CARBONDALE, Ill. – It was a tale of two halves Thursday night inside Banterra Center. Unfortunately for the Sycamores, a poor first half overshadowed a strong final 20 minutes in an 86-74 loss to Southern Illinois.
 
Clemisha Prackett paced the Trees with 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Kennedy Claybrooks added 13 points, four assists and three steals for the Blue and White. Jayci Allen also came off the bench to score in double-figures with 10.
 
Indiana State was within two possessions after the opening quarter, but things took a turn for the worse in the second. The Sycamores were outscored 27-11 in the second quarter and faced a 51-30 deficit at the break. Despite the large deficit, the Blue and White battled back by outscoring the home side 21-13 in the third behind a balanced effort and strong defense. The Sycamores pulled within seven midway through the fourth but were unable to get any closer despite outscoring the Salukis 44-35 in the second half.
 
First Half
Baskets from Amerie Flowers, Kayla Smith and Da'Naria Washington had the Sycamores in front within the first three minutes of the game, but the Trees' lead was short-lived. Allen hit a pair of threes to help Indiana State keep pace in the first quarter, with Claybrooks and Prackett tacking on layups late in the frame. SIU got off to a hot start, though, and led 24-19 after the opening quarter.
 
A pair of free throws from Prackett kept the Sycamore deficit at five early in the second, but things spiraled downhill from there in the frame. SIU went on an 11-2 run to push its lead to double-digits, as the Sycamores made just one basket in the first five minutes of the period. Claybrooks and Tierney Kelsey conneceted on baskets to momentarily stop the bleeding, but a hot-shooting home side closed the half on a 12-3 run to take a 51-30 lead at the break.
 
Second Half 
SIU extended its lead to 23 early in the third, but the Trees found life after that with baskets from Washington, Kelsey and Briggs. Ruth Sodipe got into the scoring act with a layup midway through the period to cut the Saluki lead to 57-41. Claybrooks and Prackett later added layups to pull the Trees within 60-49, but SIU added late free throws to make it 64-51 after three.
 
Indiana State carried its momentum to the fourth, with Prackett and Allen hitting shots to pull the Blue and White within single-digits less than a minute into the final frame. Smith and Washington added baskets to keep things rolling for the Trees, with Claybrooks bringing the Sycamores within 72-65 just past the midway point of the period. That was the closest Indiana State got, though, as the home side used a 7-0 run to pull away. Late layups from Briggs and Claybrooks proved to be too little, too late as the Sycamores dropped an 86-74 decision.
 
News and Notes

• Indiana State had a 36-8 advantage in bench points in Thursday's game, with multiple Sycamore reserves scoring in double-figures for the third straight game.
• Thursday's game was the definition of a whistle-fest, as 52 fouls were called and 76 free throws were attempted between the teams.
• Indiana State had limited its turnovers in conference play prior to Thursday, but the Sycamores coughed it up 19 times against Southern Illinois.
• Indiana State outscored Southern Illinois 44-35 in the second half after producing one of its worst first halves of the season.
• Indiana State matched its season high of 16 second chance points, with the Sycamores' extra possessions coming courtesy of 17 offensive rebounds.
• Southern Illinois shot 52.8 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from 3-point range, both well above its season averages.
• Clemisha Prackett scored in double-figures for the fifth time in the last six games and is leading the Sycamores with 12.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in MVC play.
• Jayci Allen went 2-for-5 from 3-point range in Thursday's game, with the rest of the Sycamore lineup going 0-for-12 from deep.

 
Up Next
Indiana State heads back to Hulman Center to face Illinois State Sunday at 2 p.m.

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