TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State returns home Sunday afternoon when it faces Illinois State for a 2 p.m. tip inside Hulman Center.
Sunday's game will be aired on ESPN+, with Chris Machado (play-by-play), Nyah Wilson (analyst) and Kayla Douglas (reporter) on the call. John Sherman will have the radio call on WVIG-FM/105.5 The Legend.
Last Time Out
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.
Second Half Surge
Indiana State had one of its worst first halves of the season in its last game against Southern Illinois, but followed it with a strong second half against the Salukis.
The Sycamores outscored Southern Illinois in each of the last two quarters and ended up with a 44-35 advantage in the second half. Indiana State pulled within seven after trailing by as many as 23 early in the third quarter before the Sycamores' comeback attempt fell short.
Home Sweet Hulman
Indiana State earned its 250th win at Hulman Center in program history with Sunday's 77-71 triumph over Evansville. The Sycamores improved to 5-2 at home this season, with the five home wins being the most for the program since the 2022-23 campaign.
Indiana State played six games in the 1980s at Hulman Center before moving into the venue full-time prior to the start of the 1992-93 season, which culminates with the merger of the Gateway Conference and Missouri Valley Conference.
Get To The Line
Indiana State's last game at Southern Illinois saw 76 free throws attempted between the Sycamores and Salukis. The Sycamores were 22-for-31 (71.0) percent from the charity stripe in Thursday's game.
Free throws have been a major part of Indiana State's success this season, with the Sycamores ranking among the national leaders in free throws made (13th, 16.6) and attempted (seventh, 23.9).
Straight Off The Bench
Bench production has been a major component of Indiana State's offense this season, with the Sycamores ranking among the national leaders in bench scoring. Indiana State's reserves are averaging 31.9 points per game, a mark which ranks fifth nationally and tops the MVC by a wide margin.
The Sycamores have score 30-plus bench points in 10 games this season, including four games with 40-plus bench points and a season-high 59 bench points against Eastern Illinois.
Pound The Paint
Indiana State's paint production has taken an uptick in recent weeks, with the Sycamores tallying 30-plus paint points in six of their last seven games.
Since the calendar turned to 2026, the Sycamores are averaging 32.3 points per game in the paint. a 2.3-point increase from their November and December averages.
On This Date
Indiana State owns a 5-9 record in games played on January 22, including a 2-4 mark in road games played on this date.
The Sycamores are 0-1 against Illinois State on this day, falling 66-65 in the 2012-13 season.
1975 – at Ohio State (L, 64-69)
1983 – at Southern Illinois (L, 60-63)
1986 – at Eastern Illinois (L, 73-76)
1990 – Drake (L, 60-62 (OT))
1992 – Southern Illinois (L, 53-81)
1998 – Wichita State (W, 61-60)
2001 – at Southern Illinois (W, 54-50)
2003 – at Southern Illinois (W, 80-61)
2007 – at Bradley (W, 63-50)
2008 – at Wichita State (L, 66-74)
2013 – at Illinois State (L, 65-66)
2014 – Missouri State (W, 74-57)
2015 – Northern Iowa (L, 55-57)
2019 – Drake (L, 68-70)
Illinois State At A Glance
Illinois State enters Sunday's game at 10-9 overall and 4-4 in conference play. The Redbirds are coming off a 76-64 loss to UIC, which snapped a three-game win streak.
Doneelah Washington leads the Redbirds with 16.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, while Addison Martin adds 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Trista Fayta is also scoring in double-figures at 10.5 points and has dished out more than five assists per game, while Kya Hurt averages 9.6 points per game and tallied a season-high 26 points when the Sycamores last faced the Redbirds. Washington also adds 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
Kristen Gillespie is in her ninth season as head coach at Illinois State and owns a 166-104 record at the helm of the Redbirds. Gillespie is 271-169 in her 15-year head coaching career across stops at Benedictine, Lewis and Illinois State.
Series History Against Illinois State
Indiana State is 45-63 all-time against Illinois State, with a 23-23 record against the Redbirds in Terre Haute.
Illinois State has won the last 13 meetings in the series, including a 105-64 rout in the earlier meeting this season.
Last Meeting Against Illinois State (Dec. 29, 2025)
Three players scored in double-figures for Indiana State, but homestanding Illinois State led wire-to-wire in a 105-64 setback for the Sycamores inside CEFCU Arena.
Da'Naria Washington led the Blue and White with 12 points and seven rebounds, while
Amerie Flowers added 10 points and eight boards.
Tierney Kelsey was also in double-figures with 11, with
Samiyah Briggs adding nine points and five rebounds.
Indiana State stayed within two possessions for the first quarter of the game, but things quickly went downhill from there. Illinois State outscored the Trees 32-10 in the second quarter to lead 56-28 at the break. Washington scored seven of her 12 points in the third quarter, but the result was well out of reach by that point.
Up Next
Indiana State heads back on the road for the next two games, starting with a Thursday contest at Valpo.
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