TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Samiyah Briggs led a trio of Sycamores with 14 points Sunday afternoon, but visiting Illinois State defeated Indiana State 85-69 inside Hulman Center.
 
Tierney Kelsey added 12 points off the bench and Da'Naria Washington chipped in 10. Clemisha Prackett and Jayci Allen each grabbed six rebounds, while Kelsey and Washington added three assists apiece. Washington added a game high five steals.
 
Illinois State controlled the game from the opening tip, building an early advantage behind a strong first quarter and carrying a double-digit lead into halftime at 47-31. The Redbirds extended their cushion in the third quarter with a 12-4 run fueled by trips to the free-throw line, pushing the margin to 24 points before Indiana State could respond. While the Sycamores played the Redbirds evenly through much of the second half and closed the game with a late run, Illinois State maintained control throughout and pulled away for an 85-69 win.
 
First Half
Illinois State opened the game with an 8-2 run before a layup by Kennedy Claybrooks cut the early Sycamore deficit. The Trees continued to chip away, using baskets from Claybrooks, Briggs and Kayla Smith to keep pace early on. Illinois State responded by closing the quarter on a 15-6 run to take a 28-17 lead at the end of the first period.
 
The second quarter began with a scoreless two-and-a-half minutes before Claybrooks knocked down a jumper to get the Sycamores on the board. Illinois State then went on a 13–3 run, halted by a layup from Tierney Kelsey, pushing the score to 41-24 with 2:46 remaining in the half. The final minutes were nearly even, but the Redbirds still carried a 47-31 lead into halftime.
 
Second Half 
Illinois State opened the third quarter with a 12-4 run, aided by eight made free throws, to extend its lead to 59-35. The remainder of the period was evenly played, but the Sycamores still faced a 69-45 deficit heading to the fourth. 
 
Da'Naria Washington scored the first points of the fourth quarter on a fast-break layup. The Sycamores briefly gained momentum with a 7-2 run courtesy of baskets from Prackett, Washington and Kelsey, bringing the score to 75-56 midway through the frame. Indiana State closed the game with another 7-2 run, though it was not enough to overcome the deficit, as the Redbirds secured an 85-69 victory.
 
News and Notes

• Indiana State continued its emphasis on the paint, with the Sycamores tallying 34 points in the paint.
• The Sycamores' bench continued to be a focal point Sunday, as Indiana State had a 28-17 advantage in bench scoring.
• Indiana State tallied double-digit second chance points for the fourth consecutive game, finishing with 14 second chance points off of 16 offensive rebounds.
• Indiana State shot better from both the field (41.9 percent) and 3-point range (4-for-15) than Illinois State (39.7 percent from the field, 2-for-14 from 3-point range), but Illinois State went 37-for-43 from the free throw line.
• Tierney Kelsey scored in double-figures for the 15th time this season, snapping a two-game streak of scoring under 10 points.
• Da'Naria Washington recorded a season high with five steals while scoring in double-figures for the second time in the last three games.
• Clemisha Prackett dished out two assists in Sunday' game after entering the contest with just one assist for the whole season.

 
Up Next
Indiana State begins a two-game road trip Thursday at Valparaiso, with tipoff set for noon.

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