
Back-to-back layups from Simpson to start the fourth whittled the Sycamore deficit down to a pair, 61-59, but that was as close as the Blue and White got down the stretch. Jones and Secrist converted from the charity stripe in the early stages of the fourth, with the latter also adding a layup to keep it a two-possession game, but the Trees went cold in crunch time. Indiana State made just one basket, a layup from Jones, in the last six minutes of action as Evansville closed out a 79-68 win.
 
News and Notes

• Indiana State finished plus-10 in rebound margin (50-40) and pulled down 17 offensive rebounds against Evansville. The 50 rebounds were the Sycamores' most since the earlier meeting between the two teams Jan. 12 in Terre Haute.
• Free throws and turnovers proved to be a major factor in defeat for Indiana State, as the Sycamores turned it over 22 times and shot just 57.1 percent (16-for-28) from the charity stripe.
• Indiana State's 28 fastbreak points in Saturday's game were its most this season and the most in a game for the Sycamores since the 2021-22 season opener against Stephens College (Mo.).
• All five starters for Indiana State had at least five points and five rebounds.
• Indiana State limited Evansville to a 26.7 percent mark from 3-point range (7-for-26), but five of the Purple Aces' seven treys came in the second half, including three late in the third to keep the home side ahead for good.
• Saturday's result snapped a three-game win streak for Indiana State against Evansville.

 
Up Next
Indiana State begins its final weekend homestand Thursday at 7 p.m. against Belmont.
 
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