TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State begins a two-game Hoosier State road trip with a Kids Day game, as the Sycamores travel to Valparaiso for a Thursday game at noon.
 
Thursday's game will be aired on ESPN+, while John Sherman will have the radio call on WVIG-FM/105.5 The Legend.
 
Last Time Out
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.
 
Hoosier State Supremacy
Indiana State has a chance this week to complete a perfect 4-0 campaign against the fellow in-state schools in the Missouri Valley Conference, as the Sycamores pay visits to Valparaiso (Thursday) and Evansville (Sunday).
 
The Sycamores already claimed home wins against both the Beacons (88-78, Jan. 1) and Purple Aces (77-71, Jan. 18), and own a 3-2 record against in-state schools this season.
 
Should the Sycamores complete the in-state sweep, it would mark the second time in the last three seasons that Indiana State went 4-0 against the other Indiana schools in the conference. Indiana State last went 4-0 against the in-state MVC schools in the 2023-24 season, and also accomplished the feat in the 2017-18 season, which was Valparaiso's first in the MVC.
 
Pencils Down, Class In Session
Indiana State is playing in its third Education/Kids Day game of the season with Thursday's conference tilt against Valparaiso. The Sycamores are 1-1 in early weekday games this season, with a road loss to SIU Edwardsville (71-81, Nov. 19) and a home win over fellow Wabash Valley school Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (102-50, Nov. 24).
 
Thursday's game marks the second straight season where the Sycamores have played in an Education Day game during the conference schedule. The Sycamores fell on the road to UIC last season in an Education Day game in the Windy City.
 
Trees In Transition
Indiana State has played an up-tempo style of offense this season, which has translated to an increase in fastbreak points for the Blue and White. The Sycamores have four games with 15-plus fastbreak points since the start of the new year, including 33 fastbreak points in their last matchup against Valparaiso on New Year's Day.
 
The Sycamores' increased pace of play has also contributed to an increase in points, as Indiana State is on pace for its highest-scoring season since the 2006-07 campaign. Entering Thursday's game, Indiana State is averaging 72.7 points per gamem which ranks third in the conference and inside the top 100 nationally.
 
Top-10 Trees
Indiana State enters Thursday's game ranked among the nation's best in a pair of statistical categories, as the Sycamores are sixth in the nation in  bench scoring (31.7 points per game) and ninth in free throw attempts (23.7 per game). The Blue and White also rank in the top 15 nationally in free throws made (13th, 16.4 per game).
 
The Trees lead the Missouri Valley Conference in bench scoring as the only bench unit in the conference averaging more than 30 points per game. Indiana State ranks second in the conference in both free throws made and attempted, trailing only Murray State in both.
 
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 31.7 points per game, a mark which ranks sixth nationally and tops the MVC by a wide margin.
 
The Sycamores have scored 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. Indiana State's three leading scorers this season - Tierney Kelsey (14.5), Clemisha Prackett (9.6) and Jayci Allen (9.6) - primarily come off the bench.
 
On This Date
Indiana State owns a 4-10 record in games played on January 29, including a 1-7 mark in road games played on this date.
 
The Sycamores have never faced Valparaiso on this date, but won their last game played on this date against Murray State during the 2022-23 season in Terre Haute (62-56).
 
1979 – at Ohio State (L, 76-86)
1983 – Western Illinois (W, 80-58)
1987 – at Missouri State (L, 77-90)
1994 – at Missouri State (L, 64-80)
1998 – Southern Illinois (L, 49-68)
2000 – at Drake (L, 71-88)
2004 – at Missouri State (L, 47-73)
2005 – Evansville (W, 72-56)
2011 – at Southern Illinois (W, 48-42)
2012 – at Missouri State (L, 70-84)
2016 – at Southern Illinois (L, 64-76)
2017 – Missouri State (L, 46-49)
2022 – Missouri State (L, 56-62)
2023 – Murray State (W, 62-56)
 
Valparaiso At A Glance
Valparaiso remains in search of its first win of the season, entering Thursday's game at 0-20 overall and 0-9 in conference play. The Beacons dropped a 79-39 decision at Bradley in their last game.
 
Fiona Connolly leads the Beacons with 11.3 points per game and is the only Valpo player averaging double-figure scoring. Allia von Schlegell and Milana Nenadic both average more than eight points per game, while Kamryn Winch averages a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game. Mikayla Huffine leads the Beacons with 2.6 assists per game.
 
Courtney Boyd is in her first season at Valparaiso after spending the last two seasons as head coach at Quincy. Boyd has seven 20-win seasons on her resume and is 180-88 as a head coach. She won the 2023 NAIA National Championship while at Clarke.
 
Series History Against Valparaiso
Indiana State is 13-9 all-time against Valparaiso, which includes an 88-78 win earlier this season in Terre Haute.
 
Road games have been kind to the Trees in the series, as Indiana State is 7-2 at Valparaiso. Last year's road loss snapped a three-game win streak in Valparaiso for the Sycamores.
 
Last Meeting Against Valparaiso (Jan. 1, 2026)
Tierney Kelsey and Clemisha Prackett led a quintet of Sycamores in double-figures with 18 points each, as Indiana State claimed an 88-78 New Year's Day win over visiting Valparaiso inside Hulman Center.
 
Samiyah Briggs added 14, while Kennedy Claybrooks and Jayci Allen both came off the bench to score in double-digits with 12 and 10, respectively. Prackett and Briggs each tallied eight rebounds, with Briggs also tacking on five assists and four steals.
 
Indiana State's offense was in a rhythm early on, with the Trees shooting better than 45 percent in the opening half. Kelsey's first-quarter buzzer-beating jumper had the Sycamores ahead 23-22 after one and Indiana State had full control of the second, as Prackett matched the Beacons' 13-point second quarter scoring total to give the Blue and White a 47-35 advantage at the break. The Sycamores exploded for 32 third-quarter points, 27 of which came from the trio of Kelsey, Briggs and Claybrooks, to push their lead past 20 late in the frame. Valpo made a late run and outscored the Sycamores by 11 in the fourth, but the game was out of reach in favor of the Trees by that point.
 
Up Next
Indiana State's two-game Hoosier State road trip concludes Sunday with a 4 p.m. tip at Evansville.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Women's Basketball, visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.