TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Da'Naria Washington scored a season-high 17 points Sunday afternoon and Kennedy Claybrooks finished one rebound and one assist shy of a triple-double, as Indiana State claimed a 77-71 win over Evansville inside Hulman Center.
 
Claybrooks finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, while Clemisha Prackett logged her seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Amerie Flowers and Jayci Allen added 10 points apiece, with the latter coming off the bench to score in double-figures.
 
Indiana State led wire-to-wire, with treys from Claybrooks, Kayla Smith and Washington sparking an 18-point opening quarter. The Sycamores closed the second quarter on a 15-4 run to push their lead to double-digits, largely behind 13 first-half points from Washington. A 6-0 Sycamore run to close the third kept the Trees in front with 10 minutes to play, with a pair of Jayci Allen treys pushing the lead to 67-52 midway through the fourth. Evansville used a 13-2 run in the back half of the fourth to pull within one possession, but it wasn't enough as the Sycamores held serve at home.
 
First Half
Early threes from Smith and Claybrooks fueled a 9-0 run for the Blue and White, as Indiana State led 11-2 less than four minutes into the game. Washington added a three-ball from the corner as the Sycamores pushed their lead out to 10, with Prackett going to work down low for a pair of layups. A pair of late baskets from the visitors saw Indiana State's lead cut to 18-13 after the opening frame.
 
Washington and Claybrooks continued their strong start with early baskets in the second quarter, but Evansville pulled within two midway through the frame. The Sycamores held Evansville without a basket for the final five minutes of the second, with Washington adding seven points as part of a 15-4 Indiana State run to close the half. Indiana State's strong defense down the stretch sent the Sycamores into the break with a 37-24 lead. 
 
Second Half 
Amerie Flowers opened the second half with a basket down low, with Claybrooks and Prackett tacking on baskets to keep the Sycamores ahead. Evansville used a run midway through the third to pull within three, but layups from Prackett, Allen and Washington late in the frame sent the Blue and White to the fourth with a 53-44 lead.
 
Indiana State kept things rolling in the fourth, as Allen hit a pair of threes and had eight points in a three-minute span to extend the Sycamore lead to 67-52. Free throws from Washington kept the Sycamores ahead by double-figures past the midway point, but Evansville didn't go down without a fight. The Purple Aces used a 13-2 run to pull within three inside the final minute, but it wasn't enough. Smith and Claybrooks iced the game from the charity stripe as Indiana State picked up a 77-71 win for its second MVC victory of the season.
 
News and Notes

• Indiana State's 36 points in the paint were its most in a conference game this season and the Trees' most against a Division I opponent this season.
• Indiana State registered a season-high 16 second chance points Sunday, averaging 1.23 points per possession off its offensive rebounds.
• Indiana State won despite losing the rebound margin (47-46), marking the first win of the Marc Mitchell era when being out-rebounded.
• Indiana State had five players in double-figures for the second straight game, including a pair in double-figures off the bench. The Sycamores improved to 5-2 under Marc Mitchell when having five or more players in double-figures.
• Indiana State's strong home form continued, as the Sycamores improved to 5-2 inside Hulman Center this season. The Sycamores' five home wins are the program's most since the 2022-23 season.
• Indiana State's two conference wins matched the Sycamores' 2024-25 conference win total, with more than six weeks of basketball still to be played. 
• Indiana State improved to 46-23 all-time against Evansville, including a 26-9 mark in Terre Haute. The 46 wins are the Sycamores' second-most against an MVC opponent in program history (Bradley - 54).
• Da'Naria Washington had her most productive day in a Sycamore uniform, finishing with a season-high 17 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Washington was a team-high plus-11 and knocked down multiple threes for the first time this season.
• Kennedy Claybrooks finished one rebound and one assist shy of a triple-double, with her nine boards matching a career high. Claybrooks was the only Sycamore with previous experience against Evansville prior to Sunday, and has scored in double-figures with five or more rebounds in both of her games against the Purple Aces.
• Kayla Smith recorded her fourth game with five-plus rebounds this season after having just two such games with five or more rebounds in her first three seasons of college basketball.  
• Clemisha Prackett recorded her seventh double-double of the season, tied for the second-most in the MVC this season. She had her third 13-rebound game in the last four outings.

Up Next
Indiana State takes to the road to face Southern Illinois Thursday night, with tipoff from Carbondale set for 7 p.m.

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