TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State's season-opening three-game road trip heads east, as the Sycamores square off with Seton Hall in a Friday morning matinee.
Friday's action from Walsh Gymnasium tips at 11:30 a.m., with Ryan Johnston (play-by-play) and former Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball head coach Greg Herenda (analyst) on the call for ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Indiana State nearly overcame a 15-point deficit Monday night on the road, but the Sycamores' comeback effort fell just short in a 76-71 defeat to Northern Illinois inside the Convocation Center.
Saroiya Ajomale led the Trees with 17 points, while
Natalia Williams added 16 points off the bench for her highest-scoring game at the Division I level.
Kristen McMillan nearly registered a double-double off the bench with 13 points and eight boards, while
Amerie Flowers led all players with nine rebounds.
After a back-and-forth opening quarter, Northern Illinois broke through with a 16-2 run across the middle stages of the second quarter to pull ahead by double-digits. Indiana State slowly whittled down the deficit, with Williams scoring 10 across the middle two quarters to pull the Trees within seven. Ajomale nearly willed Indiana State to a win in the second half, scoring 12 in the fourth quarter including a three from the wing to give the Trees a lead at one point, but a late 7-0 run saw the home side sneak past the Sycamores.
First Timers
Indiana State will play a pair of first-time opponents in its next two games, with the Sycamores venturing east to face Seton Hall and Rutgers on the road. The games against the Pirates and Scarlet Knights account for two of the Sycamores' three games against first-time opponents this season, with Indiana State's November 17 contest aginst Bellarmine also representing a first-time meeting.
» The Trees have faced at least one first-time opponent in each of the last three seasons (2023-24: Illinois-Springfield and Radford, 2024-25: Iowa State, 2025-26: Saint Mary-of-the-Woods).
Coming Home
The Sycamores' upcoming road trip to Seton Hall and Rutgers will serve as a homecoming for Indiana State head coach
Marc Mitchell, who returns to his home state for the first time at the helm of the Trees.
Mitchell, who is in his third year as the head coach of the Sycamores, is originally from Elizabeth, New Jersey, and is a 2000 graduate of nearby Kean University. His head coaching career at the collegiate level also started in his home state with stints at FDU-Florham from 2009-18 and Saint Peter's from 2018-22.
Mitchell compiled a 228-145 record as a head coach across his two New Jersey stops, going 187-67 at FDU-Florham and 41-78 at Saint Peter's. His 2013-14 FDU-Florham team went undefeated and won the NCAA Division III National Championship.
Crashing The Glass
Indiana State placed a heavy emphasis on the boards in its season-opening game at Northern Illinois, as the Sycamores finished plus-six in rebound margin against the Huskies (43-37). More than half of the Sycamores' rebounds in the season opener came on the offensive glass, with Indiana State tallying 22 offensive rebounds.
The Sycamores' 22 offensive rebounds were their most in a game since January 16, 2025 against Southern Illinois, and the Trees took full advantage of the extra opportunities. Indiana State finished with a 22-6 advantage in second chance points in the season opener.
Bench Mob
Indiana State was among the national leaders in bench production last season, and Monday's season opener indicated no change on that front. After ranking third nationally in bench scoring in the 2025-26 season at 31.8 points per game, the Sycamores' bench accounted for nearly half of their points against Northern Illinois.
The Sycamore reserves tallied 35 points against Northern Illinois, with Indiana State finishing its opening game with a 35-26 advantage in bench points. Two of the three Trees to finish the season opener in double-figures came off the bench (
Natalia Williams 16,
Kristen McMillan 13).
Thieves Avenue
Indiana State ranked among the top teams in the Missouri Valley Conference in turnovers forced last season, and the Sycamores carried that trend into Monday's season opener at Northern Illinois. The Trees recorded 12 steals and forced the Huskies into 22 turnovers
Indiana State's 22 turnovers forced ranked second among MVC teams for the opening slate of games, while the Sycamores finished their opening night game plus-one in turnover margin (22-21). The Trees took full advantage of Northern Illinois' turnovers, converting the Huskies' 22 miscues into 22 points on the other end and recording a 22-13 advantage in points off turnovers.
Seton Hall At A Glance
Seton Hall enters Friday's game at 1-0 after defeating Mercyhurst 63-37 in their season opener Tuesday night. The Pirates forced 30 turnovers and held Mercyhurst below 30 percent from the field in their season-opening win
Ari Woodard led the Pirates in the season opener with 22 points, going 8-for-11 from the field and 3-for-4 from behind the arc. Ksenjia Scepanovic added seven points, five rebounds and five assists. Savannah Catalon, Seton Hall's leading returning scorer, enters Friday's game 21 points shy of 1,000 for her career.
Anthony Bozzella is in his 14th season as head coach at Seton Hall and owns a 250-167 record at the helm of his alma mater. Bozzella is a coaching veteran in the Tri-State area and has won 556 games across stops at Seton Hall, Iona, Long Island and Southampton.
Series History Against Seton Hall
Indiana State and Seton Hall have never previously met on the hardwood.
Last Meeting Against Seton Hall
Friday's meeting between the Sycamores and Pirates will be the first.
Up Next
Indiana State remains in the Garden State for a Sunday afternoon showdown at Rutgers, with tipoff from Piscataway set for 2 p.m.
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