SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Indiana State's style of play gave Seton Hall fits for the first 15 minutes of Friday's non-conference matchup, before the homestanding Pirates pulled away in a 74-56 setback for the Sycamores inside Walsh Gymnasium.
Ashley Singhateh led the Trees with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists off the bench, finishing as the lone Sycamore in double-figures.
Kristen McMillan added nine points, and a pair of assists, while
Karsen Marshall had eight. McMillan and Marshall also made their first starts for the Sycamores, with Marshall scoring all of her points in the first quarter and McMillan scoring all of hers in the fourth.
Marshall's eight first-quarter points had the Trees on level footing with their Big East counterparts through the opening stages of the game. Indiana State briefly took the lead in the second quarter with a basket from Singhateh and free throws from
Crystal Schultz, but Seton Hall closed the half on a 17-3 run to take control. The Pirates then outscored the Sycamores 23-13 in the third and led by as many as 26. McMillan's nine fourth-quarter points helped the Sycamores outscore Seton Hall in the final frame, but Indiana State's deficit was too much to overcome.
First Half
Marshall had the hot hand early for the Trees, knocking down a pair of treys and also converting a layup in transition as the Sycamores were within one possession of the Pirates for large chunks of the first quarter. Late baskets from
Amerie Flowers and
Jayci Allen, the Sycamores' two returning players from last season, had the Trees within three at 15-12 through the first 10 minutes of play.
Early baskets from
Natalia Williams and Singhateh gave the Sycamores their first lead of the game less than two minutes into the second, and the Trees kept that lead with trips to the charity stripe from Singhateh and
Crystal Schultz. The Sycamores went cold from that point on, though, making just one basket, a layup from Williams, in the final eight minutes of the quarter. Seton Hall closed the period on a 17-3 run and led 39-26 at the break.
Second Half
Saroiya Ajomale knocked down a jumper on Indiana State's first possession of the third quarter, but that was the only basket for the Trees in the first six minutes of the frame until Singhateh connected on a three-ball. Two late layups from
Heaven Shockley, who was making her Sycamore debut, gave the Sycamores a little life late, but Seton Hall carried their momentum into the third and pushed its lead out to 26. Singhateh knocked down a three at the buzzer, but the Trees entered the fourth quarter trailing 62-39.
A pair of layups from McMillan and a 3-pointer from
Eanae Dagons got the Sycamores off to a good start in the fourth quarter, but Seton Hall answered every Indiana State basket to maintain its significant lead. McMillan added two more baskets, including a three-point play, while Ajomale tacked on a three-point play of her own, but the late run for the Sycamores wasn't enough in a 74-56 defeat.
News and Notes:
- Bench scoring continued to be a common theme for Indiana State, who finished with a 28-14 advantage in bench points in Friday's game.
- Ashley Singahteh became the fourth different Sycamore to score in double-figures through the first two games, finishing with a team-high 12 points.
- Indiana State's six blocks in Friday's game were the Sycamores' most since December 17, 2025 against Drake (also six).
- Indiana State finished plus-one in turnover margin for the second straight game while committing just 14 turnovers in Friday's contest.
- Indiana State outscored Seton Hall 17-12 in the fourth quarter of Friday's game.
- All 13 available players for Indiana State appeared in Friday's game, which marked the Indiana State debuts for Ariana Peagler, Allison McGill and Heaven Shockley.
- Shockley finished with four points and four rebounds in 17 minutes, the biggest contribution of the Sycamore debutants in Friday's game.
- Friday's meeting was the first in program history between Indiana State and Seton Hall.
- Friday's starting lineup consisted of Aaliyah Youngblood, Kristen McMillan, Karsen Marshall, Eanae Dagons and Saroiya Ajomale. McMillan and Marshall both made their first starts in an Indiana State uniform.
Up Next
Indiana State's season-opening three-game road trip concludes Sunday afternoon with a 2 p.m. tip at Rutgers.
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