TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State closes its season-opening three-game road trip Sunday afternoon, as the Sycamores square off with Rutgers for the first time in program history.
Tipoff from Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey, is set for 2 p.m. Sunday's game will air on BTN+, with Dom Savino (play-by-play) and Dominique Patrick (analyst) on the call.
Last Time Out
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.
Block Party
If Indiana State's first two games are an indication of things to come, the Sycamores will be well-positioned among the Missouri Valley Conference leaders in blocks. The Trees tallied at least four blocks against both Northern Illinois and Seton Hall, and are tied for the conference lead with 5.0 blocks per game.
Saroiya Ajomale has tallied two blocks in each of the first two games this season, and ranks in the top five in the MVC in both total blocks (four) and blocks per game (2.0). Seven different Sycamores have registered at least one block within the first two games this season.
Spread The Wealth
Indiana State's offense has been a balanced effort to start the 2026-27 season, as four different Sycamores have recorded a double-figure scoring game in one of the first two games. Three Sycamores -
Saroiya Ajomale (17),
Natalia Williams (16) and
Kristen McMillan (13) - scored in double-figures in the Sycamores' season-opening game at Northern Illinois, while
Ashley Singhateh scored 12 off the bench in Indiana State's last game at Seton Hall.
The Sycamores currently have five different players averaging at least six points per game, with Ajomale (11.0), McMillan (11.0) and Williams (10.0) all averaging double-digit scoring.
Turned Over
Despite the 0-2 start to the season, Indiana State has given teams fits at times on the defensive end. The Sycamores have finished with a plus-one turnover margin in each of their first two games, with opponents averaging 18.5 turnovers per game against the Trees.
Indiana State has averaged nearly a point per possession off turnovers, as the Sycamores finished with 22 points off turnovers against Northern Illinois and 13 points off turnovers against Seton Hall. The Trees rank second in the Missouri Valley Conference in turnovers forced through the opening week of the 2026-27 season.
Straight Off The Bench
Indiana State finished the 2025-26 season ranked third nationally in bench scoring at 31.8 points per game, trailing only a pair of nationally-ranked teams in LSU and Louisville. The Sycamores showed no signs of bucking that trend during the 2026-27 season, already scoring more than 25 bench points in each of their first two games.
The Sycamores are plus-23 in bench scoring compared to their opponents in the first two games of the season, finishing with a 35-26 advantage in bench scoring at Northern Illinois and outscoring Seton Hall 28-14 in bench points in their most recent game.
Three of Indiana State's four double-digit scoring outings from individuals this season have come off the bench.
Natalia Williams (16) and
Kristen McMillan (13) both came off the bench to score in double-figures in the season opener at Northern Illinois, while
Ashley Singhateh led the Sycamores with 12 points off the bench in Indiana State's most recent game at Seton Hall.
Coming Home
The Sycamores' current 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.
Rutgers At A Glance
Rutgers enters Sunday's game at 2-0, with home wins over Long Island and La Salle to open the 2026-27 campaign. The Scarlet Knights have averaged just shy of 80 points per game across their first two contests.
Mia Pauldo leads the Scarlet Knights with 21.5 points, five rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.0 steals per game, with Jaylah Lampley (10.0) and Zachara Perkins (10.0) also scoring in double-figures this season. Perkins also adds a team-leading 8.5 rebounds per game while Tara Daye tacks on 7.5 points and 8.0 boards per contest.
Gary Redus II is in his first season as head coach at Rutgers and is 2-0 in his first collegiate head coaching position. Redus II spent the past four seasons on Kim Mulkey's staff at LSU, winning the national championship in 2023, and was previously at SMU and Delta State.
Series History Against Rutgers
Indiana State and Seton Hall have never previously met on the hardwood.
Last Meeting Against Rutgers
Friday's meeting between the Sycamores and Scarlet Knights will be the first.
Up Next
Indiana State plays its first home game of the season Tuesday night, welcoming in-state foe IU Indy to Hulman Center for a 7 p.m. tip. Tuesday's game begins a three-game homestand for the Sycamores, who play five of their next six at home.
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.
- #MarchOn -
