DES MOINES, Iowa – Jayci Allen registered her first double-double in an Indiana State uniform Saturday afternoon, but the Sycamores couldn't overcome three quarters of poor shooting in an 88-70 loss to Drake inside the Knapp Center.
 
Allen finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, both of which were her most in Valley play this season. Tierney Kelsey and Amerie Flowers also finished in double-figures with 13 and 12, respectively, with Flowers also adding eight rebounds
 
Indiana State struggled in nearly every aspect in the first half, with the Sycamores shooting just 20 percent in the opening 20 minutes and trailing by double-digits at the break. The game got heated in the third with two flagrant fouls and two technical fouls, along with a fan ejected, with the Sycamores still struggling and trailing by as many as 29. Indiana State finally showed signs of life in the fourth with Allen and Kayla Smith combining for 16 in a 29-point frame for the Trees, but the Sycamores' woes in the first 30 minutes were too much to overcome.
 
First Half
Indiana State quickly found itself down double-digits, as Sycamores went without a basket in the first seven minutes of the contest before a putback from Allen ended the drought. Samiyah Briggs added a late basket for the Blue and White, but the visiting Sycamores trailed 19-8 after the opening frame.
 
The Trees scored the first four points of the quarter on a basket from Da'Naria Washington and free throws from Kelsey, with the latter adding a layup to pull the Sycamores within 22-14 less than three minutes into the half. Allen added a three in transition to make it a seven-point game midway through, but that was as close as the Sycamores got. A 10-2 run for the home side saw Drake lead by 15, with another trey from Allen and a layup from Kelsey stopping the bleeding. Despite the late baskets for the Blue and White, Indiana State faced a 39-28 deficit at the intermission.
 
Second Half
Indiana State struggled to start the third quarter, with a basket from Clemisha Prackett being the Sycamores' lone points in a 15-2 Drake run across the first five minutes of the frame. Back-to-back baskets from Flowers gave the Sycamores some momentum in an otherwise chippy quarter, as two flagrant fouls, both on the Trees, and two technical fouls, one on each team, were issued in the frame. Flowers added two more buckets in the quarter, with Kelsey tacking on a late layup, but the Sycamores' struggles persisted as the Blue and White trailed 68-41 entering the fourth.
 
The Sycamores showed signs of life in the fourth, as Allen opened the frame with a putback and Kelsey hit a three as the Trees scored the first six points in the period. Threes from Smith and Allen cut the deficit to 76-57 midway through, with the latter also adding a layup just past the halfway point of the period. Smith added another trey, while Ruth Sodipe added five late points in a 90-second span, but the game was well out of reach for the Trees by then. Smith and Kelsey added layups in the final minute, as the Sycamores fell 88-70 in the final game of their Iowa road trip.
 
News and Notes

• Jayci Allen's 10 rebounds were her most in a Sycamore uniform, while her 17 points were her most in a conference game this season.
  • Allen became the fourth different Sycamore to record a double-double this season, alongside Kennedy Claybrooks, Amerie Flowers and Clemisha Prackett.
  • Allen was responsible for half of Indiana State's six threes, recording her seventh game with three or more treys this season.
• Ruth Sodipe's five points and three rebounds were her most in an Indiana State uniform, with the graduate student going a perfect 2-for-2 from the field. Sodipe (plus-one) and Camariyana Tavares (plus-three) were the only Sycamores to record a positive plus-minus.
• Kayla Smith scored all nine of her points in the fourth quarter, with the nine points being her most in a game since Jan. 15 against Belmont.
• Indiana State's streak of games with 30-plus paint points was extended to eight, as the Sycamores had a 30-28 advantage in paint points.
• Saturday's game marked a rare occurrence where Indiana State did not have the higher-scoring bench, as the Sycamore reserves were outscored 33-29.
• The Sycamores' struggles at defending the 3-point line continued in Saturday's game, as Drake hit 14 treys. Indiana State's last four opponents have all hit 13 or more threes against the Trees.
• Indiana State finished with a plus-six turnover margin (18-12), with the Sycamores scoring 16 points off turnovers.
• Indiana State outscored Drake 29-20 in the final quarter after being outscored in each of the first three quarters.
  • The Sycamores shot 50 percent from the floor (11-for-22) in the fourth quarter after shooting just 24.5 percent from the floor (13-for-53) across the first three frames.

 
Up Next
Indiana State returns to Hulman Center for its next two games, starting with a Thursday night tip against UIC at 7 p.m. Thursday's game is the Sycamores' Pink Game for Breast Cancer Awareness.
 
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